I get asked all of the time on Facebook what books I recommend for third grade read alouds or classroom libraries. I keep typing out my list of favorites and then it occurred to me- I should make this list a blog post! Duh! #alwayslearning So here are some of my favorite books for third graders: 1. How to Be Cool in the Third Grade This is a ... Continue Reading
How to Prepare for Back to School Over Summer Break
Teachers are the funniest people. We count down the days until summer break. Then, as soon as summer break starts, we begin to think about how we want to prep and prepare for back to school! I have ten pretty easy things that you can do over summer break that will make back to school a whole lot easier. (The best part is that most of these things ... Continue Reading
FREE Writing Course & Resources!
Hello teacher friends! Do you struggle to find time to teach meaningful writing lessons? Do you find it difficult to meet individual student writing needs? Do you wish you could be a #kickbutt writing teacher? I have you covered! You can think of me as your "writing fairy godmother." #iwantglassslippers I am offering you a FREE five day email ... Continue Reading
Tips and Resources for New Third Grade Teachers
If you ask me (and I am pretending that you did), third grade is the BEST grade to teach! Third graders are still young enough to love school, love their teacher and get excited over simple things like coloring. However, they are old enough to be independent workers and thinkers. Most third graders know how to read and are now learning to love ... Continue Reading
Tips for Teacher Interviews
This is that time of year when new teachers begin looking for their first teaching job. It's also that time when current teachers start thinking about applying for a job closer to home or in a new grade level. Sadly, lots of teachers are also looking for new jobs after having their current position cut. I recently asked teachers on my Facebook page ... Continue Reading
A Typical Day of Writing in my Classroom
Writing happens all day in my classroom. Students respond to text during reading. They write about their math strategies using math journals. Students write informational paragraphs in social studies and science. Even though our pencils are dulled from all of this writing - we still have a dedicated time for writing instruction. If you really want ... Continue Reading
End of Year Tips, Tricks, and Resources!
The end of the school year is fast approaching! Whether you have days or weeks left, I hope that these end of year tips and ideas will help you to have some fun with your students before summer break. 1. Keep learning After testing is over, we start to daydream about summer break. But the reality is that we still have several weeks ... Continue Reading
5 Mistakes Teachers Make at the End of the Year
The end of the school year is full of emotions, stress and exhaustion. The to do lists are long. The student energy is high, while the teacher energy seems to be nonexistent. We want to end the year on a high note, but sometimes we are just causing ourselves undue stress. There are several mistakes that a teacher can make at the end of the ... Continue Reading
End of Year Class Theme Days
During the last weeks or days of school, I am looking for fun ways to celebrate with my students. We have become such great friends, and I want to end the year with a bang! Having end of year theme days during that last week can be so much fun. You can sneak in academics if you need to, or you can just make it a celebration. It’s up to you! ... Continue Reading
5 Things Teachers Should Prep BEFORE Summer Break
I wrote this post a couple of years ago, but I still think this is some of the best end-of-year advice I can give you! I decided it would be worth sharing again! Plus, the beginning made me laugh so hard! So here goes… I have three days left with students and then three teacher days before summer break. I am exhausted! I fall asleep as soon ... Continue Reading
