I have a love-hate relationship with Pinterest. Let me tell you why! I certainly find oodles of inspiration there, but, more often than not, it makes me feel like a slacker. I high-five myself when I use a Christmas tree-shaped cookie cutter on my kids’ sandwiches when packing lunches in
One of our goals as teachers is to help our students discover their love of writing. An effective tool to help us achieve this is a writing center. When creating a writing center, you want to designate a space that will allow you to make the tools needed for the
Some teachers think that listening centers are just for kindergarten, first, and second graders; however, the older kids love listening centers too! Students of all ages benefit tremendously from listening to texts being read aloud. This post shares information about listening centers, as well as tons of ideas for setting
The library is one of the most important parts of an elementary classroom. There are so many different ways to organize and set up this space in your classroom. Your decision on how to organize comes down to your personal preference, grade level, and space. You want to make it
Elementary teachers often look for classroom reading nook ideas or search for pictures of classroom reading corners for inspiration the weeks leading up to back to school. The great thing is that you don’t actually need to go out of your way to design or create a reading nook in
In the past, classrooms often had a designated “computer area” because the technology needed to be placed in close proximity to outlets and cables. Now, classroom technology looks a lot different. Some classrooms still have traditional set-ups, while others have carts of laptops or tablets that travel between rooms or
Kindness is not part of our academic standards; however, it is so important to designate time to teach students about this concept. One way to do this is to teach students to become “bucket fillers.” The idea of bucket fillers is based on Dr. Donald O. Clifton’s metaphor of the
There are tons of commercially-made birthday charts out there. Typically, there is space for the teacher to write in the students’ names and record the blessed day on which they entered into the world. I’ve used them in the past, but wanted a classroom birthday display with more meaning to the children
Before I share tons of student work display ideas, let me tell you… I once loved creating bulletin boards. And by loved I mean LOVED. I would plan them in my head and tweak them until the reality matched the vision. At the risk of being institutionalized, I admit that
I have had so many requests from teachers who are interested in using a “Dr. Seuss” theme in their classrooms. Because Dr. Seuss is protected by copyright, I am not able to honor those requests and create products using specific images or phrases. Instead, I have compiled ideas that can
It is very common for elementary teachers to be given a classroom that has minimal and mismatched furniture. With what you are given, it can feel impossible to create a beautiful, cohesive learning environment for your students. However, there are some simple things you can do to create a classroom
If you are an elementary teacher looking for classroom wall display ideas, then you found the right place! This post shares tips and ideas to help you create wall displays that your students can access to support their learning. They’ll also help you create a beautiful learning environment that you
