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Beyond Acrostics & Haiku: Teaching Poetry
We are quickly approaching the month of April, which means that a lot of us are gearing up for our poetry unit. Me? I've actually already taught it! My poetry writing unit is my scope & sequence to...
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Student Writing Keepsake Books
I try not to send my students home with a lot of paper. As a mom myself, I have plenty of clutter around my house; I don't need school clutter as well! But one of my most favorite things to do in my...
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What's the Deal with Collective Nouns?
I first learned about collective nouns when we made the switch to the Common Core State Standards several years ago. The standard reads: L.2.1a Use collective nouns. And my first thought was, "What the...
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2016 Wisconsin Teacher Blogger Meet Up!
We had such a blast last year, that we've decided to do it again this year! Please join Jessica from Mrs. Plemons' Kindergarten, Paige from Our Elementary Lives, and me for the second annual Wisconsin...
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Teach the Reader. Not the Book.
I was sitting in a professional development class this spring where we were watching a webinar previously recorded from the Heinemann Group, and one of the instructors made this statement:Have you ever...
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Spelling in the Writer's Workshop
"Teacher, how do you spell ______?"Is it just me, or is that question like nails on a chalkboard to you? How do we deal with this age-old question our students ask us a million times every day? As...
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Building School-Wide Community
Last year at the end of the year, the administration asked all of our students to fill out a survey about our school culture and climate. When the results came back, we were pretty discouraged. Over...
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5 Things All Teachers Should Do Before Going Home
One of the worst feelings as a teacher is that feeling of being unprepared. And that feeling is even worse when you're hectically running around before school starts, trying to get everything ready for...
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Classroom Bulletin Boards Made EASY!
I have 5 GIGANTIC bulletin boards in my classroom. FIVE. Two of my walls have end-to-end bulletin boards. While I know that bulletin board space for some of you is a hot commodity, for me, it is almost...
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Making the Best of Timed Math Fact Tests
Who here gives timed math fact tests?I remember doing them when I was in school. I was pretty good at them, but my anxiety and nervousness was through. the. ROOF. every single Friday afternoon.Knowing...
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Student Accountability During Independent Reading
I run a reader's workshop in my classroom, and at the midpoint in the school year, my students are reading independently for about 40 minutes a day. Because I am conducting small groups and individual...
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Take a Break: A Place for Students to Self Regulate
Self regulation is one's ability to manage his/her emotions and the behaviors that accompany these emotions. These emotions can be perceived as both positive or negative, and many times our students...
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5 Tips for Surviving Your First Year as a Teacher
I loved my first year as a teacher. I had a great class with super supportive families, and 12 years later, I still keep in touch with several of my former students and their parents. That first year...
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When You Teach at the Same School Your Children Attend
I never wanted to be at the same school as my kids. I was always fearful that I would struggle with separating being a mom and being a professional. My son is a typical, "active" boy, and I didn't want...
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Formative Assessment: the What, the Why, and the How
I remember the first time I heard the words "formative assessment." I was a junior in college taking a class called Measurement and Evaluation, and my professor wasn't very good at making the topic of...
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Classroom Jobs Made EASY
Teachers all have different priorities, and for me, classroom jobs just isn't one of them.I've done classroom jobs a few ways. I've had jobs for every person in the class, including a job called...
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Lice in the Classroom
Last month, I had lice in my house.Yep. I said it. I'm admitting it on the World Wide Web. I'll spare you the saga, but basically, both of my daughters AND I had it. I spent 2 days trying to fight it...
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Mass Made Easy: Strategies for Teaching Students to Find Mass
One of the third grade Common Core math standards asks students to estimate and measure the masses of objects. Our kiddos have a hard time relating to weight, and now we have to teach mass?What Exactly...
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Interactive Notebook Essentials: Sticky Notes!
It's no secret that I'm obsessed with interactive notebooks! I have been using them in my classroom since 2012, and through a lot of trial and error, I have discovered what works... and what doesn't...
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Keeping School-Aged Kids Busy on Road Trips
This year for Spring Break, my family of 5 made the 15-hour trek to the Florida panhandle. While we have a TV in our car, I really didn't want my kids to be glued to a screen for the entire trip. After...
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