In this post, I share 17 ideas for connecting with students during distance learning. Have you found yourself drowning in all that is involved with distance learning? Maybe you have even found yourself just missing seeing your students each day. I have heard some people compare this time to summertime. But friends, it is very […]
Step-by-step tutorial to use Loom for online teaching. Many teachers near and far are using Zoom to meet with their students face-to-face. Even my own daughter had a meeting this week and seeing a class full of 6 and 7-year-olds get together was the cutest thing! Their excitement to see each other was so genuine! […]
Step-by-step tutorial to use Zoom for online teaching. Have you found yourself in a sea of technology overwhelm as you are trying to figure out how to deliver online teaching? Are you being asked to implement distance learning with your young students? With all that is changing so quickly, we all feel overwhelmed by how […]
Easily make online reading for kindergarten and first grade possible with these favorite websites. With all that is changing so quickly, I know that we are all feeling overwhelmed, anxious, and even a bit lost when it comes to tackling this all. Let’s be honest, as teachers, we do more than just provide an education. […]
Do you struggle to fit science in every day? Or does your school district’s curriculum not have enough content to make planning for science easy? I have been there friends! If you don’t integrate science into other subjects, it can be difficult to figure out how to help students master their science standards in a […]
Grab this new book and FREEBIE to share as you are teaching kindness in the classroom. You are on the other side of your classroom. “STOP!”, you hear someone yell. “Don’t do that!”, they continue. You look to see one child bothering another and while you now have a very upset child, you scramble to […]
These writer’s workshop tips will take your time from frazzled to smooth! I can’t wait to share them with you! One of my favorite thing about writer’s workshop is seeing that lightbulb moment click for my young writers. You know the one – when a student who has been struggling with something finally gets it. […]
We spend a lot of time at the guided reading table coaching our students through growing their reading skills. Many times we get to the end, check for comprehension, and it seems like the little reader has no idea what they read. They are struggling with comprehension. Where am I going wrong? What am I […]
We all have been there. We get to the end of a guided reading lesson, check for comprehension, and then it’s time to do a quick write. We realize we didn’t quite plan ahead because, goodness, we rarely get this far in the lesson without the timer going off. But not today! Today we made […]
Kindergarten teachers know that the beginning of the year brings in a variety of students with different skill levels. Some know their letters and sounds, some can read, and some can barely identify the letters in their own names. One thing all of these students can benefit from is practicing name activities. Why Should Students […]
In this post you will learn how to easily allow your students to help set up your classroom library. My first year in the classroom my kids rarely touched my books. I had books that I would share with them every month or few weeks, but I guarded SO many books with my life. What? […]
Setting up a listening station is made simple with these steps! Literacy stations are a BIG part of the day for kindergarten and first grade classrooms. Time and time again, I had kids who loved this part of our day. Some people walked in our classroom and may have felt like it was a zoo, […]
When it comes to guided reading, there are several components of a lesson. The students have jobs and you, the teacher, have jobs, too. One of those is to take a running record. What is a running record? A running record is a page of notes that you take as you listen to a reader […]
When it comes to a guided reading lesson (or a reading small group lesson), there are many ways to approach it. Some people pull one group a day, and some people, see all of their groups each day. Some teachers use a one-day lesson template and others use a two-day lesson template. Basically, everyone has […]
With Valentine’s Day around the corner, it’s time to figure out what to give to your students or what to send with your own kid. Maybe you are a teacher who wants to give something to their whole class or maybe you are a parent who wants to give something other than candy to your […]
Are you needing some fresh, fun ideas for science for February? Let me share some ideas that are perfect for first grade science this month! One tool necessary when planning out lessons for the month is a curriculum map. A detailed curriculum map for the month helps you know exactly where you’re going. I have […]
Can you guys believe that summer is just around the corner? I know the feeling that the year is slowly ticking by, and all of a sudden, it’s over! I’m sure you’ve been thinking about what you can do to help your little friends retain what they’ve learned this year. How can supporting students over […]
Managing word work for 22 (or more!) students can be a handful. Add in accounting for differentiation and it can make your head spin! I found a program I loved to use with my kindergarten students that helped me meet each learner where they were and organize their progress. Let’s explore word work in kindergarten! […]
