You know that feeling when test prep season hits, and you pull out practice passages? Half your class stares at the blank page like it personally offended them. The other half writes two sentences and declares, "I'm done!" And the brave souls who actually try? You get back a hot mess with zero text evidence and a conclusion that says, ... Continue Reading
How to Fit Science Into Your Already-Packed Week (Without Dropping Anything Else)
Let me guess. Science is on your schedule. It's on your plans. It might even be color-coded. And yet somehow, every single week, it's the first thing to go. Reading ran long. A math lesson flopped and needed a do-over. Someone cried. Someone else needed a bathroom break at the absolute worst moment. And just like that — Friday arrived and ... Continue Reading
How a Predictable Reading Routine Creates More Independence (Not Less)
I used to think routines were the enemy of creativity. Predictable? Boring. Repetitive? Snooze. I wanted my classroom to be exciting—full of fresh activities and Pinterest-worthy surprises that made my students gasp with delight. So I spent every Sunday creating brand-new reading activities. And every Monday? My students spent half the period ... Continue Reading
The Spelling Routine That Actually Works (and Only Takes 10 Minutes A Day)
Most teachers I talk to have the same frustration when it comes to spelling: it feels like a lot of time and effort for very little payoff. Students memorize a list, pass the test on Friday, and then turn around and misspell those same words in their writing the very next week. Others struggle all week and never really get the words at all. And ... Continue Reading
8 Simple Tips for Teaching Fiction Narrative Writing
I loved to teach fiction narrative writing at the end of the year. Students are always excited to finally get the chance to make up their own stories and they find fiction narratives fun to write. It’s so easy to engage kids in fiction writing, even when they are otherwise distracted by sunny skies, so this is a great unit to teach after ... Continue Reading
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