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Hello Darlings! It seems funny to talk about the beginning of the school year when this one has just come to a close but stick with me!! It won’t be long before you are back in the classroom and diving into the best part of the year–getting to know your kids. At the beginning of the year, you will undergo a ton of assessments that help you uncover who your kids are as students, what they need, and how you can best support them. You will also be establishing routines and getting into a new rhythm.  So where do you begin when it comes to word study? Ah yes!! An assessment. First, grab these word lists! Then, using their DRA ... Read More about Let’s Talk About Word Study!

Hello Darlings! I am a HUGE lover of books!! Throughout the year, I LOVE reading books to my kids. It really connects us as a class and fosters a deep love of reading. Here is a list of must-have read alouds and activities for your upper elementary classroom: Poppy by Avi This is my first read aloud of the year. This is the 3rd book in a series but you don’t have to read the others to understand it. It is about a little mouse named Poppy who has to go on a journey to save her family from the villainous owl, Mr. Ocax. This book is perfect for character development and change as well as food chains (the ultimate reading and ... Read More about Must-Have Read Aloud Activities for the Upper Elementary Classroom

Hello Darlings! If I am perfectly honest, I never walk in the door and head immediately to my desk. The long  walk down the hall has me stopping for tons of opportunities to chat and connect with my co-workers. It is a bright spot in my day and with every conversation, I am energized! By the time I reach my desk, I am ready to go and feel like I can take on anything! For nearly 14 years, I realized that I wasn’t giving my students this opportunity. Instead, I was kicking off with morning work. They’d walk in the door and immediately get started. It was WAY TOO MUCH to manage…”Did you do your morning work? Are you finished? Do ... Read More about Starting The Day with Ease Using Student Choice

Hello Darlings! Kids LOVE their birthday! They spend the whole year counting down to the big day and then once it is over they spend the rest of the year asking how soon it will be until it comes again! It really is THE most important day of the entire year to them!  So how do we support this when they are at school? The answer is simple…Birthday Bucket! I love this because it is super easy for me to implement, it acknowledges every kid, it is something they look forward to, and it rarely is an issue for my kiddos with food allergies or restrictions! Plus, they rarely get a sucker like this anywhere else so it is a BIG ... Read More about Happy Birthday To You! Birthday Ideas & Activities for the Elementary Classroom

Hello Darlings! Here we are in JUNE! Can you believe it?! After an incredible year of hard work, building relationships, and pouring into the success of your students–that summer breather is coming.  If you’re anything like me, you take the first week or two to soak it all in, kick up your feet, and relax. But then, the excitement for the next school year starts to brew and before long I am already nose deep in some ideas that I can’t wait to try! This past school year I had more meetings than I was used to. Perhaps it was the fact that they were in person (why does it take so much more time to have a meeting in the ... Read More about Keeping It All Straight: The Calendar You Need!

Hello Darlings! The end of the year is quickly approaching (well, most days!) and the anticipation our students are feeling continues to grow. It seems that with each sunny day their attention span is fleeting. Rather than dance on my head, I’ve gotten creative with some fun ways to spice up the end of the year.  One of my absolute favorites is making smores ovens. These are perfect for meeting the engineering and design process standards. Not to mention, a great addition to classroom camp day; the perfect way to end the year.  All you need to get started is my FREE Smores Stem Project.The rest is pure fun because it gets ... Read More about S’more Fun for the End of the Year!