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Fidgets are everywhere- especially this time of year. It’s likely that your own students or children just received some of their own fidget toys as stocking stuffers. Kids love them, but teachers often find them to be too distracting for regular use in the classroom.  Parents are understandably caught in

Whether you’re the kind of teacher who loves to spend school breaks planning for your classroom, or you love to spend it completely disconnecting from your school responsibilities, you can be prepared for an amazing comeback by keeping a few important things in mind. Veteran teachers know that after Winter

We’re nearing the end of the semester already! And it can be hard to keep things fresh and exciting for students. Everyone is ready for the upcoming holidays, and looking forward to having a break from school. Sometimes that means students aren’t as engaged in learning as they were when

Wintertime is such a fun season when it comes to learning. It begins with the holidays and a fresh, new year — and a fresh new start!  It’s a time full of fun and possibilities! Whether we are heading toward the end of your semester/term/school year, or already jumping into the

We all know that a solid foundation in mathematics is important to a child’s overall educational success. But helping our students go from just knowing numbers and basic concepts, to really understanding how to apply those concepts independently, and in a way that makes sense to them, is a process. 

No matter what your curriculum looks like, phonics instruction for primary grades is a big undertaking. One super effective way I initiate my phonics instruction each year with my first-graders is with a Letter Sounds Bootcamp. I usually spend most of September teaching and reviewing letter sounds that were taught

It’s true that sequencing is so common in our day-to-day life, recognizing patterns and putting things in order usually comes naturally for our students over time.  Even at home, whether they’re putting toys in order from biggest to smallest, or recognizing daily patterns and predicting routines; sequencing can become almost

Every week, every day, every hour of teaching is dynamic and always changing. But one thing stays the same for me: I always include the same five elements in my weekly plans:  Each week might look a little different in terms of the frequency or the order of events, but

The first days of school are full of hope, excitement, a few back to school jitters, and a great opportunity to set the tone for the rest of the year!  I love the energy a new school year can bring, but it can also feel OVERWHELMING.  I know that feeling