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Small Group Instruction hack with Menu Covers! Image of menu cover with a phonics comic, read the punctuation, and word mapping mat.

1 Easy Teacher Hack for Small Group Instruction: Menu Covers!

Ah…Small Group Instruction. It seems so easy, doesn’t it? But, we know better! Here is a fun little hack that will make small-group instruction just a little easier. Menu Covers (yes, the plastic covers that you find in a restaurant with the menu inside) will become your new favorite teaching tool! This post does contain Amazon Affiliate links. If you purchase anything through these links I will receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thanks so much! The Power of Small Group Instruction Small group instruction is essential for personalized learning. It allows for targeted instruction, individualized support,

November Writing Center Refresh: 3 Simple and Creative Ways to Makeover Your Student Writing Center!

3 Creative and Simple Ways to Makeover Your Student Writing Center for November

Hey there! Let’s look at some creative and simple ways to makeover your student writing center this November! This post does contain Amazon Affiliate links. If you purchase anything through these links I will receive a small commission at no cost to you! Thanks! November Student Writing Center Refresh Add Paper: Social Media Writing Templates Adding a fun new paper choice is always a great way to get your students excited about your student writing center again! This month you could try adding some fun “Social Media” writing templates. This writing paper template set includes templates for “Instantgram”, “Farcebook”, and “Pinteresting”

Silly Spooky Halloween Ideas for the Classroom!

5+1 Silly Spooky Fun Halloween Ideas for the Classroom

I love the Fall! Halloween is such a fun time of year. Here are some spooky fun Halloween Ideas for the Classroom that will keep your little goblins engaged throughout October! Halloween Ideas for the Classroom #1: Non-Fiction Text Features! October is a great month for teaching about features of non-fiction! There are so many great non-fiction topics to read about: Pumpkins, Spiders, and Bats (Oh my!). I also loved reading books about Halloween to my students during the month of October. If you have not read Gail Gibbons, you are missing out. These books are written in a narrative

Image of a giant red pushpin. Text: Pinterest for Teaching: How You Can Use Pintereste to Get Inspired and Enhance Your Teaching.

Pinterest for Teaching: How You Can Use Pinterest to Get Inspired and Enhance Your Teaching

Hey there, teachers! This post is all about using Pinterest for Teaching! I admit, that even though I am not in the classroom anymore I still use Pinterest daily! Here are some ways that you can use Pinterest to help you stay organized and enhance your Teaching! Get ready to be inspired. If you are looking for some great teacher ideas to add to your teacher boards look for me on Pinterest! Pinterest for Teaching: Create Lesson Planning Boards Get organized by creating boards for your lesson plans! Create different boards for each subject or topic you teach, and easily

Image of teacher. Text: Fun and easy substitute teacher lessons plans for writing

Fun and Easy Substitute Teacher Lesson Plans for Writing

Hey there! Looking for some Substitute Teacher Lesson Plans for Writing? I have some fun ideas that will keep your students writing even when you have a Substitute Teacher. This post does contain an Amazon Affiliate link. If you purchase anything through this link I will receive a small commission at no cost to you! Thank you! Substitute Teacher Lesson Plans for Writing: Pick a Prompt Leaving lesson plans for a substitute teacher is always a challenge. So, I started leaving these fun Picture Writing Prompts with Choices for my substitute teachers, and my students always looked forward to writing

Image of sticker stories. Text: Fun and easy way to improve creative writing skills: Sticker Stories!

The Fun and Easy Way to Improve Creative Writing Skills: Sticker Stories!

Creative writing skills are powerful tools that allow students to explore their imagination, improve their communication skills, and develop a love for storytelling. Read on to discover ways that using Sticker Stories in your classroom can help your student to improve their creative writing skills! This post does contain Amazon Affiliate links to some super fun stickers you could use in your classroom. If you purchase anything through these links, I will receive a small commission at no cost to you! Many students struggle to find inspiration or structure their ideas effectively. “Sticker Stories” are a fun and engaging way

Blog Post Cover: Shows children dressed up for halloween. Text: Writing Center Refresh October!

Inspire Creativity: Refresh Your Classroom Writing Centers This October

Keeping your classroom writing centers fresh is a great way to keep your students engaged in writing! This post has some great writing centers for October! This post does contain Amazon Affiliate links. If you purchase anything through these links I will receive a small commission at no cost to you! Thanks! You can find my September Writing Centers Refresh Post HERE! Writing Center or Writing Centers Whether you have a permanent classroom writing center, or you switch out your writing centers periodically the ideas in this post can keep your writing center(s) refreshed, up-to-date, and creative! I loved having a

Image of a shark. Text: Shark Week Ideas for Your Classroom.

How to Celebrate Shark Week in Your Elementary Classroom!

Shark Week! Every year I have a student or two who is obsessed with sharks. Why not capitalize on this interest with some fun Shark Week activities? Let’s dive right in and explore these Jawsome ways to celebrate Shark Week in your classroom! Sharks and Ocean Animals also make a “fintastic” Summer School theme! This post contains Amazon Affiliate links. If you purchase through these links I will receive a small commission at no cost to you! What is Shark Week? Every year the Discover Channel has a week where they feature shark-based programming! It has become a popular time

Image of a teacher and student being silly. Text: Writing Center Refresh: Silly September!

Easy Classroom Writing Center Refresh for a Silly September!

A million years ago when I was a brand new baby larva teacher, I wanted to do all the things! I set up a writing center in my classroom. Then, the students used the heck out of it for 2 weeks, then never looked at it again. I had put everything that I had for writing in that center, and my students lost interest. Wah, wah! I learned that refreshing my writing center every so often piqued my students’ interest again! So, I started doing a monthly writing center refresh! In this first post of my new blog series, I

Image of boy writing with narrative writing graphic organizers in the background. Text: How to Teach Narrative Writing with Fun Writing Graphic Organizers.

How to Teach Narrative Writing with 3 Fun Writing Graphic Organizers

Narrative writing was always my favorite type of writing to teach. The stories that my students came up with were AMAZING! The problem was, they always lacked organization, they would leave important parts out! They would have a great lead, but there was no problem in the story. Or, they had a problem, but no solution. Fortunately, I created something that helped us tremendously! Graphic Organizers! In this blog post, we’ll explore the benefits of using graphic organizers in the classroom and show you how to leverage them to improve your students’ narrative writing abilities. From types of organizers to

Image of a student dressed like a super hero with Speech Bubble saying :"YES!" Text: Teaching with Decodable Passages Just Got more fun with Phonics Comics!

Read and Write Phonics Comics: Teaching with Decodable Passages Just Got More Fun!

What in the world are Phonics Comics? Phonics comics are comics that are written for students to be decodable so that they can practice their reading skills! Once upon a time, when I was in college (a LONG time ago) whole language was the thing. Phonics was a dirty word. The main argument at that time was that decodable readers were contrived and boring. Think back to Dick and Jane. With the Science of Reading at the forefront of reading instruction today, decodables are back, but they can be so much more fun! So, get ready to rock your reading

Image of a group of students giving a thumbs up. Text: Classroom Management Strategies. Fun and Cheap Classroom Rewards and Incentives.

7 Classroom Management Strategies: Fun and Cheap Rewards and Incentives

Classroom Management can be hard. Rewards and incentives can motivate students to behave positively and help create a positive classroom environment. While I was still in the classroom, it seems that my classroom management changed all the time. What worked with one student today, doesn’t work tomorrow. Each class was different and unique. That being said, the teacher can not do it all. Sometimes it will take parental involvement and administration involvement. Sometimes it will even take the help of another teacher. Here are some fun and cheap classroom rewards and incentives to help keep your students on track. None

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1 Easy Teacher Hack for Small Group Instruction: Menu Covers!

3 Creative and Simple Ways to Makeover Your Student Writing Center for November

5+1 Silly Spooky Fun Halloween Ideas for the Classroom

Pinterest for Teaching: How You Can Use Pinterest to Get Inspired and Enhance Your Teaching

Fun and Easy Substitute Teacher Lesson Plans for Writing

The Fun and Easy Way to Improve Creative Writing Skills: Sticker Stories!

Inspire Creativity: Refresh Your Classroom Writing Centers This October

How to Celebrate Shark Week in Your Elementary Classroom!

Easy Classroom Writing Center Refresh for a Silly September!

How to Teach Narrative Writing with 3 Fun Writing Graphic Organizers

Read and Write Phonics Comics: Teaching with Decodable Passages Just Got More Fun!

7 Classroom Management Strategies: Fun and Cheap Rewards and Incentives

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