Testing has very much become a part of school culture. Teachers often initiate assessments, using them meaningfully to plan purposeful, data-driven instruction that aligns directly with what they teach in class. Other tests, however, come as standardized mandates. They’re often not developmentally appropriate, and teachers must administer them to students,
Thinking stems are a powerful tool for elementary teachers. They completely transform the way students respond to prompts and class discussions. Learn about what they are, why they are important, and how to implement them in your classroom below! What is a Thinking Stem? A thinking stem is a visual
In my classroom, we have book buddies. These partnerships come in two forms: Classroom Book Clubs and Reading Partners. A book club consists of a group of students (typically 4-6 is manageable) while reading partners are just two classmates. Both groupings operate in the same manner: The students read the
Yesterday, I blogged about organizing your big ideas and teaching concepts for the school year using curriculum maps. Today I’ll focus on integrating some of those concepts together by designing an integrated multidisciplinary thematic unit. I’m a thematic girl at heart. I live for planning my children’s birthday parties. I
As you start to think about the upcoming school year, it is helpful to start by thinking about “the Big Picture.” What is it that you want and need to cover during your overall time with your students? Creating and utilizing curriculum maps will allow you to be sure that
Today my family and I are planning to pop in to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, so I made a new resource that fits the theme of the day. I think it’s also perfect for this time of year as things start winding down and the familiar glow of screen in a
My school is very focused on improving our students’ math vocabulary. When I created my 2D Geometry Unit, I strived to create activities that would provide ample opportunities for the students to practice and use the related vocabulary words throughout our daily Guided Math Workshop. I did this by creating 2D
This Polygons with Personality resource is on my list of favorite geometry craft ideas! It ended up being one of those lessons that I’d be giddy about doing every year. It’s the perfect blend of academics and craftiness. It rolled math vocabulary and concepts, character traits, writing skills, and cutting
Before I get into all the great tips for how to teach nouns, let me tell you… When I mention the word “science” in my classroom, 22 little faces all light up with excitement. I accidentally left a bag of bolts on a shelf in their view the other day
Today is a Tuesday, but it feels like a Monday since we didn’t have school yesterday. On Mondays I introduce the weekly vocabulary words {per the Treasures Reading Curriculum} so since today was pseudo-Monday we did that. I wasn’t quite prepared for the reaction I got when I announced it was
If you are looking for fun ways to teach inferencing at the elementary level, then you found the right place! This post shares 5 fun ways to teach inferencing. As you know, inferencing is such an important skill to develop in order to be effective readers and critical thinkers. That’s
I am so excited to share my READer’s Workshop Rotation Board with you. My Math Workshop Rotation Board is one of my most popular resources. I found it to be so successful in my classroom, that I created a similar format for structuring my reading block. Read all about my system
