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to ENGAGE, ENRICH, & INSPIRE

Welcome to our teaching community, serving teachers in grades 2-6 with engaging resources that challenge your students to reach their peak potential and inspire your love of teaching.

Not sure where to start? Click “Get Inspired” below to start browsing over 12 years’ worth of teaching ideas and resources.

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FREE Prefix, Suffix, and Root Activities!

Are you implementing word study into your classroom? Grab our FREE Word Study Starter Kit, and you’ll be on your way!

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Whether you are looking for daily spiral review, yearlong journals, or day-to-day lesson materials, I’ve got you covered!

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  • Character Education Podcasts for Reading and Listening Comprehension | SEL

    Character Education Podcasts for Reading and Listening Comprehension | SEL

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  • Morning Work Journal or Bell Ringers | Think It Through for Critical Thinking

    Morning Work Journal or Bell Ringers | Think It Through for Critical Thinking

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  • Weekly Creative & Critical Thinking Journal #2

    Weekly Creative & Critical Thinking Journal #2

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  • Weekly Creative & Critical Thinking Journal #1

    Weekly Creative & Critical Thinking Journal #1

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  • Reading Skill of the Day | Comprehension Spiral Review 2nd and 3rd Grade

    Reading Skill of the Day | Comprehension Spiral Review 2nd and 3rd Grade

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  • Reading Skill of the Day Weekly Journal for 2nd and 3rd Grades | SET TWO

    Reading Skill of the Day Weekly Journal for 2nd and 3rd Grades | SET TWO

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  • Reading Skill of the Day Weekly | Spiral Review Morning Work for 2nd 3rd Grade

    Reading Skill of the Day Weekly | Spiral Review Morning Work for 2nd 3rd Grade

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  • Novel Study Activities | Reading Comprehension for ANY book

    Novel Study Activities | Reading Comprehension for ANY book

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  • Using Pictures to Teach Figurative Language | Figurative Language Lessons

    Using Pictures to Teach Figurative Language | Figurative Language Lessons

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  • Using Pictures to Teach Reading Skills | Digital and Printable

    Using Pictures to Teach Reading Skills | Digital and Printable

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  • Using Pictures to Teach Parts of Speech | Grammar Lessons and Activities

    Using Pictures to Teach Parts of Speech | Grammar Lessons and Activities

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  • Informational Text Comprehension Review

    Informational Text Comprehension Review

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  • Fiction Comprehension Review | Reading

    Fiction Comprehension Review | Reading

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  • Rapid Read and Review 4th 5th 6th Grammar

    Grammar Review Activities Parts of Speech

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  • Reading Skill of the Day Weekly Journal | Set One

    Reading Skill of the Day Weekly Journal | Set One

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  • Using Pictures to Review MIXED Reading Skills

    Using Pictures to Review MIXED Reading Skills

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  • Math Word Problem of the Day | 5th Grade November

    Math Word Problem of the Day | 5th Grade November

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  • Math Word Problem of the Day | 4th Grade November

    Math Word Problem of the Day | 4th Grade November

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  • Math Word Problem of the Day | 3rd Grade NOVEMBER | Thanksgiving

    Math Word Problem of the Day | 3rd Grade NOVEMBER | Thanksgiving

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  • Fall Cause and Effect Task Cards

    Fall Cause and Effect Task Cards

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  • Fall Inference Task Cards | Thanksgiving Inference and Reading Comprehension

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  • Thanksgiving Reading Skills Task Cards for Reading Comprehension

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  • Thanksgiving Reading Logic Puzzles | Activities for Enrichment

    Thanksgiving Reading Logic Puzzles | Activities for Enrichment

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I’m sharing literacy, math, and classroom community ideas that have been classroom-tested and teacher-approved. Start exploring for new ideas to implement tomorrow!

A FREE compilation of creative and critical thinking games for your classroom with quick and fun ways to keep students engaged in learning AND stretch their thinking.

ZERO Prep (and FREE!) Creative and Critical Thinking Games

Combining our time as homeschoolers and my 16+ years in education, I have some tips for homeschool parents to make homeschooling the best it can be!

Advice to New Homeschool Parents from a Veteran Teacher (And former Homeschool Mom!)

FREE first day of school lesson plans: After many first days of school over the years, here are my tried and true tips for a successful first day of school. 

What To Teach On The First Day of School: FREE First Day of School Lesson Plans

Must-read professional development books for teachers recommended by current classroom teachers, links to free resources to help you grow as an educator, and practical classroom tips.

Brush Up on Your Teacher Skills: Must-Read Professional Development Books for Teachers (and More!)

6 ways to build community connections: These real-world connections add depth to classroom discussions, spark curiosity, and inspire students to explore new topics.

6 Creative Ways to Build Community Connections Beyond the Classroom

This blog post is PACKED with practical advice for new teachers, straight from experienced upper elementary teachers who have been exactly where you are.

Practical Advice for New Teachers, Straight From Our Community

JOIN the COMMUNITY

Joining Inspired in Upper Elementary will connect you with a warm community of 40,000+ other teachers sharing ideas, asking and answering questions, and supporting one another on this journey. We can’t wait to have you!

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HEY, I’M MARY

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I’m so glad you are here. I’m a current gifted and talented teacher in a small town in Colorado, and I’ve been in education since 2009. My passion (other than my family and cookies) is for making teachers’ lives easier and classrooms more engaging.

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Giggles and Grammar is your complete curriculum fo Giggles and Grammar is your complete curriculum for teaching grammar. 💪 It’s easy to implement, and you’ll love all the giggles shared with your students along the way! Comment below, and I’ll send you all the details! 😆❤️

#teacher #backtoschool #iteachtoo #teachersofinstagram #iteach #firstweekofschool #teaching #teachingideas #homeschool
💭 Real Talk: I’ve never had a classroom theme 💭 Real Talk: I’ve never had a classroom theme. Have you?? 

I rarely change my decor — I add a few little things each year if something strikes my fancy. I try to keep things bright and light so that anyone who walks in my room feels at home, at ease, and ready to learn and grow. 🩷 

🎥 This is a quick video I took of a small space in my classroom — left over from last year and ready to be put back together for this year! It will take me just a few minutes to set this space back up to its former glory … And if I decide to get fancy, maybe I’ll switch out my borders. Maybe not. 😉 Either way, it’s going to be a great year!
This is a total teacher MUST in my classroom! The This is a total teacher MUST in my classroom! The tongue drum is a super calming way to get your students’ attention. From day one, I set the expectation that if students hear the tap of the drum, they stop what they’re doing and find me with their eyes. Works like a charm and brings such a peaceful sense of calm to the classroom every time. 🩷🩵💚 

Drop a comment below, and I’ll send you the link to mine. 🔗 

#teacher #backtoschool #iteachtoo #teachersofinstagram #iteach #firstweekofschool
This is your annual reminder to add this to your b This is your annual reminder to add this to your back to school plans!! 💚 It never gets old watching kids process through how to make this challenge work! I give them each a piece of string, a rubber band, and cups and tell them they have to figure out how to stack the cups without touching them. They’re usually stumped initially, but someone always figures it out!!

ℹ️ 

Just about every day during the first week of school, we have a STEM or teamwork challenge. 🧩 incorporating them helps build teamwork and collaboration skills and allow students to feel and overcome challenge early on. Watching students work through the productive struggle of the STEM cup challenge has always been a highlight of our first week of school and is a great time to focus on building growth mindsets, too!

🤔 They never get it right away, so watching them problem solve and strategize is just the best! 

💡 It’s super easy to set up! Each group gets 6 cups, string, and a rubber band. They have to assemble a pyramid without their hands touching the cups. That’s it. That’s all the directions they get! 

😍 I always allow plenty of time for this activity since it can take a while for them to come up with a strategy that works!

Comment below, and I’ll send you a link to my BTS plans with all my STEM ideas.
Every resource I create is the direct result of so Every resource I create is the direct result of something I’m missing in my classroom! 💖 👉 I originally made these FREE bookmarks for parents (perfect for back to school night!) to support their readers at home, but now they’ve become a super helpful ready-to-go reading resource in my classroom, too! They work with SO many skills and almost ANY book!

FREE Reading Response Bookmarks!! 💥 I took all my reading response prompts and made them into bookmarks (24 different options in total)! Whether you’re using them to hand out to parents or for students to reference during reading groups, they’re an awesome resource and the result of many years as a literacy teacher. 

Comment below, and I’ll send you a link to the free file. ❤️💖

#teacher #backtoschool #iteachtoo #teachersofinstagram #lessonplans #iteach #kidlit #homeschool
It’s that time of year! I’m sharing my FREE Fi It’s that time of year! I’m sharing my FREE First Week of School Lesson Plans to make your life easier. 🩷 Comment below, and I’ll send you the plans! #teacher #backtoschool #iteachtoo #teachersofinstagram #iteach #firstweekofschool
Can we still be teacher friends? 😜😬🫣😂 Can we still be teacher friends? 😜😬🫣😂

🔥 What are YOUR “controversial” teacher opinions?

(P.S. This is all in good fun! I’m a big believer in doing what’s best for YOU and YOUR students. Always.❤️)
I haven’t stepped foot in my classroom yet, but I haven’t stepped foot in my classroom yet, but I’ve started thinking about new units I want to implement this year and which novels and picture books I can integrate into them! 

✂️ Over the years, I have prepped mini anchor charts, reading response prompts, and more to make integrating new novels super easy BUT impactful. 

🥾 I am MOST excited to add a National Park literacy unjt — the options feel endless! I already do a super fun Wonders of the World unit, and this will be a fun addition! 

💡 What’s your favorite unit or novel to teach? 

If you’re like me, drop a DM below, and I’ll send you a few ideas to get started! ❤️
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