The Blog
Test Prep: Engaging and Meaningful Ways to Prepare for State Testing
It’s March, and that means it’s time to start preparing our students for state testing. If I’m being honest, I try my hardest to not make “test prep” a big deal to my students. Instead, my goal is always to…
Tips for Teaching Interviews
It’s that time of year! Schools are beginning to look at their staffing for next year. Current teachers are making plans for their future. New teachers are keeping a close eye out for teaching job opportunities. Here, I’ve compiled some…
Teaching Character Conflict
I’ve posted about teaching character conflict before, but I have a few updates to share and a NEW free resource for teaching the types of character conflict! Here’s a link the original blog post if you are looking for even…
Teaching Precise Math Vocabulary
A few years ago, I was heavily pregnant, and my students were scheduled to go on a field trip three hours away from the school. Since I was so close to my due date (and we all know how school…
Teaching Students To Use Observations to Infer
If you’ve ever tried to teach students the concept of making inferences, you know this is never a simple task! That’s why I have always taught my students how to tell the difference between literal and inferential questions and observations….
Main Idea Vs. Theme with Song Lyrics
Hands down, one of my most popular posts is teaching about Main Idea vs. Theme. Ever since I started teaching the concepts together (in the upper grades), it has completely changed how my students think about and generate their main…
Teaching Oral Reading Fluency
One of the top questions I get is always about how I run my math and reading rotations. As I prepare to share those formats with you, I’ll be sharing some of the components of them individually as well. Today’s topic…
Using Pictures to Teach Reading Skills Part 2
Using Pictures to Teach Reading Skills isn’t a new idea over at Teaching With a Mountain View, but it sure has evolved over the years! Before you read this post, I highly recommend reading my original post about using pictures to…
Literacy | Back to School | Building Community | Building Community | Classroom | Classroom Management | Homework | Seasonal | Writing
Weekly Letter Writing to Build Community
Years ago, I shared this idea as a free resource on TpT, but I’ve never gotten around to explaining my weekly letter writing procedures over here on my blog! It’s definitely time. When I was student teaching, I had truly the…
Literacy | Back to School | Book Recommendations | Picture Books | Seasonal | The First Few Weeks of School
Best Back to School Picture Books
I absolutely love sharing great book recommendations over on my Instagram account. One of the biggest requests I get is for picture books for back to school, especially for upper grades students! I’ve amassed quite a collection of first month…
Classroom Management | Back to School | Classroom | Classroom Organization | Free | New Teachers | Seasonal | The First Few Weeks of School
Free First Week of School Plans
Have you already started your first week of school plans? I’ve always spent hours upon hours upon hours perfecting my first week of school plans. Then I usually get about half of what I planned done, which usually makes the second…
Back to School | Building Community | Classroom | Free | Homeschool | Seasonal | The Parent Connection
Supporting Student Learning at Home
At the beginning, middle, and end of every single school year, I always have parents ask me for tips about how they can support their child’s learning at home. Sometimes they are looking for worksheets or workbook recommendations. Oftentimes, they…
3rd Grade Spiral Math Review | Math Skill of the Day