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 … [Read more...] about Back to School with Paired Texts
4th Grade
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 … [Read more...] about Mindfulness in the Classroom
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 "back to school blitz!" You may find yourself roaming through the aisles … [Read more...] about Back to School Blitz
Classroom Transitions
"If you can't line up quietly, then we will sit back down and try again." I know I've said it over and over again. After 8 years of teaching I've come to a realization that lining up quietly isn't always the best way to line up (because you don't even want to know how many times … [Read more...] about Classroom Transitions
Classroom Attention Getters
Each year I seem to settle into one signal to regain my students' attention throughout the day. Last year, I would say "class, class" and they would respond "yes, yes." I fell into a routine of using the same attention signal all year long and my students started to dread the … [Read more...] about Classroom Attention Getters