A range of free printable SEN teaching resources used with Autistic pupils aged 4-18, literacy, numeracy, topic and themed resources.

Help your students understand how nonrenewable resources do not last with this hands-on science activity that is perfect for any elementary teacher!

Teaching students rules and procedures is a skill in itself. You have to learn to teach it and then reinforce them while doing it in an engaging way. In this article, I'll give you some ideas of how to teach your students your classroom routines and expectations in a fun and engaging way.

Stop taking away recess and using other punishments to control your students. Find success with 10 powerful classroom management strategies!

This resource is #1 for a reason! I almost always use graphic organizers to teach reading comprehension. I find them to be highly effective because they are

I teach reading at an elementary school. I love what I do! I wanted to share some "ways to praise" that we use in my classroom. These ...

If you work with children, I can promise you that you will come across at least one student that has these difficult behaviors. Not only are they really stressful for the teacher but they impact the student’s life in many ways. Behaviors like disrespect and defiance can make classroom's chaotic.

Some days you just need a break from the monotony! Preparing for exams, transitioning to a new unit, days when half your students are gone for a basketball tour

Technology in the classroom constantly changes and so are the classroom tech tools that we use every day with our students.

As plans are rolling out for how school is going to look this fall, teachers are busy getting ready for a whole new look to their classrooms. Courtesy of

These 5 geometry projects for middle or high school are a great alternative assessment for your student. Project-based learning is so important to...

Games are a tried and true way to engage students. Whether teaching in-person or remotely via a live session like Zoom or Google Meets, teachers know that games, brain breaks, and icebreakers are an awesome way to get students actively involved in learning. With the ever-changing landscape of education, I thought it might be nice to compile some versatile activities that challenge students in really fun ways. Best part? These activities are very low prep and work in a variety of settings. These activities encourage students to listen, solve problems, be creative, and practice critical skills. They're designed to be easy to do with little to no prep. You can easily add one of these games to any lesson as a warm-up, closure, community building activity, or lesson extender. GAMES & ACTIVITIES ⭐How Many? Give students a category and then challenge students to see how many different things they can fit within that classification. At first students will respond with obvious ideas. However, as they brainstorm, their ideas will stretch and their creativity will grow. Students can jot their ideas down on scrap paper and earn points for each unique response when they share out. Here are some categories to get started: occupations, things that are slimy, things that roll, animal noises, articles of clothing ⭐Listen Carefully: Read a short passage out loud to students. Then, have them answer questions based on what they can remember. Make it especially fun by awarding points for every answer that students get right. You can change up this activity by reading two versions of the same story. Mix up some of the details in the second version for students to listen for. Give this activity a try with the passages in this set of FREE Brain Bursts. Add your information below and then check your inbox! ⮟⮟⮟⮟⮟⮟⮟⮟ ⭐Silly Silent Spelling: Practice spelling words in a super silly way. Explain to students that you are going to be giving them a practice spelling test (definitely NOT the real thing). Just like a typical practice test, they'll listen for the word and write it down. However, here's the catch: you're only going to silently mouth the words. Students will need to read your lips to figure out what word they will need to write down. Of course, figuring out a word from a silent cue is not easy. That's what makes this fun. Students will write down some wild guesses as they spell their way through this game. ⭐One Word: Pose a fun question to the class and have them all think of a one-word answer. Then, give every student a chance to share their responses as you call on each of them. Here are some questions to get started: --- If you were a type of dessert, what would you be? --- Where do you feel happiest? --- How would a soccer ball describe its day? --- Where is somewhere that you would like to visit? --- What would be the perfect gift for you? ⭐Mystery Item: This activity is quick and easy to play. To prepare, write 5 or 6 clues about an object. Make the clues gradually increase in their specificity. Then, read the clues to students as they jot down their guesses for the mystery item until you reveal the answer. ⭐Punchline: Start telling a joke to students, and then have them guess the punchline. Find a ton of jokes for kids here. ⭐Strike a Pose: Explain to students that they are going to pretend that they are in a photograph. They will need to imagine that the photo was taken at the height of the event. All they have to do is strike a pose after you give them a situation. For instance, you might say, "haunted house," and then students would freeze in a pose that shows them frightened or terrified. Here are a few situations to try: Dentist Office, Roller Coaster, Last Day of School, Scary Movie, Food Fight, Race ⭐Timed Writing Activities: Engage students with a creative writing prompt. Then, "amp up" the fun factor by adding a timed element. Challenge students to race the clock as they write as much as they can in a fixed time period. Find my favorite prompts here. ⭐And Then...: This is a listening game for the entire class. Students will need to listen to and add to a growing story. You'll start the story with an opener like, "At the zoo, I decided to open the lion's cage, and then..." Next, you'll call on a student to explain what happened next. That student will add one line and the phrase "and then" before selecting another student to add to the story. ⭐Listen and Draw: Students love this activity! To prepare, create a simple illustration filled with shapes and designs. Then, write out the directions for students. Have students complete the activity on a piece of paper. Read each direction to students and challenge them to replicate the illustration you instructed them to draw. (These are included in the exclusive freebie below.) ⭐Class Pet: Pretend that you have a new class pet. Explain to students that they will need to guess the type of animal. Students will need to ask questions and write their guesses on a piece of paper when they think they have figured out the new class pet. ⭐Add the Ending: Engage students as they practice writing and storytelling skills with this activity. First, students will listen to the beginning of a story that you read to them. Then, they'll take over the writing and complete the story. The story starters are a fun way to motivate students to write. ⭐Alien, Tiger, and Cat: Here's an improvisational theatre game that works in the classroom. Explain to students that they can be one of three things: an alien, a cat, or a tiger. If they choose to be an alien, they need to hold their pointer fingers next to their head (like antennae) and say "bleeb, bleeb." To be a cat, they need to rub their wrist along their face (like a cat cleaning itself) and say "meow." Finally, to be a tiger they need to push their hand forward with a claw stance and roar. On your cue, every student will choose and act like an animal. The goal is to get everyone to choose the same animal (which is nearly impossible, but fun to try). ⭐Rapid Recall: Create a list of random words. Then, read the list of words to students. As you read the words, you might have students put their hands on their heads so that you know for sure that they aren't taking notes. Once you've read the words to students once or twice, wait about a minute before letting students write down every word that they remember. (Find ready-made lists in this complete resource.) ⭐Finish the Fact: Share the beginning of a fact with students. Then, challenge them to complete the fact. Have them share their guesses before revealing the complete fact. Find a collection of random facts here. Want a free set of virtual classroom activities designed to be NO PREP and NO COPIES? Just add your name and email below. ⮟⮟⮟⮟⮟⮟⮟⮟ BONUS: Here's one more idea: ⭐Paper Airplanes: Help students practice following directions by challenging them to fold a paper airplane by following your directions. To get started, choose a paper airplane design to have students fold. Then, have students take out a piece of paper. They'll need to listen carefully to each of your directions to make their paper airplane. Wishing you tons of fun in your (virtual) classroom, Mary Beth P.S. Find a TON of ready-made activities HERE.

Use this list of free resources to use as social emotional learning activities to help you work with kids and young adults. As a special educator for 10 years, I can say without a doubt that we need more social emotional learning supports for kids and young adults. Some of my best days in the classr

Have a chatty class? Do your talkative students get louder and louder during small groups until it feels like chaos? Do they talk when you'r...

Bookmark this list STAT!

I love teaching a split-grade class. I know this may not be a popular opinion in teaching, but there it is. In reality, many of us teach split-grade

In this special episode, Kasey shares 30 Things You Didn't Know Google Slides Could Do and a FREE eBook download with templates! A follow-up to one of our most popular blog and podcast series, Kasey is going to give you even more ideas for student-created projects with Google Slides.There is so much you can create with the Swiss Army Knife of Google!

FREE Call Backs and attention getters for the kindergarten classroom! Great classroom management tool!

My Favorite Creation Apps for the Elementary Classroom

Need a way to engage your students and motivate them to learn. Use try using games to woo them into learning by incorporating technology in the classroom.

Using Kahoot! with Google Classroom and Google Meet makes it possible to play engaging games anywhere with your class. Kahoot! is a fun

Come grab this free resource that is a collection of my favorite virtual math manipulatives!

Unwanted talking is near the top of the list of teacher frustrations. In this article, learn the actual strategies to finally get rid of it for good.

The Unfair Game is a totally unfair twist on Jeopardy that your students will LOVE to hate! Learn how to play and find sample game boards in this post.

I’m not going to get into the nitty gritty of what ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) is. If you are reading this post there is an excellent chance you already know what it is because you are dealing with it in your classroom. I’m also going to go out on a limb and assume that […]

What is better than creating an engaging lesson for your class? Creating a fliphunt! Check out the details and start the adventure!

Study the human body anatomy with kids by making an anatomy model with these free printable life-size human body organs!

I am a technology junky! At any given time you will find a collection of iPads, laptops, iPhones, smart T.V.s, e-readers, you name it. If you haven't read Goodnight iPad by Ann Droyd, you really should. This may very well have taken place in my house. ;) If you aren't sold on the importance of integrating technology in the classroom or have doubts, this video is an absolute MUST!! This video is one of the most powerful videos that I have watched lately. This year I was fortunate to receive Chromebooks for all of my students. Receiving these Chromebooks and feeling the pressure (mostly self-induced) to use them often and effectively was, and still is, overwhelming. To keep my sanity in check, I decided to start small. By starting small, I saved my sanity and also my students'. Whether you have one, two, three or many technology devices available for your students, start small!! To get you started or to simply get your creative technology juices flowing, I have a list of 10 simple ways to integrate technology into the classroom, and they are all free. These tools and resources are great for the classroom that is 1:1 with technology, or the classroom that has only one iPad or tablet. Do you only have one device? Create a center that focuses on the use of technology. 1. Listen/Watch digital stories. There are many free websites available where students can go, choose a book, and listen to the story. Zing and Storyonline are a perfect start! 2. Have students begin with a little research. Provide them with a topic and have them gather 3-5 facts. Here, on Upper Elementary Snapshots, we have a list of child-safe search engines that you can find HERE. 3. Create a Google form for students to choose their lunch choice for the day. 4. Practice math skills on IXL. IXL is a paid subscription, but students can practice for free until they have reached the daily problem limit. 5. Create a Kahoot to review for an upcoming test. They are a hoot and students LOVE them! 6. Have students visit Wonderopolis, read the wonder of the day, and reflect in their writing journal. 7. Create a classroom blog using Google's free Blogger. Post an open-ended reading question for students to comment. 8. For Social Studies, use KidsGeo.com to practice their geography skills. 9. If you are familiar with QR codes, create a question of the day and require students to check their answer by scanning the code. 10. Can students ever get enough practice with basic math facts?!?! XtraMath is a perfect free solution! Remember to start slow! Focus on one area of your choice. Allow students to become comfortable with using the tool and allow yourself to become comfortable implementing it. Once you and your students are comfortable, think about adding a new focus. Taking baby steps with ultimately lead to success! Teaching With Simplicity Pinterest Facebook Instagram Teachers Pay Teachers

We're mixing pen and paper with digital in our blended classrooms, and everything's going great. At first (for me) it was just about throwing in some digital

Virtual dissections can be a huge help in teaching science, biology, physiology and anatomy. Here are some of the best resources for your lessons and labs.

Podcasts in the classroom are so fun and engaging! Have you jumped on the podcast train yet?! I have a great system for using podcasts in the classroom...

Learn about spiraling standards in the classroom, and why it is a more effective way of teaching. Learn five tips for incorporating spiraling into your own classroom.

Check out this list of over 85 Apps that Integrate with Google Classroom! Did you know that Google Classroom plays well with others? Yep! Google is known for making their applications open to working with third-party applications, and Google Classroom is no exception.

From creating content for students to analyze to sharing strategies for assessment and classroom collaboration, ChatGPT has the potential to save you hours of time and make your life infinitely easier. Here are 50 prompts that will help with that.

Find out how ChatGPT technology can assist teachers and save time on lesson planning, report cards, activity creation, and more!

Corkboard Connections is a blog written by Laura Candler who enjoys connecting terrific teachers with amazing resources!

I know I am not alone when I say that I struggle to sit through staff meetings without doodling on my paper, shifting in my seat, getting up to use the bathroom and occasionally whispering with my teacher friend next to me. Now, these are every other week, and only for an hour. Every time I leave, I […]

These engaging strategies to incorporate movement in the classroom are perfect for the fidgety students & kinesthetic learners in your class!

Kagan strategies are nothing new – if you haven’t been to a conference then surely you know a teacher who has. I was one of those teachers that absorbed all the information teachers could give me about Kagan Learning since I was never lucky enough to attend. While I pushed cooperative learning and being interactive, […]

As my 3rd grade students become proficient in coding with Scratch, I wanted them to depend less on me and more on building their own resources. I decided to give them some classroom real estate (AKA t

Canva is FREE for teachers and students, and their templates are beautiful, user-friendly, and great for the classroom! In this 2-part series, Kasey shares 30+ ways to use FREE Canva templates in your classroom, including graphic organizers, choice boards, certificates, and more!