This is a post that I wrote for iTeach Third that I thought you might enjoy. It's time to start planning for our first days back!The very first day back from winter break is a party in my classroom! We celebrate the new year together. We are a family and it seems fitting that we celebrate together. It is also a nice way to ease back into school and ... Continue Reading
Wrapping Up Area & Perimeter- A FREE Holiday Activity
Time to be honest- I really don't like teaching area and perimeter. I love teaching math, but area and perimeter are not very useful skills in the whole scheme of things. None the less, my students are expected to master these skills so I have to come up with fun activities to practice the tricky skills. I think I have a winner for you!!! I cut ... Continue Reading
5 Simple Holiday Gifts for your Students
Gifting is my love language and so I just LOVE giving holiday gifts to my sweet third graders. The only problem? It can get pricey pretty quick. I want to share a few simple gift ideas that won't break the bank or require any Martha Stewart type crafting.1. BooksI absolutely adore giving my students a special book before saying goodbye for winter ... Continue Reading
Choosing Books for Book Clubs
I use book clubs (also known as literature circles) in all of my guided reading groups. Students love reading chapter books with their peers and they are very low prep for the teacher. The success of your book clubs is tied very closely to the books you choose to read. When the right sets of books are chosen, a teacher can have students engaged and ... Continue Reading
5 Multiplication Models You Should Teach
When we were in school, we were taught to memorize algorithms, rhymes and math facts. For some people, this worked. But for most- they hated math, thought they weren't good at math, didn't understand numbers and/or forgot the rhythms and algorithms. Math education looks so different now is most classrooms. Teachers are showing kids WHY and giving ... Continue Reading
Red Ribbon Week FREEBIES!
Red Ribbon week is just around the corner! With Halloween on my mind, sometimes I feel like Red Ribbon Week sneaks up on me! In my classroom, we will be celebrating in three different ways. Classroom Door Decorating Contest: Each classroom is asked to decorate the front of their door in celebration of Red Ribbon Week. Judges will go around and ... Continue Reading
Teaching Meaningful Vocabulary Lessons
Every year I am shocked by my students' underdeveloped vocabulary. They struggle with reading comprehension because of their limited understanding of words. Their writing can be very drab because of their limited word choice. And when it comes time for standardized testing they often struggle with understanding what is being asked of them because ... Continue Reading
Camp Share-a-Story (and a FREE Reward Tag!)
I am always looking for ways to get my students engaged and excited. As the quarter was coming to an end, I wanted a fun way to celebrate my students' writing. That was the beginning of Camp Share-a-Story. I have done camping as an end of the year activity. But why not during the year?! My son made and painted this sign for me. Pretty awesome, ... Continue Reading
5 Tips for Teaching Students to Respond to Text
New standards make it more important than ever before that we teach students to thoughtfully respond to text in writing. Having the ability to write about the text shows a deeper understanding of the material and allows teachers to integrate reading, writing and language. But there is NOTHING EASY about teaching students to respond to ... Continue Reading
FREE Halloween Writing Menu
I am always looking for ways to keep my students engaged the week before Halloween while still working on our standards. I created this writing menu and some graphic organizers to give my kids a fun Halloween themed writing activity that reenforces our writing lessons. The menu includes 3 narrative prompts, 3 informational prompts and 3 ... Continue Reading
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