Have you been noticing colorful spools of tape on the end caps at your craft store?  And the name on it…Washi tape?  What in the world?!? I like to think of Washi tape as the more refined version of colorful/patterned duct tape.  I decided to “Washify” a set of plain glass canisters. These canisters would…

Decorating your classroom isn’t one of your most critical duties as a teacher but if I’m going to spend 40-60 hours a week in my classroom, I want it to be a colorful, attractive environment!  Here is what I’ve done with my classroom: I feel very lucky to have windows!  I know not everybody does.…

I’m linking up today with Miss DeCarbo at Sugar and Spice. She’s asking “What are your teaching ingredients?” These are mine:

Supplies: paperwatercolor paintblack tempera or acrylic paintthin paint brushes (better quality brushes if available)sponge pieces (optional) Practice: One problem with art projects is that kids can get easily discouraged if their product doesn’t turn out the way they thought it would.  A few years ago I discovered that having kids practice a few elements of…

I’m linking up today with The Teaching Tribune where teachers are offering up their best bit of teaching advice.  Here’s mine: I first heard this at a training a few years ago and it really made me stop and think.  Of course we have to offer corrections, redirection, and constructive criticism to our students.  But…

A reading comprehension and art activity to go along with Mo Willem’s book, Knuffle Bunny. This post contains affiliate links.     The Book   Knuffle Bunny is the first in a series of three great books by Mo Willems.  The story starts with little babbling, bright-eyed Trixie and her dad taking a trip to…

Problem: I want to introduce my students to a wider range of poetry than just the typical Shel Silverstein funny stuff. Solution: Branch out into songs as poetry, even hip hop as poetry!  One of my students’ favorite poems to study all year is “Rapper’s Delight” by Sugar Hill Gang.  The classroom scene goes something…

Problem:  My kids are really bored with test review but we’ve got to do it anyway! Solution:  Make it a game!  This is a little bit like Jeopardy but I make some modifications to ensure maximum engagement.  Use index cards or pieces of paper to create the “game board.”  This one is set up for…

Problem: My kids need some poetry mentor texts and it’s hard  to find something (other than expensive anthologies) at the bookstore. Solution: Pick up Love That Dog by Sharon Creech.                                                                                                                                          So much depends                                                                     upon                                                                    a blue car                                                                    splattered with mud                                                                    speeding down the road   These are the first few cryptic lines…

Problem: My students have such a hard time with unknowns in all positions of math problems. (Common Core standards 1.OA.A.1, 2.OA.A.1) Solution: Give them plenty of exposure to part-part-whole!  It seems so basic, just a way of showing the two smaller numbers that combine to make a bigger number.  As shown on the picture, 3…

Problem:  I need a fun way to address manners with my class. Solution:  Badness For Beginners is a hilarious book about the Wolf family.  Mommy and Daddy Wolf work tirelessly to teach their two wolf cubs to be bad.  Your students will immediately recognize that the lessons Little Wolf and Smellybref are learning are exactly…

Problem:  My students aren’t acting the way I tell them to act! Solution:  As with all things related to behavior, there isn’t necessarily one solution but successful classroom management starts with setting clear expectations.  I specifically remember an instance during my student teaching when I was trying to get kids on task by standing at…

Problem: I feel like I’m not building very strong rapport with some students, especially those that struggle with behavior. Solution:   Problem behavior can have many causes and potential remedies.  One idea certainly won’t be a quick fix for every kid but this is something I’ve found helpful:  I had a big “ah-ha” moment in…

Problem:  I’m dying to find something funny and interesting to read aloud to my class. Solution:  Read them The Witches by Roald Dahl!  When a boy and his grandmother go on vacation they discover that they are sharing their hotel with a group of disguised witches that have a plot to destroy all the children in England! …

Problem:  I love cute and colorful bulletin boards but I don’t have a lot of time or money to spend on them. Solution:  With the number of hours a teacher spends in his/her classroom, I think it’s so important to have a fresh and aesthetically pleasing classroom environment.  To put some color on the walls,…

Problem: It’s sooo hard for some of my students to memorize their multiplication facts!  They can’t do harder math because the basic facts take them too long to figure out. Solution:  Sometimes a silly rhyme is all it takes.  To this day, when I need to solve the fact  6 x 8, I think to…

Problem: It’s so hard to come up with enough for my students to do when I’m making sub plans! Solution: On sub days I’m all in favor of activities that are simple, take some time, and involve at least some skill practice. Here’s a fun freebie to help you out. It’s a math fact color-by-number.…