Blossoming in 5th Grade
Recess is becoming a thing of the past in some school districts. Sadly, schools are under so much pressure to improve test scores that they feel they need to utilize every spare moment for structured, academic learning. Gone for many schools are the days of half-hour recesses, teachers having the freedom to grant an extra 10 minute recess at the… Read More
Teaching students to write in an organized, clear way is one thing. Teaching them to use a variety of words and to improve their word choice is another thing. As many teachers can attest, it can be a tad frustrating to read a students’ final copy and realize that while everything is structurally sound and organized, the writing itself is… Read More
Box Tops for Education is a great program. I love that such a large corporation as General Mills gives back to schools and organizations in such a simple way. At my small, rural school, we rely on these little cardboard (and sometimes plastic) rectangles to help us with fundraising efforts. After volunteering for several years as the Box Tops coordinator for… Read More
Pinterest. Where would I be without Pinterest in my life as a teacher? I have found so many great learning activities, classroom organization ideas, math games, anchor charts, and teaching ideas on Pinterest that I often wonder how I survived as a teacher for 19 years without it! With that said, I have also learned to approach Pinterest with a bit… Read More
As many classrooms make the transition to Chromebooks, tablets, laptops, and personal devices, it can be overwhelming to teachers. Worries over how to pull it all together, showing students how to use new digital formats, and helping students to become electronically independent can cause major stress. There is no need to worry. It really is not as difficult as it… Read More
In my last blog post, I outlined 5 Reasons People Fail to Achieve Their Goals. Once you have identified possible pitfalls on your road to success, it is essential to set attainable goals. That, however, is not enough. A goal must have a plan. I repeat: A goal MUST have a plan. I propose and strongly believe that things go… Read More
As we approach the New Year, it is a time that people traditionally set goals for personal improvement. Then, within a day, a week, or even a month of setting those goals, we feel defeated and give up, not seeing our goals to eventual realization. Did you ever wonder why this happens? It seems to be a cycle that is… Read More
Christmas Tree Build: A Mini S.T.E.M. Challenge is a great way to plan some fun problem-solving and group work into that last hectic week before Christmas! We will be doing this challenge later this week in my fifth grade classroom, but I thought I’d share the set-up and the Christmas Tree Challenge Worksheet as a free download for you to use… Read More