When setting up your classroom for the new school year, it’s easy to get caught up in desk arrangements, bulletin boards, or the logistics of where students will turn in their assignments. But one of the most important decisions you can make—especially in a middle school setting—is how your students will organize and store their […]
Binders vs. Interactive Notebooks in the Classroom: What Really Works? Read More »
Imagine a day in your students’ lives, going from class to class, teacher to teacher, and rule set to rule set like it’s a bizarre game of “Guess Who?” but with expectations. Can you chew gum here? Can you go to the bathroom without a signed scroll and a security escort? Is talking during group
Community Expectations – A Better Approach to Classroom Rules & Social Contracts Read More »
If you walk into my classroom, one routine you’ll probably see is students either completing or reviewing exit tickets. I use exit tickets almost every day in my classroom. They’re quick, easy, and provide so much valuable information! Exit tickets help me gauge how well students have understood the day’s lesson, identify areas that need
Classroom Exit Tickets: A Quick Routine with Big Benefits Read More »
I am known around my school as being a ‘tech wiz’ – I know A LOT of time-saving tips, tricks, and hacks that leave my coworkers saying “What? I didn’t know you could do that!” Here are a few of my little-known favorites: Skip pages while printing PDFs! If you have ever spent your precious
5 Time-Saving Tech Tips for Busy Teachers Read More »
My biggest issue as a resource teacher? Time! It’s the one thing I can never get enough of, so I am all about quick classroom routines that build necessary student skills. Each year, I notice that my students struggle with writing complete sentences and paragraphs. This year, I implemented and fine-tuned a quick daily routine
Paragraph of the Week: Quick & Easy Writing Intervention Strategy Read More »
April and May bring many things – flowers, warmer weather, field trips, and fresh air. However, they also bring the dreaded end of the year state tests. For students and teachers alike, high-stakes state testing is draining and disheartening. However, you can take steps to help your students feel more prepared for these unavoidable assessments.
How to Prepare for End-of-Year State Testing: Tips & Tricks for Teachers Read More »
March is a popular month to celebrate all things literacy in your school! After all, positive thinking about reading is a huge factor in student reading abilities. But who has the time to plan elaborate celebrations? Luckily, celebrating literacy doesn’t have to take a ton of planning! Here are some easy ways to celebrate reading
Reluctant readers, unmotivated readers, whatever you call them, parents and teachers alike are running out of ideas to help increase reading scores around the country for students that just will not pick up a book to read. Students have so many other preferred activities, like video games or scrolling TikTok, that reading falls by the
