Never underestimate the importance of teaching routines. In every classroom and every grade level... but ESPECIALLY in Kindergaten. And in Kindergarten, we teach them, model them, practice them, talk
Help your students expand their writing skills with these teaching ideas on writing a paragraph before they need to know how to write a multi-paragraph.
Joseph's First Birthday Party I have always adored birthdays. I love having a special day to celebrate each unique arrival on the earth. I enjoy my birthdays. I claim all I've had so far. So, it is no wonder that I went out of my way to make Joseph's 1st birthday one for the books. We had fun decorations. We ate "cub" cakes with paw prints and gummy bears picnicking. We snacked on bears, bears and more bears. Gummy bears, cinnamon bears, chocolate covered bears and even teddy bear trail mix. Here's Joe's little cake. The boy of honor. Mmmmm. Cake! Happy Birthday Little Man!
Determining main idea and key details in a text can be difficult. Here are countless tips, strategies, and resources to help you!
When you're still technically in school, but the conditions just aren't great for teaching, what do you do to make the most of the time? Here are 30 ideas.
Don't let your literature anthology dictate the short stories you read with your middle school and high school students. There are so many wonderful short stories out there, many of which can be used to teach a variety of literary elements and paired with other texts. Read on for 13 of my favorites, which literary terms and skills they lend themselves to teaching, plus suggested text pairings and activities.
The biggest challenge with teaching middle school is the race against the clock! Ideas for how to structure a 60 minute class period.
Get your students to respect you with these 4 strategies that can be used for teachers at all levels and ranges. This keep you teaching in your classroom.
If you're any thing like me, keeping up with parent contacts can be one of the most tedious aspects of teaching. Part of my problem is major lack of organization. But it's also really hard when you teach 100 kids. Hopefully, this sheet will help tremendously in the upcoming school year. Parent Contact I also created this exit slip to help me assess my students on a regular basis. It's so easy to just end a lesson with no closure. So one goal I have for this year is to do a better job of assessing how well (or not so well) my students understood the lesson. We'll see how it goes. Exit Slip
Learn how to make suncatchers with this fun, fine motor raindrop art activity that has preschoolers peel and sharpen crayons to create raindrop shapes.
When I first started teaching, I remember trying so many different ideas all the time in my classroom. It was exhausting running a new small group scenario or differentiation strategy several times per week, and over my many years of teaching, I’ve come to master a handful of strategies that are ve
Sometimes it feels crazy overwhelming to keep assessing students and know exactly what they do/don’t understand. That’s where these quick and easy formative assessment ideas comes in! M…
Advanced Placement Literature and Composition can be a challenge for new teachers. Here are 9 tips to get you started teaching AP Literature. These tips will help you get organized and help you focus on the core of what's the most important for teaching Advanced Placement Literature.
Long gone are the days that I stand in front of my class before the start of a novel and go through a three day powerpoint slide. Ten years ago, that was best practice for so many of us. They were lessons I looked forward to, but I fear it’s because I loved being center stage. T
Games are fun. We love playing them, watching them and even creating them. But how can we bring elements of gameplay into our classroom in meaningful
April is National Poetry Month, which is just around the corner. This post includes 25 ideas for teaching poetry to instill a love of poems!
Let the kids be the very best Pokemon Master with this Pokemon/Pokeball Printable! Fairly simple craft, just download the pokeball PDF here. It's A4 size, PDF file so prepare your printer paper setting to A4 size if needed. Step 1: Cut out the pokeball parts. Step 2: Let's start off with the cover of the pokeball. Take part A and fold the flaps inwards (towards the white piece behind). Step 3: Put glue on the outer side of the flaps. Step 4: Stick part B onto part A. This step has to be done carefully and slowly. We're done with the cover. Now it's time to make the insides and the bottom part of the pokeball. Step 5: Cut out part C and fold the flaps inwards (towards the white side) Step 6: Put glue on the inside of the flaps (the ones facing inwards towards the blank part). Place and align part D onto C. Stick the flaps of part C so that it's like it's holding onto part D. You're done with the bottom pocket! Step 7: Stick the last part E onto the back to give the printable some gradient-like orb (and also to cover the flaps). And you're done! Oh, and one last thing, should the cover not able to cover over the pocket, try trimming the sides of the bottom pocket a little. I did this piece with matte paper. Not the best kind of paper. Normal paper works fine. Use glossy paper to give the pokeball an extra shine! Download the pokemon set 1 here. Download pokemon set 2 here. Download pokemon set 3 here (added 14/9/2014) Download pokemon set 4 here (added 14/9/2014) Download pokemon set 5 here (added 14/9/2014) Download pokemon set 6 here (added 14/9/2014) Download pokemon set 7 here (added 14/9/2014) ~ ~*NEW*~ ~ Download the original 150 pokemons set 8 here (added 9/8/2016) Download the 2nd generation pokemons set 9 here (added 15/9/2016) *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Note to all downloaders (added 18/10/2016) I've been receiving a number of emails and comments about not being able to download the printables. It has happened to many people already so first off, DON'T PANIC! :D I would suggest to try downloading the printable(s) at a later time or the next day. If the problem still persists, do shoot me an email and I will send you a copy of it while troubleshooting the link problem. Thank you all for your emails and comments. I'm really very happy and humbled by all of your touching messages. From parents to teachers, your words made me feel that I've completed my personal mission in making this world a happier place. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Just for the zing of it, print the Pokemons on sticker paper. Cut them out. Hide them all over your house and let the kids catch them pokemons! Have fun with your Pokemon battle, kids! Want more fun? How about some Pokemon Gym Badges and Cases? Get them here! Do you like them? Love them? Hate them? Do leave a comment below. I'll love to hear from you.
Free Anger and Feelings Worksheets for Kids
. Completely free to print, download and paint. Here is the fun you've been looking for...
Want some ideas on how to teaching students how to integrate quotes and textual evidence in to writing? I've got you.
This is a fun project I came across on Artsonia by Blue Mountain Elementary students. I love the different perspective and that each picture can still be individualized. I’ve shared pictures …
There are so many things to think about when it comes to classroom management, including how to manage your fast finishers. So, let's talk...
English is a fascinating subject where you can actively experiment with new words, combine different words each time for the same sentence, and whatnot. A key ingredient for this fascinating experiment is wh-questions: What, when, why, where, who, and how. Wh-questions are fundamental to both oral and written language.
Are you a new 2nd grade teacher? Here are the best tips for taking on grade 2 and all the fun that comes with it!
This free printable teacher planner is an excellent resource for staying organized. To our dear teachers, this planner is designed with your needs in mind! It includes the basic organizers that can…
Is grammar outdated or still necessary for a homeschool education? Learn the pros and cons and find some great, free resources for teaching this often maligned topic.
Instead of looking for ways to make punishments stricter, restorative justice seeks to build relationships and repair harm. Learn more about how this holistic approach works and how you can get started.
After spending three years in Seoul, South Korea, with my family, I knew that I wanted to teach English Language Learners. (ELL) What I loved the most was teaching English to Korean children. At first I had no idea how to start but I had been an elementary teacher and special ed teacher for many years, so I started with lots of pictures of nouns and verbs and wrote my own curriculum. When I returned to the US I started teaching adults while taking many ESL classes until I finally got the job I had waited for: An ESL Resource Teacher/Specialist with the Anchorage School District. Believe it or not there were over 100 different languages spoken by students in the district so it was a true ESL program. I worked in the lowest performing elementary school in the district in the mornings and traveled to 5 other schools in the afternoons. I trained tutors and staff across the district and the state. I became a Trainer of Trainers for S.I.O.P. (Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol) a method for teaching ESL students. After retiring, I became an Education Consultant for a Korean Company developing their on-line English Speaking, Reading, and Writing Courses for Elementary and Middle School students. After four years I retired. I decided it was time to give TpT and blogging a try. At that time there didn't seem to be much of a market for ESL materials and honestly I knew nothing about marketing or blogging. But now I realize there is a need to know more about teaching ESL students and resources for them. What I do know for sure is that there is probably a 99% chance that those of you reading this have at least one ESL (or ELL) student in your classroom. With high stakes testing, those new to the country or English language programs are only given a 1 year grace period before those students are required to take part in those tests. I truly understand how frustrating that is for those of you who work at schools with a high number of ESL students or a sub group of enough ESL students to count towards your schools' annual yearly progress. What the research shows is that the quality of instruction is a vital factor in ESL students learning English. Well organized classrooms with ample opportunities to interact in English and practice English with both the teacher and classmates is essential. Some of you have an an ESL resource teacher in your school where your students get pulled out for an hour or more each day for intensive instruction. He or she will be a great resource for you. For others you may be looking for some materials to help your ESL students. There are some wonderful materials available that are not too expensive that your principal may be willing to purchase which I'd like to share with you. Picture Dictionaries: There are several to choose from depending on the ages of your students. If your students are literate in their first language then you may want to look at the ones that are in both English and the student's first language. I used Word by Word Basic for my learning center. It is a smaller version of their Word by Word dictionary which I used for adults. There are many options for English and other languages. Just click on the picture to find out more about it. My favorite for my primary students was the Oxford Picture Dictionary for Kids. Not only is there a dictionary but there are reproducible books that have Picture/Word Cards, Worksheets, Stories and more. There are 9 themes with several lessons for each theme. My students loved this series. You can access all the components by clicking on the image below. For the Intermediate grades I used the Oxford Picture Dictionary for Kids in the Content Area and reproducible books. There are Math, Science, and Social Studies units and more. Just click on the image below to learn more about these. If you are only interested in the dictionary you can click HERE. Another great resource is Rosetta Stone. Students can work at the computer during the day individually . You can learn more about it by clicking on the image below. With the ESL population growing all over the US, I decided to start creating ESL materials not only for the classroom teacher for for ESL teachers, too. I completely revised my first ESL Beginning Speaking Unit when teachers started purchasing it and started asking me if there were more lessons like that one. It actually was one of a group of 20 ESL Beginning Speaking Lessons that I just didn't get around to revising and remaking. The first was called "My Day: In the Morning". Then I created and bundled the 3 lessons: "My Day" which you can access my clicking on the image below: I incorporated the sheltered instruction strategies of a Activating Prior Knowledge (what do they already know), Building Background (pictures for new vocabulary), Guided Practice (speaking activities) and Independent Practice. Here is a sample of all the activities of "In the Morning" You can click on the image above to read all about the lessons and download the Preview file to see all the materials and activities in the Unit. Through FB I met a teacher who was beginning her journey as an ESL Resource Teacher after 20 years of teaching. Her job is so similar to the one I had in Alaska. We became instant friends and she inspired to create more lessons. Here is my new "At School" unit, which contains 4 Beginning Speaking Lessons. Each of these Unit Lessons have a Lesson plan for teaching each of the sheltered instruction strategies. You can read the description and download the preview file by clicking on the image below. I have made my lesson "My Day: In the Morning" free to my followers and viewers who have ESL beginner students in their classrooms or to ESL teachers. I hope that it will get them interacting in their new language in a fun way and on the road to achieving proficiency. I would love for you to come back and comment below to give me some feedback. Just click on the image below to download your free lesson. You may also be interested in my new Pinterest board which you can follow by clicking on the picture below. Click HERE to check out all my new Pinterest boards. Thanks for all you do to make a difference for your students. I am planning to do more blog posts about working with ESL or ELL students. If you are interested in knowing more, leave a comment below to tell me what topics your would be interested in. Thank you. Follow my blog with Bloglovin
We are always on the lookout for simple science activities to do with our kids. It doesn't get any easier than this walking water science activity!
A clear, well illustrated overall look at the illusion of perspective in picture making. This site is visited by 100s daily – it must be so needed. I hope it helps YOU!
IF you are like me, you are looking for FUN, yet simple projects for the end of the school year!! I got this idea from this fabulous blog ca...
Create a focus wall that is easy to maintain, keeps all the important skills for the week in one place, and looks amazing! The best thing is that it was not created with one specific grade level or curriculum in mind. The cards are blank so that they can be customized by teachers in all grade levels anywhere in the world! What is included? Posters: Ready to print and editable posters. Bulletin Board Letters: Large letters to use on your bulletin board that spell "Focus Wall" in color and black & white. Editable Templates: Blank/editable content card templates that you can use to type up your curriculum. These card templates can be duplicated as many times as you need. Languages: English and Spanish versions included. This resource includes four different print options! Option #1: Poster Style The large poster style is meant to be printed on tabloid/ledger sized paper measuring 11” wide by 17” tall. I recommend getting them printed at a copy center such as Staples. Options #2: Print at Home Poster Style The second version can be printed at home on regular copy paper. The finished posters will be the same size as option #1. Option #3: Header Style The third version is a header style option. You can print those at home too! Option #4: Small Poster Style The fourth version is printed on standard sized paper. This option is great if you have limited wall space for your bulletin board. ⭐️ Please check out the preview for a detailed view of these three print options.⭐️ Once it’s put together, you can write in the boxes with a dry erase marker or use the blank cards I've included to type everything up and save those cards from year to year. If you go that route, I suggest using StikkiClips™ to hang up the cards inside the white boxes. ⭐️ A note about the editable versions: I know all classrooms have different needs, so I included editable versions of the posters that you can customize using PowerPoint™. Please note that I used paid fonts from Amy Groesbeck to create the finished set. You would need to purchase those fonts in order to replicate the look of my finished copy. You can use any fonts currently on your computer if you prefer not to purchase the fonts I used. Here are the links to those paid fonts: AG Joy of Missing Out AG On Fleek I love using StikkiClips™ with this board (they hold up the content cards). Click HERE to pick some up. You can also find them at your local teaching store. Please ask any questions prior to purchasing!
Focus your planning by getting clear on just three things: the WHAT, the HOW, and the WHY.
Do you have a mountain of student writing to grade? Do you wish you had more time to give students better feedback? This little trick will help.
