Sunday, May 31, 2015
Weekly Inpiration!
It's nearly Summer and that means a little phone inspiration is
necessary! Save this image to your phone and set it as your background!
Monday, May 4, 2015
Secrets for Teachers!
When teaching gives you lemons, how do you react? How do you cope? As
we all know, teaching does get stressful. Teaching does get hard. And
most of all, teaching does get frustrating. Parents, data
organization, observations, discipline, conferences, report cards,
scheduling changes, school mandates, and on and on. The things they
never teach you in school.My first reaction is to cry. That's just how I cope. Preferably in a corner where nobody can see me. But then my second reaction {and absolutely the most appropriate of the two} is to grab my mentor teaching texts. Such as Wondrous Words by Katie Wood Ray. Or Still Learning to Read by Franki Siberson.
These are my lifelines. My friends. My confidants. They remind me of what's important, what matters, and help me clear up or fix any problems. When I'm stressed, I look to these guys to help me focus on what's important. Or when a new school mandate frustrates me, I look to these guys to figure out how I'm going to make it work in my classroom. I find solace in these books. Their flagged pages, broken and unglued spines, highlighted quotes, notes in the margins, and folded down corners remind me of how far I've come as a teacher. And how much further I have to go. They help put me in my place. And that is worth every penny I spend on them.
Typically, any problem I have can be solved by looking through these books. Sometimes it takes time to find the right one, but it makes a difference. Go to the Pros, and make it work for you.
After reaching for the Pros, I always always always keep as much of a routine in my classroom as I possibly can. ALWAYS. As Michael Linson mentions in this great article, routines remove the guesswork from the day. A class that knows what to expect next will have fewer questions, fewer explanations necessary, and way higher productivity. I believe that sticking to a routine (even in those nutty, insane, May days) help my students exponentially. EXPONENTIALLY! So now that I've shared some of my classroom secrets, what are your's? How do routines help you? Who are your favorite "GO TO" Pros? Be sure to enter the giveaway below and follow the links for more secrets to teaching!!
Don't forget that we're hosting an AMAZING giveaway! Enter BELOW!
Just look at everything you could win!!
Prize Bundle #1 Includes
PLUS....$140 Gift Box of Fabulous Teacher Supplies sent to you from Amazon
We aren't even finished yet!! Take a look at everything you can win!!
Prize Bundle #2 Includes
PLUS....$140 Gift Box of Fabulous Teacher Supplies sent to you from Amazon
Be sure to enter both rafflecopters for a better chance at winning one of these amazing prize bundles!
Enter to Win Prize Bundle #1 Here
Enter to Win Prize Bundle #2 Here
You won't want to miss out on all the other great secrets being shared by successfull teachers! Be sure to check out all the other great posts below.
Sunday, May 3, 2015
Weekly Inspiration // Passion
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Teach Students to Share Evidence! CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.9
Sharing evidence is HARD. Students consistently struggle with this in testing, writing responses, or sharing their opinion. And unfortunately, I get it! They don't yet grasp the concept of figuring out HOW they know something and then putting it in their response. But today I want to share a couple tricks to help you get students to share their evidence! Be sure to check out my Pinterest Board for a whole slew of information.
Before you can do anything, your kiddos need to be readers. You don't want them reading like we grew up reading. I know I was taught to find the answer and regurgitate it. Thinking was never necessary. Nowadays, I want to teach readers who think critically about what's in front of them. So numero uno, it's vital to discuss text with your readers! Without this key component, they won't begin thinking about the text at all. You can grab a cheat sheet >>HERE<<!
After you've used a graphic organizer, learners should begin to get the hang of it. As they do, a good reminder like this:
will help keep them on track!
By digging in deep with smaller texts in the beginning, students will be able to start tackling larger and more complex texts. It's all about scaffolding and modeling!
What are your favorite tips? I would love to hear them!
Sunday, April 26, 2015
Weekly Inspiration!
It's Sunday, and while I've been slacking on the blogging, it's time for some weekly inspiration! Grab this fun and Spring-y iPhone wallpaper NOW! Just save it to your phone and enjoy :)
Sunday, April 12, 2015
4th Grade Writing Units
Is teaching writing getting you down? I used to despise writing. Like, Iwouldtotallyskipitjusttoavoidit. Shhhhh. But then I went and saw Lucy speak. And got motivated. I absolutely lovelovelove Lucy but dang is she wordy! And I just never had enough time for her lessons (anyone else out there agree?). So I took her fab ideas about writing and began creating my own writing unit that fit my maaaybe 50 minutes that I had scheduled for writing.
Eventually, I began to love writing. And lowandbehold, SO DID MY STUDENTS! We had a classroom full of writers!! And once they got better at writing, I saw them improving in all other areas. Writing really does improve all subject areas for your kiddos.
Since then, I've been building my 5th grade and 4th grade writing units because every student should love writing, and with these units (and a little teacher excitement) I can guarantee that your students will enjoy writing, ask to write more, and write in their free time. Seriously. I PROMISE.
So with my Informative Writing Unit recently uploaded, stop by and grab it for 20% off! Today and tomorrow only! I know you'll love it!
Eventually, I began to love writing. And lowandbehold, SO DID MY STUDENTS! We had a classroom full of writers!! And once they got better at writing, I saw them improving in all other areas. Writing really does improve all subject areas for your kiddos. Since then, I've been building my 5th grade and 4th grade writing units because every student should love writing, and with these units (and a little teacher excitement) I can guarantee that your students will enjoy writing, ask to write more, and write in their free time. Seriously. I PROMISE.
So with my Informative Writing Unit recently uploaded, stop by and grab it for 20% off! Today and tomorrow only! I know you'll love it!
Monday, March 30, 2015
Monday Letters
It's time for some Monday catchup!
Dear teachers, have you gotten bored of your usual iPhone background? Check out these FREE iPhone backgrounds and get inspired!
Dear weather, I am SO ready for you to make up your mind. My sunburned face is confused by the sudden 50 degree drop in temperature. Bring back 80!!
Dear Spring Break, Although I don't get to bask in your glory this year, I am happy for all other teachers who are partaking in the oh-so-much-needed break! Enjoy it friends!!
Dear upper elementary teachers, it's that time of year again. Testing Season. My least favorite time of year. Are your kiddos ready? Grab my (RECENTLY UPDATED!!) Writing on Demand Unit to prepare your students for any possible writing assessments!
Enjoy your week, sweet friends!
Dear teachers, have you gotten bored of your usual iPhone background? Check out these FREE iPhone backgrounds and get inspired!
Dear weather, I am SO ready for you to make up your mind. My sunburned face is confused by the sudden 50 degree drop in temperature. Bring back 80!!
Dear Spring Break, Although I don't get to bask in your glory this year, I am happy for all other teachers who are partaking in the oh-so-much-needed break! Enjoy it friends!!
Dear upper elementary teachers, it's that time of year again. Testing Season. My least favorite time of year. Are your kiddos ready? Grab my (RECENTLY UPDATED!!) Writing on Demand Unit to prepare your students for any possible writing assessments!
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