It’s the end of the school year and teachers love to give their students an end of the year gift. I teach first grade and always look forward to giving my students something useful and memorable. If you’re anything like me, then you try to avoid giving your already hyper elementary students more candy.
Read MoreIf you’re thinking about changing schools then you’re in the right place! Changing schools can be scary but it doesn’t have to be. This coming school year, I’m not only changing schools but I’m moving from first grade to fifth grade! When I switched schools back in 2019, I stayed in a grade I was comfortable with: kindergarten. I was moving from a lottery school to a Title One school, and I wasn’t ready to switch grade levels and move schools at the same time.
Read MoreI want to share with you my top 5 tips for switching schools as a teacher. As an elementary teacher in a public school, I know how scary it can be to want to switch schools let alone actually doing it. If you haven’t heard my teacher burnout story, you can watch that video here. One of the ways I overcame teacher burnout was switching schools. If you’re dealing with burnout, go watch that video.
Read MoreWhether you’re a teacher trying to help a struggling reader at school or a parent helping a struggling reader at home, teaching reading is a big process! There’s a few things that can help the process and keep your student from feeling overwhelmed and frustrated. Keep on reading to find out 5 tips to help your struggling reader.
Read MoreThese 3 activities are ones I use in my own first grade classroom to help my students practice sight words so they can become better readers and more engaged while they’re practicing sight words. Say goodbye to the flash card method (even though I’m not opposed to it) and hello to fun activities that your students will ask you to do again and again! You’ll be shocked how engaged your students are!
When I first started teaching, share buckets were used at my school. I was a first year teacher so I went with what the other teachers in my grade level were doing. Share buckets weren’t something I remembered from elementary school. In fact, I remembered having my own personal pencil box. I continued to use share buckets for years and once I moved schools, I noticed my students were even more territorial with their supplies. I even had parents ask why their child’s supplies weren’t separate. So, this year, after teaching virtually all last year, I decided to make the switch to pencil boxes and I’ll never go back to share buckets. Keep reading to find out why pencil box name tags are a game changer for first graders (and kindergartners too!)
Read MoreSo you’re thinking about getting a class pet?! Congratulations! Your students are going to love having a class pet. If you missed last week’s blog post, I broke down the best classroom pets that are low maintenance. One of the things that held me back for YEARS from getting a class pet was the dreaded feeling of taking care of something else in addition to my long day as an elementary teacher. Once I got over that, I found the joy having a class pet brought my first graders and I’ve never looked back.
Read MoreAs a kid, you probably thought classroom pets were exciting. Maybe you even got to take your classroom pet home one weekend. If you’re looking for a classroom pet that’s simple and easy to take care of, this blog post is for you. Keep on reading, friend!
Read MoreA few years ago my dad encouraged me to set up a bird feeder outside the window of my then kindergarten classroom. The window was ideal because it was at ground level and was easy to open. I agreed and he made a bird feeder for me with a platform that would be easy to feed the birds as well as observe them. I quickly learned my kindergartners were crazy about bird watching!
Read MoreAs a first grade teacher, I understand the importance of proper handwriting technique. I’ve seen the total gamut of pencil grips over the years I’ve spent teaching kindergarten and first grade.
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