Which Alsace villages and towns in Alsace are worth your time? Read my helpful tips for visiting the villages in Alsace and my favorite towns

Do you want to get started with project based learning, but you’re not sure how? Maybe project based learning sounds too complicated, in-depth, and overwhelming to you? That’s how I felt when I first delved into PBL. But now I know there is nothing to be afraid of! In this post, I will give a quick explanation of project-based learning and then give you some tips and ideas to begin to implement it in your own classroom. What is Project Based Learning? Project based learning, simply stated, is an authentic learning experience

So you want to become a Nutritarian? You’ve read one of Dr. Fuhrman’s books and you know what the 6 week Aggressive Weight Loss plan entails. Get ready for week #1! This first week was all about survival and acceptance. I’m happy to report that when I weighed myself this morning I had lost 7 ...

Postojna Caves are arguably the best day trip from Ljubljana. I spent the entire time in the cave oohing and ahhing over the unreal scenery that makes up this underground wonderland. The fact that one of the most unique castles in the World is 9-km down the road is just the cherry on top of the cake.

Are you looking for some fun ways to get to know your students better? Here are three great getting to know you activities for back to school! I use them at the beginning of the year, when we get a new student and/or change groups. Click here to get your freebie!

Looking for fun All About Me Preschool Activities for kids? Check out these 9 Hands-On All About Me activities for Preschool or Kindergarten.

If your children are reluctant about book reports, a free book report template is just what they need to help them get started.

Hello sweet friends! I'm back today with an oldie, but goodie! I first shared this post two years ago as part of our Furniture Fixer Upper series! I'm going to share the links to my friends' fabulous furniture makeovers from this day at the bottom also! I scored this hutch at the thrift store for

Help the learning process with these simple strategies for making studennt thinking visible. Perfect for middle and high school English classes.

Have you ever had a class with so many difficult, disruptive students that you felt that you could barely even teach? What can you do to get past it? In this post, I am going to address this problem with my best advice, and some advice from others as well.

Are you trying out a reading workshop model this year with your Kinders or first graders? If so, you might be wondering, how on earth do I set up a reading workshop when my kids can’t even read?! That’s definitely what I was wondering when I first started implementing reading workshop a couple of years ago. I was teaching Kindergarten, and I think I only had one student who knew a few letter names. They didn’t know letter sounds, and I definitely didn’t have any beginning readers. If this is what your situation is like, you can still implement a reading workshop in your classroom! Even if your little ones can’t name a single alphabet letter, there are things you can teach them to begin setting up the reading workshop. Here are some ideas for minilesson topics that you can use when you first start reading workshop with your nonreaders:– Procedures and Routines: Begin with the basics, such as: how students should access their reading materials, where they should sit, how to treat books, how to hold the book correctly and turn the pages, how to read silently and keep their eyes on the book, etc. It will definitely take multiple days (maybe even weeks) to teach all these routines and procedures. Just teach one simple procedure per minilesson. Also, to squeeze more procedures into one day of reading workshop, you can teach a minilesson, have kids read for 5 minutes, teach another minilesson, and have them read for another 5 minutes. This gives you more time to teach important routines, while still taking into account your students’ teeny tiny attention spans!– How to Tell a Story from the Pictures: Teach students that even if they can’t read the words, they can still tell a story to themselves from the pictures! Simply telling kids that they can do this isn’t enough, though – you have to actually model it. What I did was check out a few picture books from the library in languages that I can’t read – Russian, Chinese, Polish, etc. I would show students the book and begin by saying something like, “I found this beautiful book in the library, and I really want to read it. But I have a problem. The book is written in CHINESE! I don’t know how to read Chinese!! But guess what? Even though I can’t read the words, I can still tell the story by reading the pictures. Let me show you what I mean.” Then I would begin paging through the book, telling the story aloud as students listened. I would wrap up by saying something like, “Today I showed you that even if you can’t read the words of a book, you can still use the pictures to tell yourself the story! You can try this out today during reading time.” And then I would dismiss the kids to begin reading. Some of my Kinders were able to do it after I modeled once, but I modeled this skill several more times with different books so that all of the kids eventually “got it.” One note about this – make sure that when you establish guidelines for independent reading, you don’t require students to be completely silent. When kids begin to tell a story by using the pictures, teach them to whisper the story quietly to themselves – most kids won’t be able to silently tell the story in their heads. – How to Retell a Story You Already Know: Spend lots of time in those first few weeks of school reading aloud fairy tales and repetitive books to students. Some books I love using for this are: The Three Billy Goats Gruff, The Three Little Pigs, Brown Bear, and I Went Walking. Then, get as many copies as you can of each of those books. Place them in students’ reading bags (side note: at the beginning of the year, rather than having students check books out, I prepared book baggies for them and had them switch bags amongst themselves each day so they would have new books to read). Then, teach a couple of minilessons about how to tell a story that you already know. You might start by saying something like, “Readers, today I want to teach you that when you are reading a book that you’ve already heard before, you can retell the story using the pictures and what you remember about the story.” Then, take out a story that children are familiar with and model retelling it (without using any of the words). Have students practice this during independent reading time.– How to Read Songs: I loved singing with my Kindergarteners, and I taught them quite a few songs at the beginning of the year (simple, shorter songs are best). I then gave them copies of the lyrics that they could “read” during independent reading time. To make this work, I started by typing up the lyrics to each song. On each page, I put an image that went with the lyrics (for instance, with a song about a frog, I put clipart of a frog on that page, so they would immediately know what song it was). Then, while we sang the song as a class, I projected a copy of the lyrics on my interactive white board. I modeled how to point to the words as we sang. After practicing a song many, many times, I made copies of the lyrics for the kids. I modeled how to sing the song using the lyric sheet, and then gave them the sheets to keep in their bags for independent reading time. It was soooo cute to see them whisper-singing the songs to themselves and attempting to point to the words! They just loved this option for independent reading time. If you teach in Spanish, click HERE for a free copy of the lyrics that I used with my bilingual Kinders. – Partner Reading: Since little ones can’t sustain independent reading for very long at the beginning of the year, mix things up with some

Substitutes, I don’t have to tell you that you have a unique and challenging job, especially when it comes to classroom management.I reader recently emailed with a great question: “How do I get students to realize they need to follow instructions even though I am ‘just a sub’?”Great question. One th

If you know me, you know that a good sort is one of my favorite instructional strategies. I actually think my grade level colleagues get si...

Revive the lost art of crochet temperature blankets with me in 2019! Let's bring this vibrant project back to life.

The above is the loft bed I had in mind. I drew it out so my friends daughter, Nova, could approve. The look of it changed a bit since this drawing but is mostly the same. There will be a dresser tucked under the right side, the steps will have drawers, and the left side will look like drawers but would actually be a door. That last part changed though because I wasn't sure how well they would take care of the door (my friends kids are a bit rough with doors, haha!).

Being able to run a 5k in under 25 minutes is a goal for many runners who are wanting to achieve their next PB or improve their race times.

The most common question I get is about open when letters for a significant other, but the second most common is open when letter ideas for college kids.

The Best Amalfi Coast itinerary: when to go, how to get around, best hotels, and places to visit on 3, 5, or 7 days in Amalfi Coast, Italy.

How to get pregnant fast! This blog covers my journey to pregnancy. How did I change my diet and routine the month I got a positive pregnancy test?

Hey everyone! It's Anna from Hanging with Mrs. Hulsey! The school year is officially in full swing-- and my students are definitely feeling more comfortable with me and each other! One thing I've decided we need to focus on more is our classroom community! Here are some quick ideas to help you promote a positive climate in your classroom! Use Team Builders Team building activities are easy to implement! They don't take a lot of time, students find them to be engaging, and they are often FREE! Here is a quick list of some of my favorite student team building activities: Human Knot (Students stand in circle, reach for hands of people across the way, and then they must untangle themselves without letting go. This can also be done as a spiderweb using a ball of yarn) Tallest Tower (Divide students into groups and give them supplies like straws, tape, blocks, etc. The team that can make the tallest tower wins!) Minefield (Set up a "minefield" that students must navigate a blindfolded partner through) Hula Hoop Pass (Can be played whole class or in teams. Students hold hands and must pass through a hula hoop as quickly as possible) Switch Sides If... (Use a chalk line, rope, or tape line. Have students stand on one side of the line. Read off items like "switch sides if you like to bake", etc.) The internet provides an infinite source of team building activities! I've included a few links below: http://www.ventureteambuilding.co.uk/team-building-activities/ http://www.momjunction.com/articles/team-building-activities-will-keep-kids-busy-summer_0074763/#gref http://mommieshobbies.blogspot.com/2014/01/switch-sides-if.html?m=1 Hold Morning Meetings Time is precious in my classroom because we departmentalize. It feels like we are always on the go. However, I feel that even something as small as a weekly morning meeting would help my students develop a more positive feeling toward one another. You can read more about morning meetings for older elementary students here! I also love this product from TPT! Write Daily White Board Messages I think this is a such a simple way to start the day off with a positive vibe! The night before (or morning of) write a simple prompt on the white board/chalkboard and have students respond on the board. This will foster another sense of ownership and community. You can find white board messages by searching google or Pinterest! Here are some quick ideas to get you started: 1 Thing Wednesday-- name one thing we've done this year that you'd like to do again! I Think I Can Thursday-- what is one goal you want to achieve this year? Flashback Friday-- what is one new thing you have learned this week? Write a compliment for a classmate by their name (no repeats!) Name 3 traits of a great friend What is your favorite book you've read this year? Thankful Thursday-- what is 1 thing you are thankful for? Make it Monday-- what is 1 thing you've always wanted to create?' Top 2 Tuesday-- write your top 2 favorite things about the school year so far Compliment Circles This activity would pair well with morning meetings! You and the students sit in a circle with everyone's legs out straight. Begin the compliment circle by giving a compliment to someone. Once someone has been complimented they cross their legs. Compliments continue until everyone has received 1. I think this is a great way to encourage students to see each other in different ways! Create a Kindness Board I created this one for the visual it would provide to my students. Plus, I wanted them to point out kindness when they see it in others! This one is easy to implement: 1. Print out the letters and hang on a wall or bulletin board. 2. Print the "caught being kind" strips on various colors of paper (I used Astrobright paper). 3. Cut the strips apart and keep on hand for when students catch others being kind. 4. When students experience a kindness or act of friendship, they come and ask you for a "caught being kind" strip. They write down their experience. 5. Start a paper chain and add a new link every time someone catches others being kind! You can find this HERE in my TPT store! Here is another type of board with a similar theme (kindness): You can find these fall themed board HERE in my store! I hope you found these ideas to be useful to implement in your classroom! If you have any questions-- feel free to leave them in the comment section!

This post will help you figure out where to eat in Riga by introducing you to some of the best spots to get coffee, lunch, dinner, and of course, cocktails.

How do I know it's back to school time? My plants are dead. All of my plants that I grew so lovingly in the spring, watered all ...

Trying to conceive is one of the hardest things you can do. There are a couple of things you want to avoid when trying to conceive that you might not know

If you're anything like me, you work hard to educate yourself on hemochromatosis and to "stay on top of it"- you get routine phlebotomies and you regularly test your iron levels. Even with treatment and awareness, controlling your iron levels can feel confusing. When I started learning about hemochromatosis, I stumbled across some info that caught me off guard. I discovered four activities I took part in all the time - potentially unhealthy activities for someone with hemochromatosis that I hadn't been paying attention to when I should have. Here are four activities you should watch out for when you have hereditary hemochromatosis - they might surprise you.

Beginners learn how to design your own home garden from a professional designer. Master the 7 basic steps to planning a garden design.

If you get piriformis syndrome pain out of nowhere with severe symptoms or pain, do these things right away to avoid making the pain worse

I really dislike icebreakers. They make me cringe. When I became a teacher, I swore I would spare my students the torture of icebreakers. That being said, I also realize how important it is to buil…

(PDF) What is a Break Card / "I Need a Break" Card Visuals / How to use break cards (Autism / Special Education / Mainstream Classroom / Home)

6 Levels Of Validation 1-page printable DBT handout. This interpersonal effectiveness handout helps students learn steps to improve their validation. It is particularly useful when it's difficult to find the validity in the other person's viewpoint. 8.5"x11" digital download printable PDF Want more resources like this? Check out my full catalog of DBT worksheets and handouts here. Related Products: DBT Coping Skills Bundle Thank You! ❤️ I really appreciate your interest in this product! I love to design and create new things to support the emotional and behavioral health of kids and teens! It would mean so much to me if you left a kind review and rating after purchasing a product (or freebie!) Feel free to contact me with any questions! ⭐️ Follow Me to get updates on new products coming soon! I am trying to add new items each week! ⭐️ ⭐ How can I earn free products?⭐️ Once you have purchased this product, make sure to go back into “My Purchases” and leave feedback to earn TpT credits. TpT credits can be used toward future purchases from any seller!

I can't get enough of this Roti recipe! Roti is a super easy and delicious Indian flatbread. It is amazing when served with curry, totally perfect for sopping up extra sauce! I have all the tips you need to make sure this Indian bread turns out super soft! I will show you just how to make roti, step by step!

We all need these 20 tips for how to stop being lazy and exercise. Real-life motivational hacks -- perfect to inspire your daily workout.

By Barbara Gruener Okay, I’ll admit it: When I was growing up, I had no idea how to deal with my anger well. Not one little bit. During my formative years, I was sent to my room to get over my bad …

This was another game i made for our primary class, but you could use it for Family Home Evening. I love how it teaches the kids to recogni...

Discover the complete guide to release trapezius pain originating from upper trapezius with deep tissue release and stretches to do anywhere

The freebies have moved! Instead of having the freebies in a separate resource library, we have put all of our freebies in our shop. You can find the freebies by clicking right here!