If I were ever on a game show and asked to name all 50 states in alphabetical order, I could absolutely do it. And it’s not because I have a savant-like memory, it’s because in 8th grade we learned a song that listed all states in ABC order. I might not remember much else from…
There are lots of things you won’t learn about teaching during your time in college. How to start up your literacy block at the beginning of the year and what you should be teaching in phonics are on the list. Making attractive bulletin boards is another one of these topics. Back-to-School bulletin boards welcome your…
Make addition with regrouping simpler! If you have laid a solid foundation in place value, your students are probably ready to take on addition with regrouping. Kids can quickly get lost in what number to carry and where to write it. Fortunately, there’s a teaching aid hiding right in your desk drawer…the versatile sticky note!…
This sounds crazy but stay with me for a minute ; ) It works like this: *Explain or review that the short hand points to the hour. *Point out all of the little tick marks around the clock. Count them all together to establish that there are sixty. Explain that the long hand shows how…
Research about and best practices for teaching spelling in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade classroom. Do you ever feel like your teacher prep program left you with some major gaps? Like, how the heck do you really teach spelling? We’re probably all familiar with the technique of assigning lists and testing at the…
In my first year of teaching I was expected to use a writer’s workshop model where students almost always chose their own writing topics. This was before the Common Core standards and my district wasn’t very concerned about what genres students wrote in, as long as they wrote. I could definitely tell you that in my…
I’ve done a lot of experimenting with desk arrangements over the years. I’ve definitely found my favorite. Keep reading, I’ll tell you about it. I’ve also discovered that it’s smart to pick a few arrangements that you like and teach your students how to quickly move between the positions when the activity requires it.…
Skip counting ideas and activities for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade math class. This post contains affiliate links. If you teach 1st or 2nd grade you’ve probably spent a lot more time skip counting than the average person off the street. It’s one of those things that kids need a lot of…
If you’re not asleep during staff meetings, you’ve probably heard the phrase “research-based practices” thrown around a lot. Do you silently ask yourself, “Sooo, which practices are research-based anyway?” I don’t know about you but it’s been a little while since I originally learned about the people who did some of the major research in…
#1 Have Them Help Demonstrate – Your first instinct might be to choose a model student to help demonstrate a task. Try picking a student who struggles to follow directions instead. You may have to give them a lot of guidance as they demonstrate in front of the class but then you know they have…