Transform Your Classroom With This Editable Starbooks Coffee Decoration Kit
Need to liven up your classroom a bit? Do you want to decorate for a special lesson you’re doing soon? Well, how about a classroom transformation? Classroom transformations are always such a fun time, for both students and teachers, no matter what subject area. However, they can be a bit tough to set up, so I have the perfect thing to get you started - my Starbooks Coffee Decoration Kit. I’ve done it for a few years in a row now and it’s been a hit every time - my grade level team even wanted to try it in their classrooms, too!
Keep reading to see what all the fuss is about!
A Problem-Solving Activity to Try With Your Students to Reset Classroom Expectations
Recently, I came up with the idea of doing a problem-solving activity with my students to reset these expectations. My students this year are in 4th grade. Drama comes with the territory of teaching upper elementary, I’m afraid. So, doing something like this was very important to me. However, I didn’t want to just talk their ears off - I wanted them to interact. Read more to find out how I did it!
Glow Day Classroom Transformation, Decorations, and Station Activities to Prepare Your Students for State Testing
I’ve done Glow Day almost every year before state testing (except for last year, as I was on maternity leave), and it’s probably my favorite day of the school year ever. I completely transform the classroom and we spend an entire block playing games and preparing for the STAAR test. My kids have a blast and I have fun watching and interacting with them!
Although I personally use this to prepare for our state test, many educators have been purchasing this resource for use year-round. So, it’s totally feasible to use it to prepare for any test, or just when you want a fun way to review reading test taking strategies.
Keep reading to learn all about it!
Review Text Features With Your Students Using This Poster Activity
I wanted a more interesting way to review text features with my students than with my school’s lesson plans said, so I found a way for them to do it that would get them moving, working together, involved in great conversations, and best of all - having FUN!
Keep reading if you want to learn more about what I did with my kids to review text features!
Try This Fun Strategy to Review ANY Subject With Test Question Slap Down
Test Question Slap Down is a strategy my school introduced me to, and I tried it on my kids. They seemed to enjoy it much more than doing it the boring way and sitting still in their desks. Though I made my slides last-minute (they were kinda ugly tbh), I made some nicer-looking slides to go along with this strategy so YOU don’t have to. Keep reading to learn more about it and download this resource to level up your classroom.
Enough of the Cutesy - Start a Strong Classroom Management System NOW with CHAMPS!
The truth is, classroom management is at its BEST when you set EXPLICIT expectations and follow through with natural consequences. Yes, you can reward positive behaviors, as many many students will respond positively to this. But you CANNOT leave out the expectations and consequences. Students should not just “be good” (though I hate the terms “good” and “bad” to refer to behavior) to get a piece of candy, as that is surface level and will not stick for long.
If the lack of explicit expectations sounds like your classroom, there is still hope! Many educators use what is known as CHAMPS to set these explicit expectations. Read more to discover what CHAMPS is all about.
Annotation Relay - A Fun Way to Practice Annotation Skills and Other Test-Taking Strategies
The other day it was in our lesson plans to read a passage and annotate it together. That’s it. Great discussion points were listed, sure, but would that reach every student? Probably not. (Like I said… engagement is the key!!!) So I came up with this game called Annotation Relay. It was my way to meet my students where they were at and attempt to make the otherwise snoozefest lesson a bit more engaging.
I wanted to share a resource with you that can help you get started with this will even LESS prep than I did. The slides are ready to go for you with directions and rules, but you can edit them if desired. Keep reading to learn all about it.
Saint Patrick's Day Decor Kit - March Bulletin Board or Door Decorations
Whaaaat?!?! It’s almost March (or… it is March, depending on when you’re reading this) and you don’t have a decoration plan yet?! Well, it’s a good thing you’ve stumbled across this post because I have just the thing for you.
Drum roll please…
A Saint Patrick’s Day Decor Kit, ready to go just for YOU!
Keep reading to see why you should download this resource, what’s included, and some tips to get started!
Basketball Madness! A Fun Way to Review ELAR Skills in March.
Two words.
Basketball. Review.
With that certain… trademarked sports game taking place in March, what better way to join in on the fun but with centers/stations revolving around basketball? I have the PERFECT product for you to transform your classroom into a day of fun review!
Keep reading to see why you download the product, what’s included in the download, and a few tips on how to get started!
My Story
If you’ve fallen far enough the rabbit hole… congratulations! You’ve found this post. Now, a bit about me.
I’ve always had the propensity to learn, be creative, and teach others. Heck, when I was in elementary school, I would play school with my younger brother during the summer who was a soon-to-be-kindergartener. I’m sure many teachers have similar origin stories, so I’m not super original, but I do have fond memories of that time in my life. I would even give him grades! (If only I was on top of grades now as I was back then…)