Blog - Your Thrifty Co-Teacher

6 Ways Page Protectors Make Life Easier in the Classroom

Page protectors are a great reusable resource that can help you keep things in your classroom organized, as well as helping you save from making an abundance of copies. Here are 6 different ways you can use page protectors in your classroom: 1. Pockets in a Binder Page protectors make perfect pockets inside of binders. You can use them to add collections of various things including ... Read More about 6 Ways Page Protectors Make Life Easier in the Classroom

5 “Must Dos” for Teachers on the First Day of School

As we know all too well, the first day jitters are not just felt by students. Many of us teachers get very little sleep the night before the first day of school, and if we do, images of an 'out of control' classroom or an alarm clock that doesn't go off may dance in our heads. Does this scenario sound all too familiar? (...or is t just me? 😁) If so, the ... Read More about 5 “Must Dos” for Teachers on the First Day of School

5th Grade Comma Practice Made Fun and Interactive with Work Mats

We are entering the last quarter of the school year, and keeping students engaged means keeping lessons fresh. Therefore, this week our comma grammar practice involved Play-Doh. Yep, you read correctly. Fifth graders got to 'play' with Play-Doh. I had previously introduced commas to them using Print & Fold Interactive Booklets, had them implement the skills in an Italian Restaurant ... Read More about 5th Grade Comma Practice Made Fun and Interactive with Work Mats

6 Ways to Get Free Books for Your Students

As teachers, we know that in order to cultivate readers we need to give our students access to books, but how can we do this for each student in our class without breaking the bank? Well, I'm here to tell you that there are at least 6 ways to give kids FREE access to books! 1. THE LIBRARY Whether it's your local public library or your school library, the library has an array of ... Read More about 6 Ways to Get Free Books for Your Students

Classroom Transformation: Courtroom Edition – Opinion Writing

Our state writing test is right around the corner. Nerves are kicking in and some are weary. When motivation seems to be dropping, this is usually an indication that a classroom transformation is in order. Just walking into a "new room" is enough to get students motivated to work their hardest. At this time of the year, I create a courtroom experience for my students where they were able to apply ... Read More about Classroom Transformation: Courtroom Edition – Opinion Writing

Classroom Transformation – Winter Wonderland

Many teachers love the idea of transforming their classrooms, but dismiss the idea because they think it will take too much work, time, and/or money. I'm here to tell you that there is no need to become overwhelmed when thinking of creating an engaging environment for your students. Many classroom transformations can be set up in less than an hour, and materials can be gathered all in one ... Read More about Classroom Transformation – Winter Wonderland