Interactive Notebooks – Let’s Get Started!

…for teachers! They help us reflect on both our students’ learning styles and our own teaching and planning. They are a great way to analyze our students’ understanding of new

Taming Blurters and Wanderers

…going to pretend as if I’m talking. Jack, you interrupt me without raising your hand and say, ‘I have a new puppy.” Say a few words about any subject and…

The Mystery of the Missing Freebies

…of my freebies are gone from my store! Yikes! What happened to all of Laura’s freebies??? Fortunately, this mystery is easy to solve. If you’ve been following me for a…

Totality Awesome Solar Eclipse: Are you ready?

…Science, the creator of the free Totality app, because I like to support organizations that offer free educational resources like the app. I purchased mine from within the app, but…

Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Free Short Video and Printable Resources! Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was one of the greatest leaders of our time, and I believe it’s important to honor him and recognize…

Poetry: A Common Core Dilemma

…lifesaver when my family moved from New Hampshire to North Carolina. I love living in the South now, but it was definitely culture shock at the time! Writing poetry enabled…

Literature Circles – Common Core Aligned & Fun!

…my Teaching Resources website devoted to this strategy. My Literature Circle pages are full of teaching tips, free printables, and recommended books. You’ll even find a free webinar recording about…

3 Mindful Classroom Teaching Strategies

…your own grade level. I always knew that “intrinsic” motivation (doing something because you want to not because you will get a reward) was more effective than “extrinsic” motivation (earning…

Buddy Bio Poems Partner Poetry Lesson

Imagine yourself as a student in a new classroom during the first week of school. Unless your teacher starts off with at least a few getting-to-know you activities, it might…

Field Trips – Follow Up on the Fun!

…think students should be expected to learn something new that day. Field Trip Follow-up Report Freebie To help my students reflect on what they had earned during our adventures, I…