Can women be computer programmers, NASA scientists, Supreme Court justices, pilots, leaders, and innovators in our world? Ada Lovelace, Margaret Hamilton, Amelia Earhart, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Grace Hopper, and many others have proven the answer to be "YES!&qu
I don't know about you, but I am always looking for more ways to make money! Back in 2010, I was a wife to a husband that was going through the fire academy, a first grade teacher, and a mom to 2 small kiddos. I also owned a small Etsy business making baby blankets and […]
Are you one of the many teachers who is struggling to teach summarizing? Summarizing can be a difficult skill for students to master. It requires strong reading comprehension since students need to be able to
If you're tired of digging into your own pockets to find ways to motivate your students, you need to check out these FREE reward coupons. You can even use the editable option to add your own coupons.
The more traffic you can drive to your TPT store, the higher chance you'll have to get sales. Get these TPT seller tips!
Hi, I'm Magy. I love reading and writing, and I love to teach reading and writing. Currently, I'm a K-8 Reading Specialist, but I've also taught in High
Hi friends! I’m here today to share about a quick, easy, and FUN experiment that I recently did with my first graders. This experiment incorporated all of the elements of STEM (Science, Techn…
Can women be computer programmers, NASA scientists, Supreme Court justices, pilots, leaders, and innovators in our world? Ada Lovelace, Margaret Hamilton, Amelia Earhart, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Grace Hopper, and many others have proven the answer to be "YES!&qu
Getting your class to work quietly can be tough, but with these tips you will have a quiet classroom with focused learning in no time!
A blog post sharing information about why Contraction Surgery is a success in classrooms! Hands-on information is shared. #ContractionSurgery
Incorporate the cross-curricular approach to teaching by assigning projects that integrate multiple subjects and allowing students to explore various standards simultaneously.
Domain and range intervention! Teaching domain and range in special education
This week went by in a blink of an eye-literally! I am so thrilled with my class and we have completed a lot of material, both curriculum based and team building, in the two weeks we have been in class. I have to say, being in a new grade level, I was not prepared for introducing the Smart Start materials. I was actually in denial, I believe, denial that I had to do it! I wanted to really work with my students to get the best community that we could. I know it is what I failed at last year. Last year-stress over a new curriculum we didn’t receive until that back-to-school teacher week. Stress over a new evaluation system. Stress over a new email system! You name it, we got it, in the first teacher week back! This year was so MUCH better! But I still didn’t go for the gusto with the Smart Start materials. I thought it would just flow. Luckily, it did! Our focus story was The Lion and The Mouse, an Aesop’s Fable. Here was problem #1. It is a print and read story from Wonders Reading. This is the thing I struggle with in this series. Why would a company send 1. everything on-line and 2. expect teachers to have time to print it and use it! Call me old fashion, but I want everything in my hands! I can’t run to a printer down the hall all day, let alone print stuff all summer! Then I also didn’t have an actual copy in my many, many book library! That for me spells “disinterest”! So, I put it off! THEN… I actually found a copy and read the story! LOVE!! I really love that story! I love the lesson it teaches, I love the pictures in the text that I found, and I LOVE that it is very versatile. It not only teaches the moral of friendship, but it lends itself so much to Kagan Strategies! This year that is one of my goals-to bring in simple Kagan, and other, participation techniques into my classroom. I am really excited about this and can’t wait to see what I can do in my room! So, here’s what I did with my kids! Our Standard focus for the story is Key Details. I pulled out my handy-dandy Kagan “cheat sheet” and discovered some great ideas to implement and tie into Key Details. Our first one is “Find the Fib”. Our copy machine has some line issues! I thought I would start with this one since it was an easy introduction to Key Details. We discussed what Key Details were and shared some samples from the story. Then I sent them to their seats and had them work on the page. They created two truths and one fib. It was also a great way to introduce team jobs! Once at their seat, they could only work on the jobs given to them by their Team Leader. Wow! I have to say, cooperation increase, the interest level was high, and the product was pretty great! Students also shared the outcome as a group, in front of the class. This gave them their first exposure to presenting before a group! Great start to get them ready for bigger presentation! Next came Mix, Pair, Share with pre-made question that focus on the Key Details of the story. Students got a card from their table basket that matched their actual table color! How is this determined? See my post here about how I found a freebie to help me use my tables to the best advantage that I can! Each child then had a question. They stood up, pushed in their chairs (an important manner procedure we are working on) and began to mix! When I called “Pair, “ they found a partner to discuss the question with. It took a “Super Heroes Ready” a time or two to get this one down. When I want my class’ attention, I call “Super Heroes Ready” and they call it back. I had to explain that they had to listen to the question carefully AND answer. A number of the kids didn’t realize they had to answer! That’s why you practice so much at strategies like this! The results-AWESOME! It was even an opportunity for a student called “Super Heroes Ready”. This is a strategy I learned from Learn Like a Pirate by Paul Solarz. Students should be responsible for sharing their own learning and discoveries. One student taught me that when their team was finished, they would show thumbs up. So I had him teach the class! The kids really love teaching the class and sharing their ideas! It is worth a try if you haven’t ever done it! I am so glad I tried this idea, both of them! Another activity included watching a video I found on Pintrest. It was a VERY well done version of The Lion and The Mouse. Watch it here! It was really great and the kids wanted to watch it first. I did set a purpose of gathering Key Details that were the same and different in each version. The students then worked in a team to complete a Venn Diagram of The Lion and The Mouse! So much fun! We did do a class share out also! This was a great activity because it gave me an idea of who struggles with finding details and who excelled! I will use this information to further instruction within our class. So much good stuff! Finally, I didn’t get to the last part activity, which are Key Detail Cards. This activity is a game where students create their own flash cards . The idea for these cards was for students to create Key Detail flash cards and then play a Go Fish type of games. Students would ask, “Do you have a…” and then collect Key Details. The idea would be that students find that Key Details are the same across their thinking because they are from their text. I am looking forward to using this technique this year! Where can you find them all? Right here! The Lion and The Mouse is one of my newest products and lots of fun to use with kids! A great way to Smart Start your year! What have you done this year to get it off to a great start? Let me know!
UPDATED: I fixed the freebie so you should be able to download now! :) As most of y’all know, I LOVE me some science. This is how I introduce science in my classroom. We do
I know - shocking! I DO laminate all games and activities that will be handled by the sweeties. But after many years I have come to an understanding with my dear darling husband that a printer-ink budget comes along with life married to me. I would rather print a new set of things each year than waste time laminating. Here are a few things to consider before you laminate EVERY piece of paper that is going into your classroom. 1. Time vs Money How much is your time worth? I replaced the coloured ink in my printer twice last year, and printed everything I wanted. What can you do with your time that you usually spend laminating? 2. Laminating Expense If you don't laminate you are not purchasing pouches, and you can offset your ink cost. When I laminated, I had to accomodate storage of the laminated treasures. Because they can NEVER be thrown out you know, you are laminating them to use FOREVER. When I went to a print and recycle and print again system - I didn't have to worry about storage or tubs or the hassle of storage for the storage tubs. Life got much easier. And less expensive funnily enough. 3. Glare Baby Glare I love decorated classrooms, but walls full of plastic glare. Not for me. Nor is visual overload. If you need a poster for every mortal concept covered in a curriculum, consider rotating them or having them in a flip file format. Posters without glare are more readily accessed by students. 4. Environment Plastic can take from 450 to 1000 years (and even more) to disappear off our planet. That is a huge burden. Plain paper? About 5 months. Glass (hmmmm iPad) - 1,000,000 years. 5. Consume vs Create I like the message plain uncoated paper sends my students. Paper is creative. Flexible. I can change, modify and make with it. It reeks of opportunity. 6. Need Do you really need to laminate those alphabet posters? Are they really going to be rendered useless after a year if they have not been laminated? Are you honestly going to use them again next year and not want a change in style and design to match your newest decor? Laminate only the things you know you will use for a lifetime. These fun math activities have been laminated and certainly will need it with all the little fingers using them! Fill it Up will help students work on counting up to 30! Heart Number Order is a fun way to practice counting and numeral formation up to 50. By laminating this, students can use dry erase markers and practice over and over again! Have a lovely day, friends!SaveSave
Back to school in your ELA classroom just got easier. Starting a brand new school year requires a ton of planning and organization. These freebies are a great way to ease the stress and start
This math education blog helps elementary teachers keep afloat with diverse and rigorous resources, activities, and ideas for the math classroom.
"Why even do this?", students might ask when they are not sure why they need to complete certain tasks. Student motivation and engagement are possibly the most important variables in the learning process. Identifying clear objectives and providing students with a purpose for carrying out various activities will more likely engage them as they will see the benefits of completing the proposed tasks. Because most of my high school ESL learners need a lot of motivation in school, I like to assign di
These 5 ways to teach geometry proofs are interactive and great for a variety of learning types! Click to see my top 5 ways to teach geometry proofs.
I created this PDF worksheet to help students to think creatively, elaborate, and tell a story. I've used this when I taught in elementary (as young as kindergarten) and used it also in high school. There is no right or wrong answer and it is fun to see all the creative solutions that students come up with. My high school students taking the animation pathway especially liked this worksheet. We always share the results in class to see all the different solutions. I've included a blank sheet that you can have students create their own sheet and then switch with a partner and create a drawing from it. This adds a sense of challenge and game element to it. Further information: • Resources are ready to print and go Connect with me @ Messy Art Teacher Messy Art Teacher Blog Facebook Instagram Pinterest You can follow me by clicking at top of my store page if you would like to receive updates on new art resources and details of my forthcoming sales. Don’t forget to leave feedback on resources - you will earn points towards your next TPT purchases :-) Please contact me if you have any questions regarding this resource. Thanks! Nancy Miller - Messy Art Teacher
This is a collection of black and white dice faces and one set of double nine dominoes. Graphics are 300 dpi, PNG format. 61 images are included for FREE! If you're looking for dice or dominoes in other colors, visit the links below: Colorful Dice: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Colorful-Dice-Clipart-Graphics-Personal-and-Commercial-Use Colorful Dominoes: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Colorful-Dominoes-Clipart-Graphics-for-Personal-and-Commercial-Use These graphics were designed for personal and small business use. These graphics are not to be sold as-is. You may not share them with others. Copyright and intellectual property rights remain with First Grade Brain. When using these graphics commercially, credit must be given somewhere on your document or product as follows: Graphics © First Grade Brain firstgradebrain.com The following commercial uses are allowed: * Creating educational materials (worksheets and documents in a protected format (PDF) or with a flattened background) * Creating website/blog templates, banners, avatars, etc. as long as credit is given somewhere on your website/blog * Creating stationery products (cards, invitations, labels, etc.) * Creating handmade crafts and jewelry The following commercial uses are not allowed: * Selling the graphics as-is * Sharing the graphics with others * Creating collage sheets * Creating digital scrapbooking items * Uploading/Printing to print on demand sites such as Zazzle or Café Press * Creating rubber stamps * Mass production of items
Right now I’m in the process of creating a series of STEM projects for students who are studying Ancient Civilizations.. First stop, Ancient Mesopotamia! Ancient Civilizations has to be my favorite curriculum to teach. I find the ancient world fascinating, with all the different traditions, inventions, rituals, building structures, gods and goddesses.
If you are looking for some high interest teaching activities, try using animated shorts to to teach the reading skill problems and solutions.
These 5 task card ideas are a great way to incorporate review games for middle school and high school students. Classroom games are a great way to engage...
If you've read my blog or bought any of my writing products from TpT, then you know that I am a huge fan of the Read-Around-Group. I love when kids read each other's writing and
STEM Bins for Elementary Students “I’m finished! What do I do now?” How many times during our teaching day do we hear these words from our students? Oftentimes, it is much too often, and students are provided a handful of the same options to keep them busy until our next transition. Sometimes students are instructed...
Friends~We are so lucky at my school to have the most AMAZING librarian. Not only does she support us teachers but she also totally inspires our students. I know this on both ends! Not only does she introduce my 2nd graders to great books but my own kiddos Lily and Ian are constantly talking about books she shares with them. This post was inspired by her and my little guy Ian. Once upon a time Ian came home and told me all about this book called Rocket Learns to Read by Tad Hills. He heard it in the library. Then our librarian told me that Ian had reminded her that when Tad's new book came in she would get it to read to them. That book is called Rocket Writes a Story! He talked about it for days after hearing it and I was super excited to see it at our school book fair and I bought it for Ian even though I had to pay hardcover price! You can watch a reading of Rocket Writes a Story below! Forgive me if I look tired...it is conference week:) Now I bought this book and Ian was all smiles but I have to admit that we did not get to reading it until days later. There I was all snuggled up with Ian in bed and reading all about Rocket and after a few minutes I was in LOVE! First of all he is super cute but best of all this book totally walks you through generating inspirations to write about. Creating word trees and making friends. Ian told me after we were done that I could lay the book on the floor by his bed and I asked him if I could borrow it for my class. He was happy to share and today I shared this story with my class and we made word trees! We had so much fun! My kiddos folded green paper in half and then tore the edges to look like a tree. We added a trunk and then added Yellow Bird's words to the front. My students then added words that inspire them to write on the front of the tree. They wrote a story using the words on the tree inside. They turned out so cute! We also went down to the library and hung them outside as a surprise for our librarian. I can't wait to hear what she thinks tomorrow! I put together a mini unit for the book Rocket Writes a Story and you can download a few pages as freebies. There are even directions for making the Word Trees and the templates I used included. Just click the image below!
Fun and easy crafts to enhance your medieval European history lessons in elementary schools.
Nonfiction Sentence Strips Nonfiction Sequence Strips use science-based text partnered with sequencing skills to improve reading comprehension. Your students will practice problem-solving skills across multiple subjects. Not only will they sequence nonfiction text, but they will also develop scientific inquiry skills! FREEBIE: Sequence Strips To get your FREE download, please click here. Best wishes! You Might ... Read More about FREEBIE: Sequencing Nonfiction Text Activity
Integrate art and literacy with no prep or background knowledge with step by step tutorials for art history and art around the world!
This geometry activity for the first day of school is a great way to assess students' prior knowledge. It is a fun and free way to pre-test them! Click to..
Grab free resources to use with Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes including foldable organizer and animated short activity.
This little spinning brooch is a lovely way to get children involved in Remembrance Sunday activities. It is really easy to make with some simple tools and card. Here we've used glue, but you could opt for double sided tape if you want a mess free, quicker version. Discover more papercraft projects here >
Wait! Hang on! Don’t click out! 🙂 It’s not THAT kind of Show and Tell, where the kids bring in their half-eaten peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, or the lint from the dryer or, even worse, some kind of dead rat or lizard or whatever. I know. I’ve seen those kid-type movies on TV. I’ve ... Read More about Show and Tell {A Speaking and Listening Program}
Subscribe to the Teach 4 the Heart Podcast.It was a great day when I discovered 4 magic words that just seem to dissolve tension and eliminate at least half of the arguments in my classroom.And those words are: "You're not in trouble."Students can be so defensive, can't they? (and let's be honest,
Teaching text structure isn't always easy. Students must have strong reading comprehension skills to be able to identify the six main types of informational texts. They need to be aware of common signal words that
In this trigonometry lesson, students will create their own word problem involving right triangle trigonometry. This is a creative way for students to...
Confession. My stuttering materials are extremely outdated! I’ve been in dire need of fresh new stuttering materials for years now. My fluency caseload is like a roller coaster! My first year I had five students who stuttered and ever since I usually have between 1-3 fluency students. Although, they represent a small portion of my ... Read More about Fluency In A Snap!
These 5 geometry projects for middle or high school are a great alternative assessment for your student. Project-based learning is so important to...
