Are you ready for a change to your morning routine? Discover the buzz about morning tubs, and give these morning bin ideas a try! Morning bins are a popular idea for preschool and kindergarten classrooms. Are you wondering how this routine could be successful in 1st...
Joke of the Day Routine in 2nd grade
Knock, Knock! Who's there? Teachers. Teachers who? Teachers who use jokes in the classroom to up student engagement! Now that you are done rolling on the floor with laughter, you can focus on this post on humor in the classroom. How can teachers use a joke of the day...
How to Create a Bucket Filler Classroom
I am a firm believer in positive and encouraging classroom environments. Students who feel safe and encouraged are being set up to take risks, challenge themselves, and work hard. There are a few ways that I achieve this in my classroom. This post...
Fun Ideas for Celebrating Student Birthdays At School
Birthdays are a BIG deal to kids. Remember the excitement?! But how can teachers make student birthdays extra special without a big hit to the wallet? There are so many ways to celebrate students on their special day from a birthday board classroom display to lunch...
Morning Meeting Conversations
Peer-to-peer sharing is a commonly used practice in elementary classrooms. Many teachers utilize "think-pair-share" or "turn and talk" during core classes. But what if encouraging student-to-student conversations in a relaxed way could improve student learning...
The Benefits of Social Learning Routines
A lack of appropriate peer interaction has created a social development drought for some students. The “normal” expectations of behavior have changed and it’s time for our instruction to change with it. Read on to find out how to use social learning routines to...
Science of Reading: Sample Literacy Block Schedule
If you’re ready to dive into a science of reading (SoR) aligned curriculum and trying to figure out how to structure your literacy block this is the post for you. A daily science of reading schedule will vary based on student needs and age. This sample schedule is...
11 Indoor Recess Ideas
Indoor recess, am I right? As a teacher, those two words either make you groan or smile. If you take a look at the comments in our Facebook Groups it seems like most teachers are on the groan side of the spectrum. No matter how you feel, having indoor recess plans is...
All About Math Exit Ticket Boards
A teacher finishes teaching a math lesson she feels went well, but she wants to assess how well her students understand it. (Without giving a formal test!) This is the EXACT situation where math exit ticket boards come in handy! Read below for math exit ticket...
Early Finisher Ideas
A teacher has just finished teaching a well planned, engaging lesson. It’s time for students to work independently. She pulls out readers to work with a student one-on-one feeling pride at how well the lesson just went. When suddenly, across the room comes a happy...