Brain breaks are an integral part of a classroom environment and culture. For one, students need to build up their stamina toward the amount of time they can attend to one topic or subject. For another, they want to have fun. Lots of it. And of course we cannot forget that they're active. So active. Brain break games can be the cure-all. Whether ... read more

Not sure how to differentiate for your high-achievers who have already met the standard before you even teach it? Don't have time to search for new resources or recreate the wheel for each and every lesson for each and every student? Have no fear! There are several things you can do to take what you are already teaching to the majority of your ... read more

Looking for some fun ideas to incorporate into your independent math centers? Hundred chart center games may be just what you're looking for! There's no need for copying thick packets or having students complete boring worksheets. Give them something hands-on or make their learning into a game. Engagement and learning will skyrocket. Each ... read more

  Hundred charts can be a very powerful tool to help students with the concept of number. Many teachers classically use them during their calendar or 'focus wall' time, but there are so many more ways to use them throughout the day to help students take ownership over their learning.   1. Use Pocket Chart Hundred Charts Over the years, I have ... read more

  Kids want to have fun. All day, all night. Inside or outside. Clean or dirty. Loud or quiet. Life simply needs to be fun. That's where games come in! Here is a peek at some of the many engaging fluency games that students can play at school (and home) to help become fluent in each subject area.   Reading Fluency Games   Flashlight, ... read more

Success criteria are a visual way to show and tell your students the steps they will take to be successful in meeting their learning targets. They can help your students take ownership over their learning as they can: use it as a reference when they are working independently if they get stuckcome up with the success criteria themselvestrack ... read more

It is important to explicitly tell the students WHAT they will be learning, HOW they will be successful in mastering that skill and WHY it is an important skill to learn. These three things combined not only help ensure success in each student's learning, they help students to take ownership over their learning. Below, I will share some tips on ... read more

One of my favorite things about a word sort is that you can do SOOOOO many different things with them!! Let's explore all of the cool things you can do with word sorts, to help students with reading fluency, comprehension, writing and more! For Fluency Fast "Pencil" Once the sort is complete, use the utensil of your choice (pencil, pen, pointer, ... read more

Recently, Teachers Pay Teachers reached out to me to inquire about what I thought about the makerspace movement and specifically the maker mindset. They posed wonderful questions and I thought my responses were worth sharing with you! (I don't remember the exact wording on the questions they asked, but here's the gist.) What is the maker mindset? I ... read more

Word study is a key component of learning to read. We want students to be aware of the patterns in words, so that they can become more fluent readers. This is where word sorts come into play. Word sorts help students recognize the spelling patterns in words, all while manipulating the words to incorporate hands-on learning. If you are considering ... read more