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The Complete Guide to Teaching Main Idea and Theme
Determining the main idea and/or theme of a text are critical reading comprehension skills. While it may seem like main idea is a pretty simple skill for upper elementary, once you start digging into the complexities of adding theme as…
Math Concept Pictures
Math + Drawing = Win! Over the years, I have created several math picture activities to use throughout the year in order to practice math skills. Some of these math concept pictures have been created for seasonal use while others…
Free Day After Spring Break Lessons
Let’s talk lesson plans after a holiday break. I know I always rest easier during a vacation when my plans, copies, and activities are all prepped and ready to go for the first day back. Being strategic about your lesson…
Teacher Care GIVEAWAY + Exclusive Bundle
Is it test prep season for you? We have spring break coming up and then it’s time to dig into allllll things test prep. If you’re doing the same, I have a fun GIVEAWAY for both you and your students…
March Read Alouds and Related Seasonal Activities
Read alouds are one of the best things about teaching elementary school! Between the start of Spring, St. Patrick’s Day, Holi, and International Women’s Day, March is a super fun month for connecting read alouds to current events. There are…
Age Appropriate Ways to Use Current Events in the Classroom
Teaching current events in the classroom can be a daunting task, especially when current events can sometimes feel difficult to process as an adult. However, if we don’t teach current events to our students, we miss out on an opportunity…
4 Easy Activities to Increase Student Engagement
As we settle into February, it can become harder and harder to engage students. If we view student engagement as closely linked to student motivation, and the school year as a marathon, this makes sense. It’s important to go into…
Meaningful Test Prep Tips for Students
As you inch closer to state testing, do you ever feel like you’ve wasted the last few months on routine test prep instead of meaningful learning with your students? It’s not a good feeling at all. Feelings aside, it also…
The Complete Guide to Teaching Math Vocabulary
I am a firm believer that students in the upper grades can be expected to use precise math vocabulary. This means they know the difference between conceptual and computational errors, they fluently use words like “sum” and “product,” and they…
February Read Alouds and Related Activities
It’s February, which means it’s time to mix up your book lists and bring in new seasonal read alouds! Here are some of my favorite February read alouds to use during morning meeting, during your ELA block, or even display in…
7 Ways to Use Technology in the Classroom
Incorporating technology into the classroom has been an initiative since I entered the world of education. Of course, when the pandemic began, we were forced to adapt and change at a rapid pace, even compared to what we were accustomed…
How to Combat Perfectionism in Gifted Students
One of my passions is gifted education, and one thing I often find in my position is that there are A LOT of misconceptions about gifted students. One of those is that “they’ll be fine” and need very little intervention….
