How to Have a Gingerbread Day
Having a “Gingerbread Day” is a great way to build excitement while incorporating cross-curricular activities. Here are some activities you can do with your elementary students that cover various subjects while also being standards-based, rigorous and meaningful, and fun!
Fun and Educational Thanksgiving Teaching Resources
November is a busy month! With holiday excitement in the air, you probably want to incorporate both fun and meaningful Thanksgiving resources to keep your kids engaged in learning. Here are my Top Five Thanksgiving Themed Teaching Resources that your students will love. 1. Virtual Field Trips Virtual Field Trips are a great way to celebrate the season while learning important social studies topics and practicing key skills. I have
Best Picture Book Recommendations for National Native American Heritage Month
November is National Native American History Month. Here are recommendations for some of my favorite picture books on Indigenous peoples in North America.
How to Use Printable Escape Rooms
During remote learning, many teachers used the digital format of my escape rooms to supplement learning and skill-focused review. But with schools being fully reopened, some teachers wonder whether the printable format of these resources can work in a more traditional classroom setting. The good news is that my Escape Rooms are dynamic and engaging whether you use the digital or printable version. I designed my Escape Rooms to be
The Best Picture Books for Halloween
Decorations are popping up everywhere and Halloween season is officially in full swing! Students are always so excited for this time of year, so why not fuel their excitement with some fun Halloween picture books? In this post, I share my favorite Halloween picture books with some tips about how they can be used in the classroom. I’m so excited about sharing these books, I decided to share my Halloween
How to Teach Plot Structure
Identifying and understanding plot structure is a key skill for elementary students to become good readers. Identifying main story elements is a building block to be able to eventually retell and summarize fiction. Plot structure may also be referred to as story structure or literature structure, but they are the same general skill. In this blog post, I provide a step-by-step on how to teach plot structure skills. I also
How to Use Reading Digital Mini Lessons
I created reading digital mini lessons for teachers who are always scrambling to find the materials they need in so many places. I thought, “What if teachers could have everything they need in ONE place with clear instructions broken down for each day?” Between the read alouds, question prep, anchor charts, student guided practice, and everything else, mini lessons took me so much time to prepare as a teacher. That
How to Build Intrinsic Motivation in Students
Teachers are some of the most creative people in the world. They come up with the most inventive, engaging, and exciting lessons, classrooms, and more. Cute and fun behavior management and reward systems are no exception. Teachers come up with adorable charts, token systems, prizes, and even the latest trend… Desk Pets. There is no doubt that these reward systems are super creative, fun, and motivating for students. But are
The Best Back to School Books
The beginning of the year is a crucial time to set expectations, develop relationships, and set the stage to grow a caring classroom community. One of my favorite ways to do this is through classroom read aloud books and discussions. These read aloud books can be sprinkled into your regular reading and social studies lessons to serve a double purpose! These are my seven favorite back to school read aloud
Just Say No to Behavior Clip Charts
Behavior clip charts have been a staple in many classrooms as the primary behavior management tool for years. In my early days as a substitute teacher, I remember how helpful behavior charts were for me to manage behaviors as a guest teacher. However, early in my teaching career, I learned how harmful it is to use behavior clip charts. In this post, I talk about the reasons why behavior clip
