Have you ever wondered: What was I coming into this room to get? What streets did I take to get here? What did he just say? These are scenarios that most of us can relate to. They are all examples of situations where our mind was, well for a lack of a better word, somewhere else. It was not in the present moment. Our mind was full, but not "MINDFUL." What is Mindfulness: Mindfulness ... Read More about What is Mindfulness? How can it Benefit Students in My Classroom?
Thrifty Alert: Popular Book Titles for Only a Dollar? Yes, Please!
Did you know that you can grab some popular book titles at Scholastic Reading Club for just $1 a book? Yep! ONE DOLLAR! If you aren't signed up yet, its absolutely FREE to do so, and pretty much any teacher can sign up. Presently if you order $25 worth of books, shipping is FREE! The BEST part of it all is that they are currently able to ship to your house! Some Suggestions for ... Read More about Thrifty Alert: Popular Book Titles for Only a Dollar? Yes, Please!
Classroom Transformation – Italian Restaurant for Commas & Periods
Have you implemented a classroom transformation in your classroom? They have been so successful in my classroom and have proven to be a great way to engage students. The most recent transformation was a pizza classroom transformation. Our classroom became an Italian restaurant where students were able to implement all of the comma skills they had recently been exposed to. My students had ... Read More about Classroom Transformation – Italian Restaurant for Commas & Periods
Classroom Transformation – Roots and Affixes Surgery Room
Keeping students engaged and motivated, especially at the end of the year, can be quite a challenge. For this reason, I have been evaluating the best ways to keep students excited to come to class and "work" (well, to them this seems more like playing). You may be wondering if this works with older students, and the answer is DEFINITELY YES! I am a 5th grade teacher, and the students absolutely ... Read More about Classroom Transformation – Roots and Affixes Surgery Room
Parent Communication Binder – Keeping It All Together
As we all know, parent communication is an extremely important part of our job. Staying in touch with parents about their child's progress is crucial. But how do we keep it all together and organized when there are phone calls, emails, conferences, after school encounters, etc. to keep track of? As I'm sure quite a few of you have encountered, sometimes there is a lapse in memory on our part, ... Read More about Parent Communication Binder – Keeping It All Together
A Ninja Subject and Predicate Classroom Transformation
Let's face it, grammar is usually NOT students' favorite subject, however, it is so important that students learn how to write properly. They must be able to identify whether or not they are writing a complete thought in a sentence and get their message across to the writer effectively. For this reason, using hands-on subject and predicate activities is a great method for teaching these otherwise ... Read More about A Ninja Subject and Predicate Classroom Transformation