Literacy

Professional Development

Save Your Sanity with SignUpGenius

SignUpGenius is simple to use! If you are looking for a way to streamline your classroom volunteers, conference planning, and more!

Have you heard of SignUpGenius yet? Are you implementing it in your classroom? I know staying organized makes our lives so much easier, and using SignUpGenius is defintely able to do that. This website lets you coordinate with parents and co-workers to manage tasks easily. SignUpGenius also lets you send out automatic reminder emails to help […]

Classroom Parties on a Dime

Classroom parties do not have toe break the bank! Check out this post for classroom party tips that are inexpensive for your next classroom party!

Can you guys believe how close the end of the year is? It will be here before we know it! So will the end-of-the-year party. While the kids LOVE parties, they can be a headache for teachers. HERE is my post on some tips for a simple (but fun!) classroom party. I know by now […]

The Top 11 Minute to Win It Games for Classrooms

If you are looking for a way to keep students engaged during a classroom party, these 11 games are sure to win them over! Check out how easy the games are to set up and run and grab the FREE list while you are there!

When it comes to classroom parties, I am all about keeping them simple, making them easy to manage, and letting parents help as much as possible. I put together the top 11 minute to win it games for classrooms that you can use for any classroom party throughout the year.  If you have parents willing […]

Best Podcasts for Teachers

Looking for a little professional development on the go? Check out these top teacher podcasts!

Podcasts are such a fun way to hear about new things going on in education, learn about new technology, improve your classroom community, or find a few tips and tricks. They range from people sharing real life, personal experiences to experts in educational science sharing new information. Some are as quick as 10 minutes, while […]

10 Ways to Use Alexa in the Classroom {+ FREE Cheat Sheet}

Using an Amazon Echo and having Alexa as your assistant is a great tool in the classroom! Read more to see these 10 ways you can use Alexa in the classroom. Don't forget to grab teh free Amazon Alexa cheat sheet!

As classroom teachers, we need all the help we can get, amen?  Wouldn’t an assistant be nice? Someone to remind you of things, tell you the weather before you run outside for recess, set the timer for you even when you are on the other side of the classroom? Well, there’s something for that, friend. […]

Apple Watch for Teachers

Are you a busy classroom teacher? Using an apple watch in your classroom is an easy way to help keep you on track all day with your school activities. Every teacher needs an apple watch!

As a teacher, we often use technology in our classrooms to support our students learning and to enhance it.  We want to give them the best, the latest, and the greatest!  We go to trainings on the latest tech tools for our students, but not always for us. Often times we aren’t given tools for […]

Keeping Students on Task During Literacy Stations

Do your little learners struggle to stay on task during literacy stations? Check out this list of tips for literacy stations to help ensure that your students are staying engaged!

Launching literacy stations is a big task! You plan each station, carefully explain each one, provide time for your students to practice the station, and then let them go. But what happens when they don’t last the full 20 minutes at a workstation? What happens when they constantly need help? What happens when your little […]

4 Teacher Hacks for EXPO Markers

Save your EXPO markers and make your teacher life easier with these 4 EXPO marker hacks!

We use them every single day in our classrooms-EXPO markers.  Our students use them, they bring in fresh new packs at the beginning of the year, and we cross our fingers that they last all year. My goal was always to make them last, make them easy to use in the classroom, and for them […]

8 Classroom Wish List Favorites for Kindergarten Teachers

Classroom supplies, unfortunately, don't magically grow on trees. There are always things we WISH we had or wish we had MORE of! Create a teacher wish list with your favorites as a kindergarten teacher.

As classroom teachers we spend hundreds of dollars over the years on classroom supplies. There are many times that we really want that one specific classroom supply that’s a nice-to-have or that we just want extra of because we just know that we will truly need it before December even comes, but instead we choose […]

10 Must Teach Procedures for the 1st Day of School

The first day of school is jam packed with things to teach. Here are 10 must teaching procedures for first day of school.

Yes, that’s right! Get your hot tea ready, and your school night dinners planned out ahead of time – the first day of school is coming soon and that means there are procedures for the first day of school to teach, names to remember, and relationships to build!  There is just something about the energy […]

Teaching Expectations vs. Rules

Teaching students expectations at the beginning of the year and forming those powerful words together helps your classroom become a community.

Before the school begins our rooms are set up, copies are made, and our teacher hearts are ready to begin the year strong. Even with the best of intentions and preparation, our classroom will begin to struggle without an effective plan in place to communicate our expectations. Begin the year by allowing your students to […]

Partnering with Parents for Classroom Success

These 8 tips for partnering with parents are sure to make a difference in your students' success. It's not always easy, but it's always worth it!

The data is out and parent involvement, regardless of income or background, gives students the boost they need to be successful throughout the school year. We see this over and over again in our classrooms. Students with parent involvement display: a higher value on education improved behavior the ability to adapt well to their school […]

4 Ways to Connect with Difficult Students

Connecting with difficult students can be tricky, but these 4 tips are sure to help any classroom teacher!

We have the privilege of being the most consistent adult in our students’ lives during the school year. Some students are naturally easier to connect with than others. Common interests, parent involvement, and personality all create a simple avenue of connection with our students. Other students have a harder time connecting with their teacher and […]

Intentional Classroom Setup

When setting up your classroom, there are many things to keep in mind. Creating an environment that fosters a classroom community is at the top of the list, though! Classroom setup helps build this greatly!

Building a healthy and happy classroom community takes time and consistency.  Creating a safe place where students are excited to be each day is part of the magic that teachers get to create. From decorations to furniture placement, we hold the power to creating an environment that our students can thrive in.  One of the […]

Classroom Birthdays for Busy Teachers

Celebrating classroom birthdays is a fun time for students, but can be just something else for the teacher to do. These birthday celebration ideas for classroom birthday are PERFECT for the busy teacher!

Having a birthday at school is always a special treat for students. Here are five ways you can help your students celebrate their special day without breaking the bank and without the extra sugar rush! Planning ahead and prepping a classroom set before the year begins will give you a head start to making your […]

11 Ways to Build a Safe Classroom Community

Creating a safe classroom community is essential to students learning. These simple tips are sure to help any teacher, new teacher or seasoned teacher, get started on the right foot!

Safety is a basic need for all children and, as a teacher, you are the main creator of a safe and positive environment for your students. Whether you teach high school or kindergarten, a safe classroom community is essential to a successful year. Students who feel safe are happy, kind, growing, and a lot of […]

6 Kindergarten Teacher Tips

Being a new kindergarten teacher can be overwhelming, but I quickly fell in love. Here are 6 simple tips for kindergarten teachers to remember as they make the transition.

It happens to many of us in teaching.  We get that email or call to our principals office and they want us to switch grade levels. Sometimes we smile and are thrilled about the change. Other times we go kicking and screaming, it seems. That was me my first year of teaching. It was October […]

4 Classroom Time Savers {with FREE Direction Cards}

These 4 classroom time saving hacks are sure to help you keep your sanity in your classroom. From finding some extra time to practice skills, to classroom clean up, to saving your voice, you are sure to save classroom time!

Classroom time is so precious, and somehow things seem to just slip away sometimes. The floor is a mess. I lost time to re-test those sight words. The stack of papers to pass back is literally falling off of my table. I decided there had to be some hacks I could use to save some […]

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