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 […]
Essential Oils in the Classroom
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 […]
12 Halloween Brain Break Videos for PreK-2
About two weeks until Halloween! I know this is the time when I usually start playing some Halloween videos for active brain breaks in my class. I, also, am reading Halloween books and books about pumpkins. See last week’s post “10 Fa-boo-lous Read Alouds for Halloween and Fall Grades PreK-2” for a list of those. Below find some of my […]
10 Fa-boo-lous Read Alouds for Halloween and Fall-Grades PreK-2
1. Mouse’s First Halloween by Lauren Thompson-This is a fun book to read to students! I love how it flows in a predictable pattern and it’s a guessing game. It, also, makes use of onomatopoeia and has creative text placement to illustrate some of the words. 2. Where’s My Mummy? by Carolyn Crimi-This book reminds me of Are You My […]
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 […]
Fun Fall Brain Break Videos for Grades PreK-2
With the start of fall happening this past week, I wanted to put together a list of fun fall brain break videos for the classroom! I know most teachers have their favorite go-to videos and, of course, GoNoodle, but it’s always nice to change it up a bit to keep your students’ attention. Also, it gives you the opportunity to […]
Keep Relationships Growing Throughout the Year
Now that you’ve spent some time building relationships with your students and between your students, how do you use the information you acquired during that time to keep your positive relationships growing? Just like how you take care of a plant by watering it and making sure it gets sunlight or the plant will wilt and eventually die; the same […]
How to Keep the Fun in Your Classroom in a World of Curriculums
Is it just me, or does it seem like the fun is being sucked out of the classroom? Part of why I got into teaching as a career is because I thought I’d be able to use my creativity to create engaging and enjoyable lessons based on the standards for my students. More and more with each passing year, I […]
Social-Emotional September-Top 10 Books for Teaching About Difficult Emotions
Last week I gave an overview of four SEL curriculums, so this week I want to follow up with what I personally think are ten of the best read aloud books for teaching about emotions. Social-emotional learning is one of those educational buzzwords right now, but with good reason. In order for students to be in a learning state of […]
Building a Caring Classroom Community: How and Why Building Relationships is Important
You may have attended a professional development or staff meeting on the importance of building relationships with your students. I know I have attended many and felt they were a waste of time. Same ol’ same ol.’ Just let me teach. However, building a quality relationship with each and every student in your classroom is very important! It will set […]