Morning Meeting is the best part of the day in my 4th-grade classroom, and I want to share some of my fourth graders’ favorite morning meeting activities. These morning meeting activities are ones that we use all year to work on teamwork, classroom community, and just having fun building relationships together! Use these Morning […]
An engaging back-to-school writing activity. Use Skittles to help students brainstorm things to introduce themselves during back-to-school.
I got this idea from my peer teacher, Nina. It's a great way for students to share about themselves. I think it would be perfect for a first day of school activity. I would start by having the students first write the numbers. Later, once we have learned about multiplication and division, I would have them create the equations. Finally, they can put it all together in time for Open House. It can be easily adapted for the younger grades by using addition and/or subtraction. It can be adapted for older grades with exponents, multi-step problems, and including fractions or decimals. Thanks to my friend Nannette for inspiring me with her sample.
Students can travel across the globe without leaving the classroom. Check out these fun geography lessons for any grade and curriculum.
Have you been looking for the perfect project based learning curriculum? If you've been on the lookout for a game-changing approach to captivate your upper elementary students and ignite a passion for learning, you're in for a treat! Buckle up as we dive into the world of project-based learning (PBL) – the secret sauce to turning mundane lessons into exciting adventures.
Who's ready for a smoother year? ? Stock your classroom for success with these 11 essential supplies, resources, and strategies.
Which Back to School Activities Elementary can I use for Building Community in my Classroom? Which All About Me Activities are most engaging for my students?
Nearly 400 teachers weighed in on their favorite back-to-school activities and ice breakers - and here are their top picks! The most popular, practical, and unique back-to-school activities loved by teachers around the world!
If you are a new fourth grade teacher or returning back to teaching 4th grade, you'll find everything you need to be successful here!
These are the top 10 best 5th grade classroom transformations. They are easy to implement, rigorous, and fun for fifth graders!
So you get assigned a split and you panic.
Fun Friday in the classroom is a great way to celebrate the week of hard work! Find 6 tips and free resources for having your own Fun Friday!
These fun classroom activities for year of end will delight your students. I've got them planned out for you, so it's no stress for you...
Building community in your classroom is critical to a great year! Students who feel safe, valued and a sense of belonging are infinitely more willing to take social and academic risks in your classroom. So how do you build that sense of community? Well, I have gathered up 10 of my favorite activities to share with you today.
Are your students struggling to stay focused when they complete their work? Check out this comprehensive list of early finisher activities.
Classroom community building activities and free ideas and lesson plans to kick off the school year or implement at any time.
Too many classroom icebreakers require students to take big social risks with people they barely know. Or they don't really help students get to know each other. Or they are just plain cheesy.
First days of school can be stressful. There's an insane amount of pressure to make a great first impression. The administration wants you to go over the handbook of rules for the district. There's tons of forms that need to be filled out. You need to learn their names and it's hard because half the names don't match your class list. His name is Samuel but he goes by S.J. Her name on your roll says Mary, but she goes by Mary Beth. You want to start off the year on the right note regarding procedures and expectations, but you also want it to be a little bit fun, too. Yes, it can be complicated to plan out the first day. My first day was absolutely fantastic. Yes, I learned names. Yes, I went over the handbook. Yes, I went over forms. But we also did some quick exciting things that started us out on the right foot. In no particular order, here is what made my first day FANTASTIC. 1. I let my students collaborate on a story. I started a story on the whiteboard and each student could only add four words to the story. It ended up being hilarious and making ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE but no one cared. It was fun. They worked as a family. 2. That bring me to my next point--we don't call our classes, um, classes. Or homerooms. We call them families. So I have Mrs. Johnson's Family for my 1st period class and Mrs. Anderson's Family for my second period class. (Homeroom teacher names were changed for this post.) You get the idea. And it really does reinforce this idea that we need to work together like a family should. 3. I embraced and addressed my students' biggest fear. Each teacher has his/her students coming to the room with a big fear. Go ahead and address it. Since I'm the first year of middle school, the big fear is the locker. Will I ever get into it? Will I have enough time to get everything out of it? My students can't begin to learn procedures until we address the locker issue. Once they feel confident with their locker, they are ready to learn procedures. So, what did I do? I lined up my wonderful parents to come work with my students one-on-one the very first day of school on their locker. And it was the best thing for that first day. Address your students' fears with a solution. Don't think, "Oh I need to teach procedures! I'll help them with that later on in the week." No. Their Big Fear is ALL THEY CAN THINK ABOUT. Fix the fear, then they can face all the procedures and rules head on! 4. If you know me, you know that I ABSOLUTELY DETEST GETTING TO KNOW YOU GAMES. Why do I have to name a fact about myself that starts with a J just because my first name is Jordyn? Nothing starts with a J that I like! I hate jelly beans. I'm ok with jolly ranchers but they aren't anything special. I. HATE. GETTING. TO. KNOW. YOU. GAMES. I think I've made my point clear. Soooooo---what did I do to get to know them? I made a statement and pointed to two sides of the room. The students moved to the side of the room for their answer. Examples: 1. Team Cat or Team Dog 2. Would you rather travel every day or never leave home? 3. Team Math/Science or Team Language Arts? 4. Alabama or Auburn? (I live in Alabama, so this is a big deal around here. Feel free to change to whatever sports teams works for you. And by the way, the correct answer to me is the side of the room that was yelling WAR EAGLE!) We didn't do this as one big activity. I broke up the reading of the district handbook by doing a couple of these, then back to the handbook, then a couple more of these, then back to the handbook, a couple more of these, then going over forms. THEY LOVED THIS ACTIVITY! It didn't force the quiet kids to talk, but they did participate by moving. It let the other ones announce why they were on that side. It was just a great icebreaker for those of us who are anti-icebreaker. --->Do you need a GETTING TO KNOW YOU ACTIVITY perfect for the first few days? (And not icebreaker questions that tweens dislike---actually questions they enjoy answering!)
Third grade! Yay! I survived the first two weeks of third grade and finally have the time/energy to tell you a little bit about it. I won’t be going into total detail, so please leave a comment if you have a question! (UPDATE: I wrote a much more detailed post with more links and full ... Read More about The First Week of Third Grade
Morphology walls are a great tool in 4th and 5th grade classrooms! Read more and sign up for free posters to make your own morphology wall!
This One Quadrant Coordinate Plane Poster & Handout is a must have for any 4th, 5th, or 6th Grade Math Classroom! Help your class learn plotting points and identifying points on the coordinate…
Are you looking for early finisher activities to keep your students engaged and productive when they complete their work early? Look no further! Here are 20 early finisher activities that your students will love. From creative projects to physical activities, there’s something here for everyone! These early finisher activities will help keep your students motivated and on task while also having a little fun. So grab the supplies, turn up the music, and let's get started with these awesome early finisher activities today! (Some links below are Amazon affiliate links. . .no extra charge for you, but it helps support
These are the top 10 best 5th grade classroom transformations. They are easy to implement, rigorous, and fun for fifth graders!
These are the top 10 best 4th grade classroom transformations. They are easy to implement, rigorous, and fun for fourth graders!
Ideas for early finishers/fast finishers in the classroom to help keep them engaged. No more hearing “I’m Done Now What?” Improve classroom management with these activities, chart, and system.
Capturing your students’ interest and curiosity during the first few minutes of class is the key to keeping them engaged for your entire lesson. But not all math warm up activities are created equally. Math teachers miss out on activating their students’ critical thinking and reasoning skills when
Draw It! is an engaging brain break that your students will BEG you to play! The game is NO PREP and simple for students of all ages. Simply display the included slides for your students to see, read the three clues, have your students draw a picture of the secret object on a piece of paper, or on their whiteboards, and finally reveal the secret! This resource is EDITABLE, so you can add your own objects and clues for your students to draw! Included: - 20 Premade Game Slides - EDITABLE Slides to add your own objects and clues **This resource is included in my Brain Breaks BUNDLE!**
Read about 10 end of the year activities for you to use the last few weeks of school. Keep your students busy with projects, challenges, and more!
You’ll love everything about these 25 last week of school ideas and activities for elementary and middle school students! Get end of the year activities and party ideas including theme days, outdoor fun, memory books, and even escape rooms on this end of year activities list. Perfect for 3rd grade, for 4th grade, 5th grade, and even 6th grade!
Discover grammar games that are engaging, rigorous, and fun! These I CAN Grammar Games are perfect for grammar review, practice, and literacy centers!
All the best teacher-proven tips and tricks.
Are you looking for no prep spelling activities to use in your classroom? Try 2 free spelling worksheets FREE!
How has your summer vacation been going? Mine has been both relaxing and busy at the same time. I have been working like a busy bee planning for my mid-August nuptials! If you follow me on Instagram, then you’re definitely up to date on all things wedding! I’ve also been making more of an effort...
A simple way to teach your students classroom procedures and expectations at the beginning of the school year
On a normal, middle-of-the-year day, I want my students to come into my room in the morning knowing it is a calm place, a cooperative pla...
Do you dread having early finishers in your 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade classroom? Every classroom has them. Grab some free challenges in this post!
A strong classroom community is integral to students' success.
If you have been following our blog, you might have seen our post about our favorite teacher hack, earlier finisher packets! If you missed it, don’t worry, I will sum it up real quick for you. Essentially, despite teaching different grade, Emmy and I realized we were both having the same Issue. Kid
Changing grade levels is difficult for teachers, so I've written this post about moving to 4th grade to help get you started.
This resource can be used on its own as a weekly assessment to guide instruction. However, is it particularly effective if used as a Friday assessment in conjunction with my 5-A-Day Math Review. My 5-A-Day Math Review contains 5 daily math tasks for (Monday-Thursday). This resource is now EDITABLE!!! Easily edit the student pages using PowerPoint
Are you looking for some great project based learning examples? In education, teachers are continually seeking creative ways to captivate their students' interest and foster a love for learning. One approach gaining popularity is Project-Based Learning (PBL), a student-centered type of learning that allows students to explore real-world problems and challenges. For upper elementary teachers, integrating PBL into the curriculum can be an amazing experience, promoting critical thinking, collaboration, and a deeper understanding of academic concepts. In this blog post, we'll explore a variety of engaging project-based learning examples that can be easily incorporated into upper elementary classrooms.
