Testing is over and the year is winding down. Only about 10 more days to go. While entering test scores on data spreadsheets and having Spring data meetings, I have been thinking a lot about how successful this school year was. I think about it every year. How many students made their goals? How many didn’t? How close were they? […]
Reflections of a School Year: Gauging Success
5 Tips for Getting Organized for the Next School Year
Happy Mother’s Day to all the mommy teachers and to all the teachers called “mom” or, even, “grandma” at one time! Here in South Carolina, we are down to the last 3-4 weeks of school and the closeout checklists have come out from admin. That makes it the time to start thinking about and getting organized to make the start […]
10 Gifts for Students for the End of the Year
This week I’m going to continue with my end of the school year theme. I’ve posted about the best books, unforgettable end of the year activities, and now I want to move on to student gifts. I want to note that it is not essential that you give each student an end of the year gift. The amazing teaching and […]
What To Do When You’re Questioning Your Career Choice
This was me last year around this time. I was in the middle of a difficult school year. The most difficult of my career. Along with the couple years prior, COVID years, which were difficult, too. I was finding it almost impossible to get up and go to school each day. I cried, often. I knew I needed to do […]
Top 5 Tips for Working With an Assistant
Many times in the younger grades you have the privilege of having an assistant in your classroom. I have had the privilege of working with an assistant almost my entire teaching career. The only time I did not have an assistant was during my time in first grade. The best part about having an assistant is having another set of […]
LETRS: What is it? And what does it entail?
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
How to Leave Your Work at Work
Teachers have a lot on their plate, especially right now! I know it can be an anxiety-provoking thought to just leave your work at work when you have SO much to do, but it needs to be done. Have you ever heard the saying, “You can’t pour from an empty cup?” It is true in many ways. Our students need […]