We know that within our class, our students have a range of abilities. This is certainly true when it comes to math. We have students who have already mastered math concepts and need enrichment, those who will understand new skills fairly quickly with some instruction and practice, and some who ... [ Read More ]
Must-Have Books for Your Civil War Unit
I'm a huge fan of using literature to teach social studies. Picture books in particular are a powerful way to show students what life was like during certain time periods and events. I love that they spark great class discussions and that I can also use them to review strategies like predicting, ... [ Read More ]
Goal Setting for Elementary Students
Helping students set goals for their learning and behavior is a big part of my classroom. Goal setting helps students become aware of their strengths, challenges, and learning style, while teaching them accountability and perseverance. And it sends the message that we believe that they can grow! ... [ Read More ]
Resources for Practicing Technology Enhanced Items (TEI)
I remember when our state tests became computerized and we were all stressing about this brand new thing called TEI (technology-enhanced items). The first year or two was rough while we tried to figure out what TEI questions actually looked like and how we'd teach students to answer them. Fast ... [ Read More ]
6 Easy Social Studies Anchor Charts for Any Unit
Teacher truth: I have all the heart eyes for the beautiful anchor charts I've seen on social media, but in my own classroom, they were never as pretty. But guess what? It doesn't matter! It doesn't need to be fancy so long as it works for you and for your students. A functional and easy-to-make ... [ Read More ]
