Wanting a way for students to have books at the tips of their fingers? Learn how to create, design, and share your own virtual library with students at home and at school. Continue reading How to Create a Virtual Library
Looking for a simple way to stay organized? Maybe you are looking to fill a space with a cute design. It only cost me $4! I wanted to share with you how I created this DIY dry erase calendar. Continue reading DIY Dry Erase Calendar
Trying to figure out ways to connect with students even when you don’t get to see them everyday? Well, you came to the right place! Teachers know how important it is to continue making connections with students even when school is now at home. Remote learning should not put a hold on forming relationships with students, so here are 4 ways teachers can stay connected with students during remote learning. Google Forms: Google Forms can be used in a variety of ways and checking in with students is a simple way to collect responses and data. Teachers can create Google … Continue reading 4 Ways to Stay Connected With Students During Remote Learning
Teaching online during a pandemic is no easy task, especially when given little notice to turn every instructional plan into an online learning experience. Friday, March 13th, 2020, the Governor of Illinois closed all K-12 grade schools to prepare for the rapid outbreak of the COVID-19 virus that has been sweeping the world. Quickly, states began following suit by closing schools, restaurants, and stores to prevent the disease from spreading more. Teachers wasted very little time to jump into action to prepare what others called a “once-in-a-lifetime occurrence.” Myself included panicked at the news and wondering how we were going … Continue reading Learning Reinvented
Let’s set the record straight. Kids love food. Kids love touching food. Kids love learning with food. Anytime that I can incorporate food in an activity is a hit in my book. Want a fun, engaging, food filled activity that students can actively learn about the landforms of the United States and later eat their creations? This is the perfect activity! I recently got this idea from my coworker who has been doing this for years. We combined our classes together and had students bring in the items needed. Whatever the students did not bring, we provided. Materials Needed: (One … Continue reading Edible Physical Maps: Hands-on Activity
Welcome! You are the Candy Shop’s newest employees and today is your first day of training! Great employees must follow directions, solve problems, and complete orders quickly and correctly. Let’s Begin! I think classroom transformations are my new favorite thing to implement in my classroom. When I say “you should have seen the look on students’ faces when they stepped inside the Candy Shop”… I mean I really wish you could have seen them! I made it a huge surprise all week and students couldn’t wait for what was in store. I actually got the inspiration for this idea from … Continue reading Candy Shop: Classroom Transformation
Super soft, throwable, and oh…students talk through it! Say what?? Yes, I know, it sounds unusual but WOW! My classroom atmosphere changed drastically, student engagement has skyrocketed, and the overall dynamic of student involvement has increased. What in the world is making such a difference in my classroom you ask? I am talking about the Qball- the throwable microphone! From the moment I saw the Qball on Shark Tank one Sunday evening, I was sold! I never would have imagined the change my classroom would have experienced. I use the Qball to make class discussions less…well…boring! This microphone ball puts … Continue reading Amazingly Engaging Learning
“What in the world are math rotations?” I asked myself at the beginning of the school year. I recently discovered the wonders of MATH rotations from a colleague who implemented rotations within her math block. I never had the opportunity to organize my math time in this way and it intrigued me to learn what it was and how it worked. Now that I have fully learned and experienced math rotations, I am forever changed. Here is how I implement math rotations within my classroom. MATH is an acronym for: Math with technology At seat work Teacher time Hands on … Continue reading MATH Rotations In My Classroom
No more falling apart book bins and labels randomly showing up on the floor! Here is an easy teacher hack for anyone looking for a way to make their classroom library book bin labels more durable and longer lasting. Supplies Needed: book bins brads card stock lamination hole punch packaging tape Make sure to have enough book bins plus a few extras for your book collection. This hack works best if your baskets have holes on the sides. I got my book bins for a dollar each at Dollar Tree four years ago. They are small but very durable and … Continue reading Teacher Hack: Durable Book Bin Labels
What better way to learn math than through fun games! Technology is cool and all, and yes there are a ton of online resources at the tip of your fingers, but sometimes it’s fun to get away from devices and play a “good old fashioned” game on the floor! In my first years of teaching, my school required us to teach math for 90 minutes each day. Twenty of those minutes were strictly designated for students who needed intervention. Money and resources were not available to hire a math coach so we, the teachers, were in charge of providing RtI … Continue reading A Math Game Sure To Engage Even Your Most Reluctant Learners
