It’s official: Back-to-school shopping is a go! Target has already put out their teacher goodies; therefore, it’s time to start thinking about my classroom. You can see my past classroom here. This is my 7th classroom set up, and I have most of the supplies I need. Sure, I will need to restock dry erase markers and pencils, but for the most part, there are only a few more classroom ...
Must-Have Classroom Supplies from Ikea
Noelle and I recently took a trip to Ikea to scout for items for my classroom. We did it with a nine-week-old and almost-two-year-old. Are we crazy? The answer is yes! Crazy for classroom supplies! We did have a great time walking around, snapping pictures, and letting our creativity run wild. Without further delay, let’s take a look at the goodies we found. Sidenote: We know that ...
Rookie Teacher Mistake: Talking Over Students
Rick Smith said, “Teaching is like trying to fly a plane while building it.” You learn as you go, and unfortunately, you mostly learn what doesn’t work before you learn what does work. Cue our new series -- Rookie Teacher Mistakes. Rookie Mistakes are a series of common pitfalls that we make as teachers and tips to rectify and/or prevent them from happening. No judgment here; the ...
Using Scholastic Magazines to Reach Reluctant Readers
Last summer, Scholastic Magazines reached out and graciously offered to partner with the blog for the school year. It was a unique opportunity to get an incredible resource in the hands of students, and we wanted to share about the experience. Teacher Takeaways from a Year with Scholastic By far, the biggest takeaway was my ability to reach reluctant readers. We have all had ...
Why You Should Attend a Math Conference
If you are reading this blog, then chances are that you love teaching; more specifically, you love teaching math! Teaching and teaching math are a multi-faceted skills that require us to constantly learn: new strategies, new techniques, new ways to use intervention, new models, and the list goes on and on. Math conferences are a place for teachers to sharpen their skills and learn from ...
Teacher To-Do List: Summer 2018 Edition
Summer is mere weeks away, and I know that the countdowns have already begun. This time last year*, I would wake up and think to myself, “Only 2 more Mondays left...10 school days... 7 instruction days...” You name it; I was counting it down. My summers are shorter than the typical schools’ summers, so I want to make the absolute most of every day. And, in typical teacher fashion, I ...
Activities for Engagement: The Scavenger Hunt
It should come to no one’s surprise that students like activities. I’m an adult, and I like activities! In fact, I outlined how you could turn any worksheet into an activity here. My particular favorite is the scavenger hunt. Let’s dive into why it is a favorite for both my students and me. ACTIVITIES FOR ENGAGEMENT: THE SCAVENGER HUNT How It Works Scavenger hunts work like this. ...
Time-Saving Tips for the New Year
What I love about being a teacher is that you get two new years every one year -- August and January. Since the new year has just begun, I thought I would share some of my go-to time-saving tips so you can start your new year in your classroom as efficiently as possible. TIME-saving tips for the new year 1. Plan your Planning Period How many times have you looked at the clock ...
How to Teach Part, Whole, and Percent
When I begin to teach part, whole, and percent problems, I explain to my students that there is nothing that I teach in my class that I use more often in my real life. Students reflect on where they see percents: the grocery store, sales and discounts, and their grades. 6.RP.A.3.C Find a percent of a quantity as a rate per 100 (e.g., 30% of a quantity means 30/100 times the quantity); ...
The Ultimate Teacher Gift Guide
With Thanksgiving Break behind us and a mere 12 days until Winter Break (who's counting?!), it felt like the perfect time to kick off our 2017 Teacher Gift Guide. Last year, we categorized gifts by the type of teacher you might be shopping for, but this year, we are breaking down our gift guide by the amount of money you have to spend. Here we go! THE ULTIMATE TEACHER GIFT ...