The Blog
The Best Age-Appropriate Books For Advanced Readers
As a gifted and talented facilitator, I am always asked to recommend age-appropriate books for advanced readers. It can truly be a daunting task to find books to fit the bill for upper elementary students. However, it is crucial to…
Classroom Observation Tips
We all know how nerve-wracking principal observations can be, even when that’s not their intent. I remember, early on in my career, my mentor teacher told me that NO principal wants to see a dog and pony show – they…
Student Council Ideas for Elementary Schools
Does your school have a student council? Once reserved for middle and high school students, it’s now more common to have a student council at the elementary level as well. A student council can provide a valuable platform for students…
The Best Way to Teach Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) with Picture Books
In today’s ever-changing landscape of education, fostering Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) is essential to prepare students for life beyond the classroom. Teaching students critical SEL skills is something I’ve become particularly passionate about over the last several years. I’ve…
5 Benefits to Mental Math Tasks
Throughout my career, I have always believed that laying a strong mathematical foundation is crucial for a student’s future success. And at the heart of this journey, I discovered the power of mental math tasks. In this blog post, I…
Fun Ideas for Teaching Figurative Language & Free Starter Kit
Ah, figurative language. Sometimes, teaching figurative language can feel like an uphill battle. If you’ve ever found yourself grappling with how to make teaching figurative language in the upper grades appealing and accessible to your students, you are not alone…
Christmas Math and Literacy Ideas for Christmas in the Classroom
As the holiday season approaches each year, I look for creative ways to infuse the festive spirit into our classroom. Over the years, I’ve created a collection of engaging (and educational!) Christmas math and Christmas literacy activities that are perfect…
Top 10 Christmas Picture Books for Upper Elementary
Ahhh, who doesn’t love the holiday season?! Celebrating one of the most magical times of the year with my students is one of my favorite parts of teaching. Using Christmas picture books allows your students to capture the magic, wonder,…
9 Activities to Teach Holidays Around the World
Who doesn’t love the holiday season? As they say, it’s the most wonderful time of the year. When you teach holidays around the world in your classroom, you can quadruple the holiday fun. That’s why I wanted to share my…
Anchor Charts | Book Recommendations | Literacy | Literacy Anchor Charts | Picture Books | Reading Skills | Seasonal
4 Beautiful Fall Picture Books for Teaching Character and Academic Skills
I’m a HUGE fan of finding picture books with similar themes, characters, and challenges and having students analyze them. They work so well for both academic and character goals, so at any given time, you will likely find a similar…
Spooktacular Halloween Math Activities for Upper Elementary Students
Are you looking for a way to make math more thrilling and engaging during the Halloween season? You’ve found it! In this blog post, I’ve curated a collection of fun and educational Halloween math activities specifically designed for upper elementary…
5th Grade Novel Study Books
We have one more post in our novel study series, and today, I’m sharing my favorite 5th grade books for novel study. In case you missed the previous posts, I shared my favorite 3rd grade novel study book recommendations and…
