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8 Back to School Tips
Going back to school can be a fun and exciting thing, but also a very hard thing. Let’s be honest, we all enjoy some time off. Now, I don’t necessarily have a solution for you if you’re dreading going back to school, but I have compiled some tips to help make back-to-school time smooth, easy, and fun for your students. 1. Prep for back-to-school night early If you’re a procrastinator (like me 😬), this may
How the Work Chart (Must Do/May Do) Reading Center Method Works
You have probably heard lots of talk about work charts (must do/may do) as a replacement for reading centers, and may be wondering what the hype is all about. As with everything, there are pros and cons to work charts. I’m going to share some of the perks below that may intrigue you… Benefits of a Work Chart System So you might be wondering how the work chart system works and how you can implement
How to Build Your Own Teacher Planner
Lesson planning can be such a chore, which is why it’s important to find a system that actually works for you. Most teacher planners include pages I don’t need & lack the pages I do need, which is why my life changed when I finally found a way to build my own teacher planner with exactly the items I need. This makes my lesson planner a lot smaller to lug around, more personalized, and easier
The Ultimate Lesson Planning Batching Method to Save You Time
Planning… Love it or hate it, it’s a huge part of teaching. If you haven’t been able to find a good planning routine, or if you’re struggling to make sure things are planned week to week (or even day to day), I’ve got a suggestion for you that completely changed the way I lesson plan, and helped me get time back. Early in my teaching career, I STRUGGLED with planning and prepping. During my first
Mastering Classroom Reading Centers: Essential Tips for Teachers
Somehow, each school year, I always forget how hard it can be to turn a classroom into a well-oiled machine. One of the hardest areas I have found to get set up and fully functioning each year is reading centers. The struggle might be real, but it doesn’t have to be. Let me share some tips for teaching your students about your reading center process to make the transition period less painful. Tip #1 My
How to Assess Students 1 on 1 Without Giving Up Your Prep Time
Assessments are very important. They provide teachers with valuable information about each student: what each student already understands and what they are struggling with. Assessments don’t just help you understand what students do and don’t understand; they help teachers analyze student growth and can help teachers improve their teaching methods. However, especially in K-2 classrooms, assessments are not always easy. As a teacher who has taught in Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grade, I know the
How to Build a Classroom Library on a Budget
If you are a new teacher, chances are that you’re starting from scratch, trying to build a great learning environment. One of the most important things that every elementary teacher needs is a vast collection of books! Building a high-quality classroom library collection can take a whole career, but you may wonder where to start. How can teachers afford these books, especially new teachers with debt? Well… you’re in luck because I’m about to reveal
Frequently Asked Questions About EL Skills Block
Are you new to EL Skills Block? Are you having difficulty understanding how Skills Block is organized and set up? Well, you’ve come to the right place! Just a few years ago, I was in your shoes, ready to pull my hair out because I was so frustrated and unsure how to make this new program work. I was frustrated trying to figure out how to make my reading centers align with Skills Block and
5 Tips for the End of the School Year
The end of the school year can be a really stressful time. Many teachers become beyond “burned out” and can barely hang on, which is why I wanted to share my top 5 favorite tips for the end of the school year. It’s important to make sure you find ways to save both your time and sanity. My top tip is to have your students help you with the end of the year clean up.
10 Engaging Flashcard Games For Phonics Instruction
Make your phonics instruction more engaging by using phonics flashcards mixed with games. I have instructions to 10 different phonics games you can play using any phonics flashcards.
Teaching Reading Fluency: Why does it matter?
Probably the first thing that pops into your mind when you think about fluency is speed, how quickly one can read. True, this is an aspect of fluency BUT it doesn’t fully describe what fluency is, and you can really hurt students overall if speed is the only thing you focus on when teaching fluency.. If you solely focus on speed, then students will likely get in the habit of not comprehending what they are
How to Plan and Prep Effective Small Group Lessons in 5 Minutes or Less
If you feel like you never have time to complete all of your teacher tasks, you are not alone. This is a common feeling amongst teachers and because of this, teachers often get burned out very quickly. In order to avoid feeling burned out and still get all the important things done, it’s important to figure out how to streamline your processes to make better use of your time. In order to save my sanity,
How to Differentiate EL Skills Block Literacy Centers with Phonics Packets
If you are new to EL Skills Block and are trying to figure out how to get your literacy centers set-up and ready aligning with the Skills Block program, you’ve come to the right place. There is a big learning curve when it comes to implementing the EL Skills Block program and it can be quite overwhelming when you’re getting started. I have made dozens of phonics resources that align with the EL Skills Block
5 Ways to Increase Reading Fluency
Fluency is such an important part of reading but often can be frustrating to teach or help young readers learn. If you find your child or student frustrated when reading or practicing to read fluently, it may be time to try a different approach. Before we talk about HOW to increase fluency, let’s first talk about WHAT fluency is. Often when we think about fluency, we only think about reading speed and forget about the
SETTING UP YOUR LITERACY BLOCK
Are you stuck trying to up your game when it comes to reading rotations? THAT was me a few years ago. I struggled knowing how to best form groups. I struggled knowing WHAT to teach in my small group lessons. If this sounds like you, you have come to the right place! I am going to teach you how to master reading assessments so you know how to form reading groups easily, PLUS help you
Classroom Library Organization
Are you a first year teacher? Or just frustrated with your classroom library organization? You’ve come to the right place then. Learn how to organize your classroom in an easy way for your students to visually see and pick up books; plus help students take ownership and put books away on their own. My secret little weapon is using these library labels. You place stickers on the spine of each book and a matching label on