I've created this I Am a Scientist Unit so our future scientists can learn and research about what a scientist does and the tools they use.

Need a weekend getaway? Here's a comprehensive guide to the best things to do Idyllwild, CA, as well as recommendations on where to stay!

How to find in Lisbon free walking tours that are 100% free? Go on a self-guided walking tour! You'll find 3 free walking tours in this guide + free maps

I’ve had numerous people ask me recently to teach them how to make worksheets for their classroom and products for TeachersPayTeachers. Being a visual learner myself, I decided to lay it out step-by-s

Just one hour south of Frankfurt airport lies the fairy tale city of Heidelberg, Germany. Home to a 13th-century castle, the oldest university in Germany, and the longest pedestrian street in Europe (or so I'm

Want to use your photo with your Cricut Machine? Learn the 3 easiest ways to convert your png or jpg to SVG and cut file for use with your Cricut!

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7-day Slovenia road trip itinerary • How to spend a week in Slovenia • 7-day Slovenia itinerary with the best places: Ljubljana, Bled, Julian Alps, and more

If I could go back in time, this is what I would tell myself before I started sewing. I could have learned more and had more sewing success.

I've kinda become a pro at creating a vision board that works. Seriously, no matter how much my life sucks and how big and unrealistic my vision is, every vision board I've created has pushed me to make the impossible possible in my life. (I am totally a goal-gladiator.) It's hard to believe that a

Transform piano lessons into engaging adventures with these fun and educational piano games! Explore physical and digital options!

I could never say enough positive things about using a work box system in the classroom-- for any child. I've used them with typically developing peers in the classroom as well and it's an amazing way to in-bed practice and skill maintenance, all while working on attending to a task as well. Over the summer I did a whole post on how I structure this system in my classroom. You can check it out {here}. But one thing I've never done is actually post photos of the activities I have in my boxes. My boxes have grown since I last posted a photo this summer. I have 83 work boxes available in my classroom at all times. I know that sounds like the only thing that make up the shelves in my classroom are work boxes, but I promise it's not. It might be close, but it's not! I don't have a lot of remaining storage in my classroom. So to constantly be changing out activities and finding a storage system for previous activities is a little challenging for me. So I prefer to just have a lot of boxes available. We also need a high number of boxes to complete each day. Let's break it down. I have 10 students total, 8 of whom complete work boxes at some point doing the day. Children complete anywhere between 1-10 boxes a day. Right now, as a class, we are completing 28 boxes a day. We come to school 4 days a week, so that's completing 112 boxes a week. And planning so strategically that a child doesn't repeat a box during the week. It's a huge planning challenge. And my paras are awesome at catching my goofs! I'm hoping to come across some appropriate shelving between now and the end of the year to expand our boxes even more. Sounds crazy I know, but it will make the planning challenge so much easier when there is a larger amount to pick from. So the whole point of this post-- what's in the boxes?! I use a combination of handmade activities, printable activities, and existing manipulatives from my classroom to make up my boxes. Our lowest tasks are simple "put-in" activities and our higher tasks include activities like capital and lowercase matching using clothespins and sight word matching mats. I've been trying to come up with more and more put-in activities so that's what I'm going to share with you today. In another post I'll share another category. For this activity I saved a small peanut can from the grocery store. (Yes I washed it out) I simply cut slits in the lid--these lids are super easy to cut into which is nice. It's the perfect height for dropping these mini popsicle sticks into. This activity is another saved container- an almond one. I have saved a ton of these! They are a great size and again, the lids are easy to cut into. This one has a circle in the middle of the lid and heart erasers to put into the container. This activity I found on pinterest. I simply saved a Parmesan cheese shaker, washed it out and added q-tips. When students open the box the cheese shaker is already open. (It would be too challenging for my little guys to get open independently- it's tough!) This task I clearly didn't make. It is courtesy of Lakeshore Learning. Students simply place the buttons in. This jar is one of three included in the pack and can be purchased by clicking {here}. If you wanted to make a more challenging task for a student you could place two jars into one task box so the student has to sort as well. This is the second jar included in the Lakeshore pack. I used another almond container for the activity. And obviously a hole punch to put the holes in the lid. Students have to put the beads into the container through the holes. I saw someone else blog about these small paint containers they found at the Dollar Store. They really are great! I bought four of them and used one for this work box. Students simply push the pom-poms into the container. This activity is similar to the Lakeshore bucket with buttons. I found the small yellow containers at the Dollar Tree in the baby section. They come in a multi-pack which is nice, BUT, they are a pain to cut holes in the top. It's a much harder plastic than I thought, and it cracked in the corners. If I hadn't gone through so much trouble to cut the slot in, I probably would have used another almond container. This was one of the first work box activities I made. I recycled a cookie dough container and cut holes in the lid. Then students just have to put pom-poms into the holes. I'd like to re-do this container at some point because most students catch on that the middle hole is big enough to just drop the pom-pom in versus pushing it through the hole. I don't know if you would call this a "put in" task, but I do. They're putting pegs in a peg board! I can also guarantee you that this peg board is older than I am. For this activity students push down the lever on the gumball machine to get a stone out, then they have to place the stone in the container. I liked the idea of students using their index finger to get the lever done-- additional fine motor practice. Sometimes more than one stone may come out, but that's okay. So there you have it. Those are our current "put in" activities. I hope you get some new ideas for your own work boxes from these. Next I'll share our sorting activities.

I've been blogging for a while now so it's about time I post a guide to becoming a blogger.I'm going to tell you the most important things I've learned about starting a blog and growing it.

7-day Albania road trip itinerary • This one week Albania road trip itinerary takes you through how to spend one week in Albania and see the best places

This sewing basic tutorial will teach you how to sew a gathering stitch for perfect ruffles every time.

Curriculum Map for Preschool, Pre-K, and Kindergarten for the whole year! Year plan, month plans, and week plans by theme.

I've rounded up 5 posts on setting up classrooms with floor plans and pictures and added some tips to help you set up your own.

Build your students’ self-awareness with levels of understanding. These four posters transformed the my students' understanding of their own learning. Incorporating these posters into my daily lessons has become one of the most valuable changes I've made in my classroom. One small change has created lasting change in students' level of vulnerability and motivation more than any other technique I've tried. Included in this resource: 4 levels of effort, each in their own 8.5 x 11 poster 5 color palettes as well as black and white posters Desk plates for easy access Editable slides - edit the title, number and color of each level Headers Tips for use Easy to adapt and incorporate into your existing classroom structure. Ask students to rate themselves with their fingers before independent work time. This quick check-in can be especially helpful for creating on-the-spot small groups. Ask students to write their current level of understanding in the corner of their exit tickets or worksheets at the end of each lesson. Create a leveled turn-in system based on levels of understanding. Adhere the mini squares to desks so students can monitor their understanding as they work. Slip them into Target dollar spot squares, tape them on or laminate and Velcro them to the desks. Give explicit examples for each lesson, especially in the beginning, and provide opportunities for students to rate themselves in non-academic activities such as playing soccer or tic-tac-toe. After a few weeks of you, I hope you find this to be a powerful tool for student growth. Hold your students accountable for their learning and increase student motivation by teaching them to analyze their learning and take the steps it takes to become experts in each topic. Pair this resource with Levels of Effort for a classroom management match made in heaven!

To help you pack I’ve created this Portugal packing checklist. I also include what to wear in Portugal, what NOT to bring and general FAQs. Keep reading to learn the answers to the most commonly asked questions about traveling to this magnificent country. Enjoy!

Last week we talked about how to be consistent with your classroom management plan. Which is especially important to begin the school year. This alone will go a long way toward creating the learning environment you really want. Once you’ve conquered this challenge, however, ... Read more

3-day Slovenia itinerary • How to spend 3 days in Slovenia • What to know when planning a trip to Slovenia • Best of Slovenia in 3 Days: Ljubljana, Bled, Bohinj

I just created this amigurumi doll pattern and I’m pretty happy with it. There are corrections I’ll make next time around, but I think it’s really cute. I’ve been crocheting for 6 months now and everything is a bit intimidating at first — and such a fun ride by the end. I read and watched… Read More »Amigurumi Doll – Basic Body. FREE Patterns Too!

Call-and-response is a time-tested technique for getting attention. Instead of repeating yourself, train students to respond to a fun statement!

If you think I have the answers here, I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. I'm far from having any answers.

What to do in Klaipeda? Check out the top tourist attractions in the town, including taking a ferry from Klaipeda to Curonian Spit.

Teaching students about choices and consequences doesn't have to be a boring lecture - and can be engaging and fun and make a real impact!

Planning a trip to the Stuttgart area but aren't sure what to add to your itinerary? This guide lists the top 31 things to do and see in and around Germany's 6th largest city.

You guys, I made all these journals in, like, an hour! I've made journals before, but this is the simplest way I've found to create a little collection in no time at all. These little guys make great gifts, and I love that it's easy to build up a stash. Here's how:Supplies:-regular 8.5 "x 11" printer…

Before you begin your pattern cutting journey, it's really important that you know the difference between pattern blocks and sewing patterns

Folded Book Art - Best & Most Clear Tutorial Available: I just absolutely love creating my own folded book art. It's such a fun way of re-using old books and give them another purpose. I've searched and searched the web to find any tutorials on how to do it and i just couldn't find anything. Until one da…

How to build an adorable DIY bar cart from a single board of construction lumber! Includes video and building plans!

If you've been left frustrated by the crochet magic circle, you're not alone. This crochet technique can be difficult to master! I've created a photo and video magic circle crochet tutorial to help you through. In both the video and photo tutorial, I teach you now only how to create the magic ring, but also the stitch anatomy - so you can understand this awesome crochet technique and move forward crocheting with confidence.

Happy Monday, all! I’ve been back in my classroom (for meetings and work time) since Friday, and I’m slowly growing accustomed to missing the afternoon naps that I have loved soooooo much during our summer vacation. Coffee to the rescue! In an effort to organize important information and make it more accessible for my students ... Read More about Creating a Class App with Google Slides

The best hikes, activities, restaurants and cafes, as well as accomodation for the perfect day in Tofino. You cannot miss...

Oh my word? Have you ever spent hours at the end of the school year sorting through student work to put into memory books. Have you ever lost your mind trying to figure out who stole the binding machine to put together books while you so desperately need to begin yours. Were you that teacher who took the binding machine? Oh geez, this is stressing me out just hearing about this! If you hate putting memory books together, then I've got the solution for you! All you'll need are file folders with the prongs and a two hole punch. See the entire tutorial over at Easy Teaching Tools! Want your very own editable copy of the memory book cover? Head to Easy Teaching Tools to pick up several color options for FREE!

If you're wanting to save some big grocery bucks, it's time to start thinking about things to stop buying and start making yourself. I'm talking about making your own pantry staples and household essentials!

Here are 25 creative ideas to repurpose vintage jewelry and turn it into beautiful, unique pieces everyone will love.