The rock cycle is such a fun unit! Academic vocabulary is such a priority in this unit as students work to understand types of rocks and how they correlate with each other. One way I really help reinforce the vocabulary with our lessons is by using food to demonstrate the stages of the rock cycle. I love using food in the classroom because it’s a great way to get students engaged, and it gives them
Teaching the Distributive Property of Multiplication to 3rd graders is tough. Students struggle with understanding the concept (associative property too!). I always begin our work with area models so students can visually see the model being decomposed into smaller groups. I have an in-depth blog post that shows how I introduce the Distributive Property of Multiplication using area models that walks through my lesson step-by-step. After that initial introduction, I work with larger numbers than
Each and every year I make printable yearly calendars. I like these because of their simple design, and notes space. They can be easily customized for anything you need- especially the ready to go digital version. These printable calendars have so many uses in the classroom. They are perfect to give to students to track individual goals. One of my favorite ways to use them is as a super affordable, and personalized gift for adults
With Thanksgiving around the corner you might be looking for seasonal writing activities. With this year being what it is, I wanted to design a digital Thanksgiving writing activity so it could work in any school setting: traditional in person, hybrid, or virtual learning. I am not a big celebrator of Thanksgiving. It’s a complicated holiday. I do, however, focus my Thanksgiving work in the classroom around being thankful. Our conversations in the classroom revolve
I used to look for printable calendars each year until I started making my own. I like these because of their simple design, and notes space. They have so many uses in the classroom, and I detail many of the ways I’ve used them, below. These printable calendars are perfect to give to students to track individual goals in the classroom. I also love to use them as a super affordable gift for adults at
I’ve spent the last 15 years teaching in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grades, and working beside elementary classrooms as an instructional coach and resource support. I’m passionate about math, literacy, and finding ways to make teachers’ days easier. I share from my experiences both in and out of the elementary classroom. Read more About Me.
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