I can’t believe Valentine’s Day is Tuesday! Now that January has FINALLY ended, February seems to be flying by! With that, I’m going to share some easy to prepare last minute Valentine’s Day activities. That way just in case you forgot or just didn’t have the time to get something together, you’ll have something fun for your students to do […]
8 Last Minute “Oh Crap, It’s Valentine’s Day!” Activities
Using Data Effectively
The middle of the year is an excellent time to look at your students’ data and analyze it! I agree with most educators that there is too much testing in schools. However since we have this data, we should use it! I know using the words “data” and “analyze” in the first sentence of this post may have you cringing, […]
Magnetic Letters: A Mighty Literacy Tool
If you teach in the primary grades, it is essential that you have enough sets of magnetic letters and magnetic boards for a small group of students. This is a tool that I use almost daily in my reading small groups. You can do so many quick, meaningful actvities by having students use magnetic letters! By using magnetic letters you […]
Ten Low-Prep 100s Day Centers
The 100th day of school is coming up! For many of us it usually occurs in February, right around Valentine’s Day. In fact, one year I combined our 100s Day celebration with Valentine’s Day. Since 100s Day activities take a little bit of advance preparation, I thought now would be the perfect time to share some ideas for simple 100s […]
Rock Your Report Card Comments
The end of the semester is just around the corner! And you know what that means. Time to complete report cards for your students and fill in the dreaded comments section. I tell you the first time I wrote report card comments, it took me hours! I wanted each comment to be unique and meaningful. Over the years I learned […]
Class Pets Made Easy! (Not the Real Kind)
Happy New Year! I had a great break and I hope you did, too! Or, maybe, you’re still enjoying one more weekend of relaxation. Lucky you! As we get back into the groove with our students, this is an opportune time to introduce a class pet! And as the title of this post says, not the real kind. I feel […]
You Do You During This Winter Break
Winter Break started for me on Monday and, hopefully, if yours hasn’t started you’re hanging in there until it does! When I got to thinking about what to write this week, I wanted to focus on reducing stress over the holidays to really get a much-deserved break. And a good way to do that is with a You Do You […]
10 Secret Santa Gifts $5 or Less
It’s that time of year! Time for the Sunshine Committee to spread some cheer by involving staff in Secret Santa! I actually really enjoy Secret Santa. It’s a fun way to connect with a co-worker and bring some extra joy to the work day. However, if you’re like me, it may be difficult to decide what to get the person […]
10 Super-Easy Teacher Lunch Ideas
Our lunch period goes by in a flash, but it is important to eat and take a short break during that time (even, it’s only a few deep breaths). I know many of you have to eat your lunch with students, but, thankfully, that is changing in most places! Every teacher deserves some uninterrupted time to eat their lunch. Now, […]
Top Ten Turkey Day Freebies
I can’t believe November starts in just a few days! And after that it’s only three more weeks until Thanksgiving break! We’re almost there folks. To help you hang on until we get there, I’ve compiled a list of my top ten turkey day freebies from around the web that are easy to prep, keep students engaged, and still present […]