I really struggled when I first began to teach main idea. It seemed like curriculums only provided one way to teach it – read a short paragraph and determine the main idea of the paragraph. But there are other ways to teach main idea – and using the word cloud activity outlined below is an engaging and visual way to …
Whether you are a first year teacher or a veteran, there are some things that every 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade classroom needs. Below are what I considered the 11 teacher must-haves in my upper elementary classroom. Without them, I would have had a difficult time surviving the school year! This isn’t really a list of must have classroom supplies. Instead, …
3rd, 4th, and 5th grade teachers love creating engaging, hands on lessons. But often those Instagram- worthy lessons require a lot of prep work, and sometimes they cost a lot of out of pocket money. The 8 reusable, no prep activities below are engaging for upper elementary students, but they are much more practical for daily use. Use them to …
We all know the importance of teaching and reviewing rules and classroom procedures. As upper elementary school teachers, we are bombarded with recommendations to have clear expectations and practice routines and procedures constantly, particularly the first week of school, and then to keep practicing them throughout the school year. But how do you teach and review procedures over and over …
For me, having well thought out morning procedures is absolutely crucial to my survival in an upper elementary classroom. Not only does the classroom morning routine set the tone for the day, but it is also the best time of day to do all those annoying but necessary tasks like sharpening pencils and turning in field trip forms. It’s also …
I HATE interruptions in the classroom. Most upper elementary teachers hate being interrupted, I’ll admit. But I really, REALLY hate it. So when my 3rd grade students would interrupt a lesson to ask an off topic question related to bodily functions, it would make my blood boil a little. I always felt bad about getting so aggravated. I mean, if …
I’ve never seen a movie or TV show that showed an accurate depiction of what dismissal time is like in the elementary classroom. Usually, you’ll hear a bell ringing and then see hundreds of students come running out the door screaming without any supervision or procedures in place. 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade teachers know that dismissal is NOTHING like …
I’m convinced that more people would appreciate the worth of teachers if they were required to get 25+ students to use the bathroom quickly, quietly, and without making a mess. Creating good bathroom break procedures is a skill that elementary teachers have to finely tune if they want their year to run smoothly. Throughout my years teaching, I experimented with …
Once the end of the year frenzy is over and you are finally able to enjoy your well-deserved summer break, make sure you take same time to relax and destress. Below is a summer checklist for teachers that will help refresh you for the upcoming school year! Sometimes I recommend products using affiliate links. If you click through and buy, …