Making Writing Fun Activities Written by Guest Blogger Jessica Thompson, 4th Grade Teacher Writing. The minute the word is mentioned there is an audible, in-sync sigh from the students. Of course, there are a few super excited students who cannot get their ideas down quick enough. For every handful of excited writers, there is a large portion of the class …
Written by Guest Blogger Kerry Heino At heart, I must say that I consider myself more of a math teacher, stronger in the ways and means of teaching math concepts, but I do enjoy teaching inferencing strategies to my class. Over the years, too many to actually count, I have strived to make this unit more meaningful, but also fun, …
Back to School Team Building Activity Written by Guest Blogger Kimbra Counts Teaching 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students comes with its own set of obstacles. One of the most surprising issues I face in the classroom is perfectionism. As students grow, they begin to feel more pressure than they did in the lower grades. The drive to be the …
Facilitating Small Group Discussion Written by Guest Blogger McCormick in Middle Do you want a classroom of engaged 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students during small group discussions? Would you love to be able to circulate your classroom and listen in on thoughtful and meaningful conversations about books without having to intervene to resolve conflicts? Is one of your goals …
Keeping the Classrom Clean Written by Guest Blogger Tamara Leavitt of Tamara’s Teacher ToolboxKeeping the Classroom Clean: The QuandryIt’s been a busy day, but keeping the classroom clean has not been a priority. Not only are the students’ brains full and bodies antsy… gravity has done its job well in the classroom. The floor is covered with pieces of paper, …
Brain Break Ideas Written by Guest Blogger S.M. So, we’ve all been there…you’ve been pouring your heart and soul into the lesson and in front of you are a classroom full of uninterested upper elementary kids. I mean, you could be dancing on the desks and they wouldn’t notice you. After so many struggles with what to do I’ve finally …
Wanting to organize your classroom library? Check out the tips below for using a free check out system that will make it easier for you to keep track of all your books. Written by Guest Blogger Kipp Martin As a child I used to enjoy playing library with my sister. We had our own “classroom” library checkout system. We would …
Finding 3rd grade math morning work that students can complete independently is a struggle. Different curriculums practice different skills at a different times. Often, daily math practice or morning work will expect students to have prior knowledge that they don’t have. This is frustrating to both students and teachers! This daily math practice / morning work for 3rd grade is …
Finding character trait games and centers that are actually engaging and at the same time challenging for your 3rd or 4th grade students can be hard. Most games or centers involve filling out a graphic organizer or completing a too-easy matching game. Once students reach upper elementary, they usually understand the basics of identifying character traits. What they really need …
If you’re anything like most teachers, then you are in constant catch-up mode. A teacher’s work is never done – there is always more to do. And never enough time to do it all. That’s why taking the time to ask yourself revealing teacher reflection questions is often overlooked. But putting aside a little time to reflect on past school …