Here in South Carolina, LETRS training is the new educational bandwagon to jump on. And from what I’ve been reading, that may be true in other states as well. LETRS has become a popular professional development for educators because it’s primarily focused on the science of reading. But, I often get asked, “What is LETRS?” What is LETRS? Since I […]
LETRS: What is it? And what does it entail?
Winter Brain Breaks to Energize Students for Learning
After the holidays, it seems like a looong time until the next break! During this time teachers tend to pick up the learning pace and really hone in on what their students need to get them to the next level. However, we still need to remember to give those brains a break on a regular basis during lessons. This will […]
Reflecting on Your Goals in the New Year
First off, Happy New Year! I hope you took the time to really take a break and enjoy your time off from school, just like I did! It was time spent making memories with my family and taking time to recharge my body, mind, and soul. Now that we’re back at it, or, maybe, you don’t go back until tomorrow-it’s […]
10 Christmas Brain Breaks to Get You and Your Class to the Holiday Break
Two more weeks for everyone, hopefully! Here in my district we have 10 more school days, but who’s counting, right? To help get you and your students through these next two weeks of craziness, whether it be special holiday dress-up days, more testing, or whatever other holiday festivities your school deems “fun,” here are ten of my favorite Christmas Brain […]
10 Holiday Read-Alouds for the Classroom
It’s after Thanksgiving, so the holiday season is officially upon us! This is usually a busy time of year, not just at school, but at home, too. I know many schools begin their mid-year benchmark testing around this time, but, hopefully, you’ll have time to squeeze in a bit of fun! And, so you don’t have to go down the […]
Budget-Friendly Holiday Gifts for Students
The December gift-giving holidays are right around the corner, specifically Christmas. I know I struggle year-to-year with what gift I’d like to give to my students that will be worthwhile, but not too expensive. I know it is not required to give a gift to your students, but those are “my kids” and I want to spread some holiday joy […]
Ten Terrific Turkey Day Read Alouds Grades PreK-2
We’re almost there! One more week until Fall Break! Hopefully you’re as lucky as me and get the whole week off to celebrate and relax with your family. But for one more week you have to keep the attention of your students! You can do that with these ten engaging read alouds. These books can easily be slipped in during […]
Thanksgiving Brain Breaks to Get Pre-Holiday Wiggles Out
I know my students get more squirrely around the holidays and have more difficulty staying focused and on task. I’m sure yours do, too! To help combat those extra wiggles, I add a couple more short brain breaks into our day along with adding more movement into the lessons I am teaching. Here are 10 of my favorite Thanksgiving brain […]
Essential Oils in the Classroom
I am a total believer in the use of essential oils to promote wellness. I use them personally, my husband uses them, my kids use them, and I have used them in the classroom. I only use the best essential oils which, in my opinion, are oils from Young Living. I was introduced to these oils by a fellow teacher […]
October is Bullying Prevention Month
This past Wednesday, Oct. 19 was Unity Day and it was announced at my school for staff and students to wear orange to show support against bullying. So, I wore orange because I definitely support the cause, but I admit I didn’t really know much more than that about Unity Day. Hence, I am writing this post as I do […]