Celebrating holidays with picture books is something I have always enjoyed doing. I went out and gathered my five favorite picture books that I have enjoyed sharing for Valentine's Day with my students, to share with you!Words and Your HeartThe story behind this book is so heartwarming, I wanted to make sure you all had a chance to read it and ... Continue Reading
G Rated Holiday Movies for the Classroom
Are you coming down to the end of your first semester? Do you wrap up your semester with parties or rewards for your class? Many teachers are searching the Not So Wimpy Teacher Facebook groups for advice on holiday movies that they can show their classes as a reward at the end of the semester. All of the movies suggested below are rated G. The ... Continue Reading
Student Christmas Gifts for Parents
The holidays have arrived and many teachers are busy searching the internet and the Not So Wimpy Teacher Facebook groups for unique and easy presents that their students can make for their parents. I thought I'd gather and share a few of my favorite ideas I have seen in the groups. They are all simple and don't cost a lot of money. There is ... Continue Reading
Classroom Holiday Party Ideas
The holiday season is upon us and teachers in my Facebook groups are starting to plan their classroom holiday parties. I thought I would share some of my favorite Christmas classroom party ideas. But first, a warning. I love throwing parties. I love themes. Planning these fun activities was therapeutic to me. So don’t look at these ... Continue Reading
5 Things Great Writing Teachers Do
Writing was always my toughest and least favorite subject to teach. Anyone relate? Don't get me wrong, I LOVE writing! As a young child I actually wanted to be an author. I wrote mini chapter books and submitted my writing to young authors competitions. I read the thesaurus for fun. Yup, I was a big ol' nerd. Did you see the movie My Girl? I ... Continue Reading
Tips for Simple Writing Conferences
If you are anything like me, you've come to the conclusion that writing conferences are hard! How do you find time for them all? When I first started teaching, I would send everyone to their desks to write after my mini-lessons. Then, I would meet with one student at a time to conference on their writing. This took a LONG time! I hoped to ... Continue Reading
Tips for Teaching Students to Round
Do you start the year by teaching about place value and rounding? It's pretty common. Lots of teachers in our teacher Facebook groups have been struggling with teaching rounding strategies. I thought it would be a great opportunity to share some of the strategies that I used in my classroom. Ditch the Rhymes Confession ... Continue Reading
Free ELA Pacing Guide for Third Grade
Do you use a yearly pacing guide? It is so handy to have a map of how you plan to fit the various standards into your academic year. Things WILL change, but it nice to have some idea of where you'd like to be with your instruction. I think that it makes lesson planning easier. I get lots of teachers who email me to ask ... Continue Reading
A Look at my Students’ Writing Notebook
I am often asked about the notebook that my students used for writing workshop. After all, having the right materials helps our students to be organized and more successful. So here is a look at my notebook and answers to the questions that I am asked most often... Type of Notebook I tried everything: spiral notebooks, ... Continue Reading
Simple and Free Ways to Review Grammar Skills
Setting aside 10 to 15 minutes daily for grammar instruction is important in the elementary classroom. If you want your students to learn the rules, it is important to review grammar regularly. Using the resources from Not So Wimpy Teacher's grammar bundles, I have been able to easily implement this practice in my classroom. You can read more about ... Continue Reading
