Tips and tricks for putting together a progress monitoring bin so all your materials are together in one place!
Small group organization that actually works and keeps your materials at your fingertips. Perfect for guided reading & intervention teachers!
Tour my Orton-Gillingham based classroom and small group reading area. Sneak peek into my small group lessons and classroom organization.
Learn why one-pagers are one of my go-to activities for breaking down complex topics and texts. Understand what they are, why you and your students will love them, and how to implement them in your ELA classroom. I even have the advice to help you tackle the biggest obstacle you’ll encounter with this activity.
Guest post by Jennifer Gonzalez As the parent of three elementary students, I get a lot of classroom newsletters. And every time I get one, I fully intend to read it. I know how important it is to keep track of school activities, to know what my kids are learning, and to support their teachers. But I
Check out these 5 No-Prep Reviews Games for any classroom or any subject! Click to see what no-prep review games you can add to your teacher toolbox!
Free Line up songs for kindergarten classroom management. Make transitions easier with fun chants.
Catch your students' attention with our back to school bulletin board ideas. A fun and interactive way to establish a fun and welcoming classroom community.
Students come to us on all different levels, which can be a challenge- 3 great ideas on how to teach a mutli-level class.
In this resource, you will see how to play area dice game that will improve the conceptual understanding of area.
This product includes decor for an Environmental Science classroom. A fake Instagram account was created called "Mother.Nature" and various posts both helpful and harmful to the environment were created. This product includes 32 "Instagram posts" and then the title "What If Earth Had Instagram" that can printed and cut out to decorate your classroom. ***PDF Not editable Digital File ONLY -- Best if printed in color :)
Newcomer students receive some support from an ELD (English Language Development) teacher in most elementary schools. The majority of their time is spent in their grade level classroom. Here are some strategies for supporting a newcomer student both in their grade level classroom and areas to focus on during targeted language development lessons. Create a
I mean...why WOULDN'T you use cootie catchers in your reading block? It makes perfect sense. Ok - remember last week how I was talking about doing a little spring cleaning with some of my TpT resources? Well, I did a little spring cleaning in my file folders on my computer as well. Yikes. Now THAT'S a bit of a rabbit hole. I got in a little deeper than I wanted to, but I figured I might as well finish the job. I got rid of a lot (a LOT) of cringe worthy products that just didn't make the cut anymore, and I got some major organizing done as well. BUT - you know what I found? THIS >>> It's a reading comprehension cootie catcher that I TOTALLY forgot I made! And since it resurfaced for me - I thought I'd resurface it for you! I'm sure I made it for you guys in the first place, but I can't for the life of me find it anywhere on the blog. There's actually 3 different versions. They have different comprehension questions that can be used with any fictional book. They work great as a quick partner review game. You can download them here! Find any long-lost things in your spring cleaning, lately? Pin and Share this freebie:
What's the most important considerations when setting up a resource room? Here's my thoughts on keeping the focus on learning!
There are three kinds of teacher-decorators: those who were born for Pinterest, those who can’t, and all the ones in between (such as the broke, the tired, and the I-have-no-time-to-decorate). However, making a classroom appeal to middle and high school students doesn’t HAVE to involve serious crafting or expensive, time-intensive projects. Check out these tips from me and Bonnie from Presto Plans as you prepare your classroom for the fall (or at any time of year that you want to give it a boost!) You might also like Sara's more recent blog post, Inside My Farmhouse Classroom Makeover. 1. Have a color scheme (if you can) Sara: My principal gave each teacher the paint for one accent wall, so that shade of turquoise inspired the rest of my blue decor: milk crates, bulletin board borders, etc. It helped unify the room to make it look pulled-together instead of random. I've also learned about the importance of contrast. Even a full-blown rainbow color palette can look clean and cohesive (instead of cluttered) if you pair it with black or white to balance it out. Bonnie: If you are looking for inspiration for colors that look great together, check out this Pinterest board. There are lots of combinations that will help you choose colors when you are shopping for classroom materials. 2. Stick to a few favorite fonts Sara: Just like businesses create a brand, you are creating a classroom “look” or persona that you will be known for... or, at least a mood you will create. (Friendly? Professional? Fun? Minimalist?) Try to pick a few fonts that most of your labels, signs, and other wall-hangings will consistently use. For example, I used the Google font Crushed to make and laminate labels for my whiteboard (see below), along with mint-colored painter's tape. 3. Make your classroom library a focal point Bonnie: Your class library should draw students in and works well as the focal point for any English classroom. Here are a few things you can do to make your library stand out: Give bookshelves a makeover by rolling them a new coat of paint and/or taking the shelves out and attaching wallpaper or scrapbook paper to the back. Put a few floating shelves on the walls near your library area where you can feature particular novels recommended by students. Add comfortable, flexible seating near a library to make it more welcoming. These items can be more expensive, so shop around online or scour garage sales until you find seating that may work. Use old books as decorations! When a book is unusable, find a way to repurpose it. One easy way to do this is to cut out the pages and write a reading-inspired quote in black permanent marker on top of the page. Frame the page and put it on your bookshelf! Sara: If your classroom library is small, nonexistent, or needs some attention, check out this blog post for more ideas about how to strengthen it. 4. Display student work Bonnie: Use student work as decor by making a framed gallery wall. All you have to do is pick up some inexpensive 8x10 frames (check your dollar store) and arrange them on your wall. When you get a piece of exceptional student work, add it into the frame! If you don’t want the hassle of buying and hanging frames, order a pack of mixed color picture mats and use them to frame student work on a bulletin board. Sara: Another way to get student work on display (while also practicing literary analysis!) is to have them complete this Quote Illustration and Analysis assignment; students use Canva (or any tool you wish) to make an inspirational or literary quote come to life. The results are stunning! 5. Use author-inspired decor Bonnie: Find ways to incorporate the authors you will be studying into your classroom decor. You can do this by featuring fun facts or by sharing quotes by the author. For example, I use an interactive Shakespeare Hashtag of the Week bulletin display that exposes students to one quote from a Shakespeare play each week. If you don’t want to make your own, you might even consider assigning an author to each student and having them develop a bulletin display with a biography, fun facts, and quotes that you can swap out weekly. Sara: Don't forget to interject moments of literary ALLUSION or author-inspired inside jokes as well, like my favorite light switch art... 6. Make your posters work together Sara: On at least one bulletin board or section of wall space, add some symmetry or consistency by hanging posters in a similar style (color, font, or other), or by displaying images that have a common theme. For example, check out these posters of stylized quotes to get some English class wisdom on your walls. Bonnie: If you are looking for some ideas of common themes you could use for posters, try some of these ideas that could work in any English classroom: funny grammar quotes or fails, literary terms or genres, author quotes, famous lines from literature, idiomatic expressions, or jokes using puns! To read more about my favorite bulletin board ideas for middle and high ELA, check out this blog post. "English is Weird" poster set 7. Make displays that are EASY to update Sara: Two of my favorite bulletin board spaces were ones that took VERY little effort in updating, so I didn't have the self-imposed pressure to redo the whole thing multiple times per year. For example, my Word Nerd Challenge is quick to update on a Monday morning because all I have to do is add this week's word to the list. (I made each word tile a magnet that can go on my whiteboard!) I also made low-prep Quote of the Week flipbooks of reading and writing quotes, which students often asked to flip FOR me. I used Command hooks and spiral binding to hang it on a cabinet. Do you have additional ideas? Tell us in the comments!
Use the jigsaw teaching strategy to engage your students and give them more ownership of their learning. Try it in your classroom.
Upper elementary classroom tips and ideas with a focus on classroom management, student engagement, & cooperative learning.
Students learn how to practice drawing quick rectangular shapes and paint warm and cool colors into those shapes using Paul Klee art inspiration and
These are the top 10 most popular posts from Teach for the Heart. Teachers, you've got to check these out!
9 Ideas for Camping Themed Classroom Activities It’s June. And I am a tired teacher. Haha. Anyone else? This meme pretty much sums up how I feel at the end of the year. If that's the case, then why bother with camping themed classroom activities at the end of the school year, you ask. You'd think I would be too tired for a mini room transformation, but here I am--doing the dang thing. But let me tell you..it was so SO worth it. I promise! I hope you get some ideas from this post to create your own end of the
Don’t get me wrong — I love candy. And, a jolly rancher, a tootsie roll, or a starburst can work wonders in the classroom for student motivation and enthusiasm. So can pizza parties, and cupcake days, and brunch, and…I’ve had so many types of food parties I can’t even keep track! Recently, however, I’ve been […]
Teacher-tested tips for effectively using interactive notebooks in secondary science classrooms by Getting Nerdy Science
Is it that time when your students suddenly forget the classroom expectations? Well, then it's time to try V.I.P student!
So, I was lying in bed one night and my mind kept racing..."How could I make math test prep FUN?" "What could I do to replace the repetitive habit of assigning sampler after sampler for preparing for our state standardized tests?" Then it hit me! A MATH CARNIVAL!!! So, I decided that I would make this vision come to life. It took A LOT OF PLANNING. And that is the truth! I had no idea where to start. All I knew is how I wanted it to look. I wanted streamers, colors, food, and games. Not lame games. I wanted REAL CARNIVAL GAMES! I emailed my principal and told him that I wanted to have a carnival. I swear he probably thinks I am CRAY CRAY! I am haha. When I dream of something, I dream big and I make it happen... If you want to make your own carnival and save the time of planning, keep reading! It is a blast! Download my 11-page Math Carnival: Getting Started Guide to begin your journey! Here is your shopping list! There are ways around this though. My guide explains it all. You have to decide how many games you want and what skills will be assessed for each game. You can make signs like these below or get them with my bundle already made. Plus they are editable too! You also need task cards for each game. You can buy task cards, make up questions for each game, or find them online free. My bundle has all of the questions that you need for a 4th grade carnival. I used numbers to place on the games. Those numbers corresponded with the question asked or the amount of tickets won! Here are some of the games that I had at my carnival: Notice that I used table cloths for the tables. Also, I want to point out that at each game I placed a dry erase board, marker, and eraser so that the kids can work on the questions asked. Next, I want to show you the bags that I used. I made up bags with parent directions, task cards, an answer key, and a bag of tickets torn out already. The directions make it easy for parent volunteers to know how to run each station at the math carnival. The answers are included so that the parents don't have to think at all. I just want it to be enjoyable for everyone. Also, I had about 100 tickets in a small baggie. This is for the kids to win as they play the games. I also made groups up with about 2-3 students each and created a schedule for my kiddos to use on the day of the carnival so that they knew exactly what game they were supposed to be playing at designated times. The schedule and the group pages are included in my bundle, but you could make your own too if you want! Next, I made a map of my room. I decided where I wanted the games to be. I contacted selected a date before state testing and contacted my parents, asking for volunteers. I mentioned needing a popcorn machine and/or cotton candy maker. Of course, some people had them! EXCITING! The prize table was a bit tricky. I needed to decide how many tickets each prize would be. I also needed to get some prizes. I bought prizes, but you could make prizes. You could use homework passes or reward tickets, whatever you want! It doesn't have to cost a lot! So, I made ticket cards for the table. I had my students help me decide how many tickets each prize would be worth. It was pretty funny hearing them work as a class to decide! Then, they started to realize that if they made a prize that they wanted worth 1 ticket, they may not be able to win one because they would be gone quick! So smart! So, decide if you want to try this! You could make a reading carnival, science carnival, social studies carnival! Hopefully this guide helps you get started and helps you plan out a fun and exciting learning experience for your kids! If you want to save time and do not want to make the instructions, map, schedule, signs, ticket labels, task cards, or number templates, then click here to purchase my bundle.
Do you have open storage shelves in your classroom that could use a pretty disguise? I did!
Novel Brochure - Pamphlet for Google Classroom Freebie! This resource allows students to create a pamphlet that can be edited for ANY novel! The file contains a Google Drive link that can be used for Google Classroom. **Be sure to MAKE A COPY of the link and save to your own Google Drive Enjoy! Ratings on freebies are greatly appreciated! :) YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY: 5th Grade Novel Studies Bundle (5 Novels) Wonder Novel Study Holes Novel Study Number the Stars Novel Study Esperanza Rising Novel Study Bridge to Terabithia Novel Study ______________________________________________________________________ Tips for Savvy TpT Shoppers: How to receive credit on TpT to use for future purchases: • Go to your My Purchases page. Under each purchase you'll see a Provide Feedback button. Simply click it and you will be taken to a page where you can give a quick rating and leave a short comment for the product. I value your feedback greatly as it helps me determine which products are most valuable for your classroom so I can create more for you. Be the first to know about my new discounts, FREEBIES, and products: • Look for a green star near the top of any page within my store and click it to become a follower. You will now be able to see FREEBIES and customized emails from my store! ©2017 StudentSavvy All rights reserved by author. Permission to copy for single classroom use only. Electronic distribution limited to single classroom use only. (unless you purchase the multiple license)
Prefix, suffix, and root lesson using morphology notebooks Are you teaching prefixes, suffixes, and roots? I strive for a literacy-rich classroom. Developing morphological-rich awareness is a basic building block for reading comprehension, spelling, and even fluency. If a student can pronounce and know what a “tyrannosaurus rex,” they are more than capable of interpreting a […]
A curriculum developer and teacher who designs lessons & activities to teach common core standards in language arts,math & classroom management.
Make the most of your writing block with these funny picture prompts! Go here:
Subitizing activities support the development of number sense. Come learn 5 ways to integrate subitizing activities into your every day classroom routines.
Find 10 suggestions on how to use parent volunteers in your classroom. Grab a FREE editable form to send home to help organize your volunteer schedule.
Teachers face a challenge at start of school year, wanting to know each student quickly. With big classes, learning about every students interests, strengths, and need areas is tough.
60+ Must Make Kindergarten Anchor Charts for the classroom. Covers classroom management, literacy and math. Multiple ideas!
Enjoy these free teacher fonts for printables, classroom projects, school projects, and more personal use designs.
A flipped classroom ensures that your students have content before you get "hands-on" with it in the classroom...and it works!
These FREE Printables and Unit Studies for Eric Carle's Books will help you expand on what your kids are learning through these beloved books.
