I want to share with you one of my favorite clean-up games of all times called "Magic Scrap." This is a quick way to get all hands on deck to tidy up your classroom desks and floors. How to play "Magic Scrap:" Simply walk around the classroom and identify a piece of scrap or trash that will be ... READ the POST

Teaching students to follow single-step and multi-step directions can feel like a daunting task! But teaching listening skills is so important in the elementary classroom. Did you know that 70-80% of our waking hours are spent in some form of communication? Of that, listening makes up about 45% of ... READ the POST

Why Do Math Centers? Setting up math centers in your elementary classroom will allow you time to work with small groups of students. It also provides your students with engaging math practice. Using math centers is how I get students to practice math facts and build their fact fluency, as well as ... READ the POST

New Student Bags are a teacher tip that I wish I knew during back to school season as a first year teacher! It would have saved me SO MANY MORNINGS scrambling for supplies when a new student entered my classroom midyear.  As you collect school supplies at the beginning of the year, take some ... READ the POST

Math facts practice is something we do a lot of around here! I want to share another one of my favorite 5-minute math fact games. You know how much I love quick, 5-minute math games, because it is often these simple games that help our students master their math facts! One of my favorite games to ... READ the POST

Writer's Workshop Folders are an incredibly valuable tool, especially in the elementary classroom! These folders are a must for your writing block and I want to share with you THREE reasons why every elementary student needs a Writer's Workshop Folder. Reason #1 The obvious reason, Writer's ... READ the POST

Poetry Month is right around the corner and poetry writing is THE ONE WRITING UNIT that I look forward to year after year in elementary! Introducing students to poetry writing is so much fun! However, I know it can be a bit daunting if you don't love to teach writing, or aren't given the ... READ the POST

Math facts practice has always been a part of my daily math block! Elementary students need lots of practice mastering their addition, subtraction, multiplication and division facts. I used to use math facts flashcards, but after years of finding long-lost flashcards on the floor, missing from who ... READ the POST

Teaching students alphabetical order and giving them weekly ABC order practice is so important, especially in the primary grades. I want to share with you one of my favorite, 5-minute games that you can play with your elementary students to help them practice ABC order... It's called "I Spy ... READ the POST