Category: Teaching Tips

Plickers 101 - Easy Digital Exit Tickets and More!

What do you get when you cross response clickers with QR codes? Wait for itโ€ฆ. Plickers!ย  Plickers is a free, totally innovative, web-based tool that

Read More ยป

Have you ever asked your students to write a story with their spelling words? It may not seem like the most original assignment, but the

Read More ยป
A class handbook is a great way to share your classroom guidelines, explain your policies and procedures, and communicate with parents. These editable classroom handbook files and templates from Laura Candler make it easy to create a class handbook that rocks!

I’m excited to be joining some of my favorite upper elementary teacher bloggers who have put together a Teacher’s Back to School Survival Guide with

Read More ยป

Guest blog post by Molly Phillips of Classroom Confections This post was inspired by a t-shirt. Thatโ€™s right! While wearing a โ€˜smileโ€™ t-shirt at the

Read More ยป
Making the Most of Math Homework

Is homework effective? Educators seem to be evenly split on this question. Some insist that homework is essential because students need to review and practice

Read More ยป

Who likes to sit in a hard chair all day? I know I don’t, and my students didn’t either.ย  Classroom carpets are nice, but there’s

Read More ยป
Math Games Make Learning Fun!

Spring is the perfect time to use math games with your students. Either you are finished with testing and the kids are restless, or you

Read More ยป

With the attention given to the Common Core Informational Text and Literacy Standards, it’s easy to overlook the other ELA standards, especially the Speaking and

Read More ยป

How well do you know your states and capitals? I’ll be the first to admit that my knowledge gets rusty if I don’t review them

Read More ยป

Did you know that there’s a difference between cooperative learning and group work? You might have thought those two terms were synonymous, but they’re not.

Read More ยป

Whoย doesn’tย love a game? In the mathematics classroom, games offer an engaging alternative to worksheets, allowing students to work with others and have fun while learning.

Read More ยป
Math Mindsets Matter: How Can Teachers Foster a Growth Mindset in Math?

The more I learn about growth mindset, the more fascinated I am with this topic, and the more I realize I have yet to learn.

Read More ยป

Category: Teaching Tips

Plickers 101 - Easy Digital Exit Tickets and More!

Plickers 101 – Easy Digital Exit Tickets and More!

What do you get when you cross response clickers with QR codes? Wait for itโ€ฆ. Plickers!ย  Plickers is a free, totally innovative, web-based tool that combines the best of response clickers and QR codes. The program makes it easy for a teacher to get student feedback almost instantly, and the

Read More ยป

Spelling Stories – Creativity Unleashed!

Have you ever asked your students to write a story with their spelling words? It may not seem like the most original assignment, but the resulting stories are always tremendously creative! This assignment may not sound exciting, but it’s an extremely effective way of assessing how well your students understand

Read More ยป
A class handbook is a great way to share your classroom guidelines, explain your policies and procedures, and communicate with parents. These editable classroom handbook files and templates from Laura Candler make it easy to create a class handbook that rocks!

How to Create a Class Handbook that Rocks!

I’m excited to be joining some of my favorite upper elementary teacher bloggers who have put together a Teacher’s Back to School Survival Guide with some of our best tips! Most schools have a handbook of guidelines and district policies, but have you ever thought of creating a handbook just

Read More ยป

5 Ways to Make Your Students Smile

Guest blog post by Molly Phillips of Classroom Confections This post was inspired by a t-shirt. Thatโ€™s right! While wearing a โ€˜smileโ€™ t-shirt at the Vegas airport, a security guard came up to me and said, โ€œThank you for making me smile. I saw your t-shirt. It brought a smile

Read More ยป
Making the Most of Math Homework

6 Tips for Making the Most of Math Homework

Is homework effective? Educators seem to be evenly split on this question. Some insist that homework is essential because students need to review and practice skills at home. Others argue that it’s a waste of time and a burden on families, especially when some parents are not willing or able

Read More ยป

Tips for Using Camp Chairs in the Classroom

Who likes to sit in a hard chair all day? I know I don’t, and my students didn’t either.ย  Classroom carpets are nice, but there’s never enough room for everyone. Bean bags are fun, but they split and leave the room littered with little white styrofoam pellets! Camp chairs to

Read More ยป
Math Games Make Learning Fun!

Math Games Make Learning Fun!

Spring is the perfect time to use math games with your students. Either you are finished with testing and the kids are restless, or you still have testing ahead of you and your kids are restless! Math games will motivate your students, keep them on task, and also help them

Read More ยป

The Core of Effective Collaborative Discussions

With the attention given to the Common Core Informational Text and Literacy Standards, it’s easy to overlook the other ELA standards, especially the Speaking and Listening Standard. But even though this is not a tested area, speaking and listening skills are extremely important. Knowing how to participate actively in a

Read More ยป

Fun Games for Learning the 50 States

How well do you know your states and capitals? I’ll be the first to admit that my knowledge gets rusty if I don’t review them from time to time. I’m fairly good with capitals, but some of those state locations can be tricky to remember! I guess it’s because I’ve

Read More ยป

Cooperative Learning – More Than Group Work

Did you know that there’s a difference between cooperative learning and group work? You might have thought those two terms were synonymous, but they’re not. Let me show you how they are worlds apart. Does this scenario sound familiar? The teacher assigns a group project, outlines the task, and gives

Read More ยป

Tips for Teaching with Math Games

Whoย doesn’tย love a game? In the mathematics classroom, games offer an engaging alternative to worksheets, allowing students to work with others and have fun while learning. Theyโ€™re perfect for practicing new skills or reviewing previously-learned content. Math games are extremely versatile and can be used in cooperative learning teams, in small

Read More ยป