The Core Coaches

Mindfulness in the Classroom

Have you heard the buzz about mindfulness & meditation in schools? It seems everywhere we go, people are recommending mindfulness. As teachers, we know the success of our students’ learning relies not only on providing academics, but also a safe emotional environment. … [Read More...] about Mindfulness in the Classroom

Classroom Shout-Outs

We all know that students react far better to positive reinforcement than negative interactions. With this in mind, I created SHOUT-OUTS as a way to acknowledge the positive behavior and academic achievements of the students in my classroom. When my students are cheering each other on, it … [Read More...] about Classroom Shout-Outs

Back to School September Interactive Read-Alouds

Teach growth mindset, perseverance, and building friendships with read-alouds. Planning our Back-to-School Interactive Read-Alouds truly gets us excited to start a new school year. This summer, we met at the Cheesecake Factory to select books and sketch out plans. Over a delicious … [Read More...] about Back to School September Interactive Read-Alouds

K-1 Read-alouds for Back to School

Books to Build Classroom Community These lesson plans and activities are perfect for the beginning of the school year. We are thrilled to introduce our new line of read-alouds. We have enjoyed using interactive read-alouds in our classrooms so much, we decided to extend our read-aloud … [Read More...] about K-1 Read-alouds for Back to School

6 Must-Read Back to School Read-Alouds to Build Classroom Community

6 Back-to-School Read-Alouds that Build Classroom Community These lesson plans will get your class discussing friendship, bullying, manners, kindness, self-assurance, perseverance, and growth mindset at the beginning of the year. We chose our first set of books for our read-aloud … [Read More...] about 6 Must-Read Back to School Read-Alouds to Build Classroom Community

Morning Greetings: Hug, Handshake, High-Five, or Fistbump

Morning Greeting Morning Greetings: Hug, Handshake, High-Five, Wave, or Fistbump A great way to build classroom community When I was a classroom teacher, I moved from Utah to Virginia. In our first back to school meeting my new principal asked all teachers to greet students at the … [Read More...] about Morning Greetings: Hug, Handshake, High-Five, or Fistbump

Back to School with Paired Texts

Building Proficient Readers, Writers, and Thinkers Readers. Writers. Thinkers. ----> Three critical educational goals we have for every student. With no time to waste, the beginning of the school year is a perfect opportunity to develop and refine these skills. READERS Proficient … [Read More...] about Back to School with Paired Texts

Mindfulness in the Classroom

Have you heard the buzz about mindfulness & meditation in schools? It seems everywhere we go, people are recommending mindfulness. As teachers, we know the success of our students’ … [Read More...] about Mindfulness in the Classroom

Classroom Shout-Outs

Back to School September Interactive Read-Alouds

Teach growth mindset, perseverance, and building friendships with read-alouds. Planning our Back-to-School Interactive Read-Alouds truly gets us excited to start a new school year. This … [Read More...] about Back to School September Interactive Read-Alouds

K-1 Read-alouds for Back to School

Books to Build Classroom Community These lesson plans and activities are perfect for the beginning of the school year. We are thrilled to introduce our new line of read-alouds. We have enjoyed … [Read More...] about K-1 Read-alouds for Back to School

6 Must-Read Back to School Read-Alouds to Build Classroom Community

6 Back-to-School Read-Alouds that Build Classroom Community These lesson plans will get your class discussing friendship, bullying, manners, kindness, self-assurance, perseverance, and growth … [Read More...] about 6 Must-Read Back to School Read-Alouds to Build Classroom Community

Morning Greetings: Hug, Handshake, High-Five, or Fistbump

Morning Greeting Morning Greetings: Hug, Handshake, High-Five, Wave, or Fistbump A great way to build classroom community When I was a classroom teacher, I moved from Utah to Virginia. In … [Read More...] about Morning Greetings: Hug, Handshake, High-Five, or Fistbump

Back to School with Paired Texts

Building Proficient Readers, Writers, and Thinkers Readers. Writers. Thinkers. ----> Three critical educational goals we have for every student. With no time to waste, the beginning of the … [Read More...] about Back to School with Paired Texts

Back to School Blitz

Can you believe it? The dog days of summer are winding to a close, and it's already that time when teachers are madly preparing for the new school year ahead. We fondly call this frenzied season the … [Read More...] about Back to School Blitz