Whether you are looking to host your first student teacher, or have hosted many, you may feel anxious about starting on the right foot! After all, you will spend the majority of your time with them – it is important that expectations are clear and at the very least, a strong working relationship is formed!  Most colleges ask potential cooperating teachers to interview their student teachers, which may feel uncomfortable to some host teachers. Many think, “I’m assigned this teacher, what point is there in interviewing them?” However, while it may feel like just one more thing on your already

Many teachers that I talk to share their interest in starting their own shop on TeachersPayTeachers to sell their resources, but many times, they have no idea where to start! My TPT store has honestly changed my life, so I am happy to share my journey! Here are my tips for sellers that are just starting out! Collect Unique Ideas! Throughout the school year, I keep a list of ideas for TPT products on my phone. Whenever I think of a resource that I need and just can’t seem to find, I write it down. Then, when I have time

Returning from Winter Break can feel almost more difficult than the beginning of the school year. In August, you feel rested from the summer off and excited to meet your new students. In January, after the holidays, this excitement may have dwindled and to be honest, you are probably in need of another week off! When returning to school starts to creep up on me, I feel such intense “Sunday Scaries” – and I know I’m not alone. Here’s what I do start the second semester strong! Reteach & Review Class Expectations & Procedures.  After any break, it’s so important

Setting up a classroom, especially the first classroom that is all your own, is overwhelming! It’s tough to know where to start, and many teachers feel the need to create a Pinterest-worthy classroom before the first day of school – but that’s just not true! Your focus should be on making your classroom functional and comfortable, for both your students and yourself! Here are some tips to get you headed in the right direction! 6. Don’t buy all the stuff! It can be easy to think you need whatever

Thanksgiving is a great time of year to focus on class routines around thankfulness, but that doesn’t mean it is the only time to practice showing appreciation! Incorporating academic activities that focus on thankfulness throughout the year can help students develop a sense of gratitude and encourage positive attitudes and appreciation. Plus, they can be a fun change of pace! Here are a few of my favorite low-prep and quick academic activities around gratitude and thankfulness! Thank You Cards  I am an avid thrift shopper. When I find thank you cards on sale, I snag them! I keep these cards

Since the pandemic, teachers everywhere have been incorporating more technology into their classroom practice. It makes sense – digital activities have a lot of benefits that the distance learning era brought to light. For example, digital assignments are easy to share with students whether they are present at school or not. They save paper and your time at the copier. Students (and teachers) won’t lose Google files as easily as they may lose a worksheet, and some digital activities are uniquely interactive and even self-correcting!  One type of digital activity that has a permanent place in my classroom routine is

Setting up a classroom, whether it’s your tenth classroom or the first classroom that is all your own, is overwhelming! It’s tough to know where to start, and many teachers feel the need to create a Pinterest-worthy classroom before the students even arrive for the first day of school – but that’s just not needed! Your focus should be on making your classroom functional and comfortable, for both your students and yourself! Here are some tips to get you headed in the right direction! 1. Think It Through! Setting up your classroom is actually not the first thing you should

“Wait, how do I copy and paste again?” “I didn’t mean to do that!” “Can you show me how to…” Sound familiar? I love using technology to enhance my students’ time in my classroom, but I hate all of the tech support I need to do that stops me from helping students with actual content! Students have more access to technology than ever before – but that doesn’t mean they always know how to use it in the most efficient way. With increasing numbers of school districts moving to a 1:1 technology model, efficient computer use has never been more

“I taught it but they still don’t get it!” Sound familiar? You’re not alone! Millions of teachers every year run to their teacher BFFs to vent about the very same thing! With so much curriculum to fit in a year, it can feel so disheartening to come back the day after you’ve taught a great lesson only for your students to look at you with blank stares and no clue where to start. Here are my top tips for stopping this cycle! Find the real starting point for your students! Understanding 6th-grade math doesn’t start on the first day of

I am a shopaholic. I admit it. It’s true. Want to hear something even worse? My shopping addiction only gets worse when I feel stressed – so basically the entire school year! That fact, along with all the TikTok videos, back-to-school-themed store displays, and online sales (looking at you, Amazon Prime Day) means that I have spent way too much money on my classroom over the last few years. As a math teacher, I couldn’t even total it up for you! I remember when I was a first-year teacher, feeling like I needed everything other teachers recommended or shared to feel

A few years ago, I was cornered at the copier. Through a short but persuasive conversation with my principal, I was “voluntold” to lead our school’s 6th-grade student council. It was our very first year as a middle school, and we were starting everything from scratch. Over my years in the district, I’d gotten a reputation for going above and beyond, which apparently translated to “please add more to my plate!” To say I was overwhelmed was an understatement! I had never been on student council while I was in school, so I had no idea where to start or

With the start of the school year comes the return of the Sunday Scaries – that feeling in the pit of your stomach caused by the stress of a looming Monday morning and busy work week. Most teachers are too familiar with this feeling. These anxious feelings are only made worse by the fact that I frequently struggle to turn off the “teaching” part of my brain, so letting go enough to actually relax on the weekend is really difficult for me. Over the last few years, I’ve managed to tame my Sunday Scaries – well, for the most part.

As a new special education teacher, IEP meetings, short for Individual Education Plans, can be the most stressful, scary, and overwhelming thing! I remember spending hours slaving over my first IEP and hardly being able to sleep the night before due to nerves! Over the years, I’ve learned that taking some time to prepare ahead of time can make these meetings a walk in the park and help solidify your relationship with families and your role as an advocate for your students! Now that I’ve done over 100 IEP meetings, I have my process nailed down! Here’s what I do

With all of my local stores putting up their back-to-school displays, it’s hard to shake the feeling that the new school year is just around the corner. Whether that makes you want to happy dance or gives you the heebie-jeebies, there is no avoiding the back-to-school season! Even though I’m going into my seventh year of teaching, I still get a bit anxious when I see the ads for pencils, folders, and notebooks! I always feel better when I have a plan in place and can look forward to fun activities to do with my future students instead of the