Celebrating winter traditions is not just fun for students, but it also serves as a valuable learning experience. Primary students love sharing about all the things they do with their families during the holidays and it always creates such fun classroom conversations. I want to share a 3-D Winter ... READ the POST

I love getting elementary students excited about reading! I know with our standard reading curriculum it's just not that easy to do, but that's where the magic of our classroom library comes in! I want to share with you a fun idea to help spark some reading excitement in your own classroom ... READ the POST

Second grade math reviews are an easy way to help students master the new second grade math skills that they are learning each week. By implementing a daily spiral math review, students will have the extra practice necessary to master the second grade math standards. DAILY 6 Math Review is a ... READ the POST

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