Do you use rubrics for self-assessment with your students? I developed this rubric based on others I had seen online. I wanted to get my students thinking more about their artwork and writi…
This FREE handout is a great activity for warm-ups or even early finishers. This handout was inspired by the book Beautiful Oops! by Barney Saltzberg. Here is the BLANK version. This is a good opti…
Effective classroom management is the key to success in any elementary classroom. These teacher-tested phrases will help to give your classroom management!
The activities below are available for free download, and are to be used in educational and/or private settings. They may not be used elsewhere or for other purposes (such as for profit) unless exp…
If you're tired of teaching parts of speech lessons only to have kids forget all about it the next day, try these easy ideas and activities!
Analyzing character traits is a key fiction reading skill that is needed for successful comprehension. In most cases, authors do not just come out and tell readers the traits that a character possesses. By teaching
Choosing a theme for your classroom can be both exciting and challenging. What best represents your personality? What would the students choose? Some teachers choose not to have a theme and may use a color scheme instead. Summer vacation is a perfect time to plan and organize for the upcoming school year. There are so many resources to use online to help you create a classroom that is both inviting and conducive to learning. Listed below are some of my favorite themes with creative sayings to display classroom materials and highlight students. Dog Theme - Students and teachers love dogs! What a wonderful way for students to make personal connections with their classroom. Even for students who are not dog owners, these cute and adorable animals brighten up any classroom. "Barking About ______" is a title that can be used in a variety of ways. Highlight a subject area or activity on a bulletin board. Just add student work and this board will be something to bark about. "Top Dog" can be used to describe a student of the week or month. You can create a bulletin board highlighting students for their accomplishments. "Dog-Gone Good ______" is another title with endless possibilities. You can add words such as students, work, behavior, readers, writers, scientists, etc. This title will fit perfectly on a bulletin board in your dog themed classroom "Paws"itively __________" is a wonderful play on words for a dog theme. You can add so many different words to highlight students, subject areas, and classroom activities. "You've been Spotted ________" can be used for so many different bulletin boards. Ideas include: reading, writing, working, behaving, and following class rules. Click below for a free dog theme poster: If interested in more dog theme decor, click below: Dog Theme Classroom Decor Hollywood Theme - I have used this theme in my classroom for several years. You can actually check out pictures of my Hollywood classroom on my blog. I love the idea of the students becoming stars of their classroom. If you like to coordinate your room with certain colors, then red, white, and black will really stand out in your Hollywood themed classroom. Some ideas that you can use on bulletin boards to spotlight students, activities, and lessons include: "Spotlight on ___________" can be used for almost any idea. Students love to see their work spotlighted and this helps build their self esteem. "Now Featuring/Playing __________" is similar to "Spotlight on _________." You can highlight students, specific lessons and/or activities. "Wall of Fame" can be used to motivate students. If students complete an assigned goal then their name can be added to the Wall of Fame. Students become more motivated when they realize that their hard work will be acknowledged. "Starring ___________" is another idea with endless possibilities. You can add your class name, grade level, or a description such as super students. "A Star is Born" can be used to spotlight a student of the week. Students can bring in baby pictures of themselves to add to this bulletin board. "Meet the Cast and Crew of ___________" is a perfect way to add your teacher name. This board should be displayed at the beginning of the year. "Look Who's Popping in ___________" can also be used at the beginning of the year to introduce the new students of your class. I used it in my classroom for Accelerated Reader. The students "popped" as they earned points. "Hollyword" is a wonderful title for your word wall. I used a wipe off board to display my words and hung the sign above the board. "Stage Crew" can be used as the title of your helpers bulletin board. I labeled the helpers with all Hollywood themed names. Click below for free Hollywood themed homework passes: If interested in more Hollywood Theme decor, click below: Hollywood Theme Classroom Decor Jungle Theme - Another favorite theme that I have used in the past. There are so many possibilities with this theme that it makes it easier to decorate a classroom. I am wild about a jungle themed classroom. "Wild About __________" can be used by adding any subject. Student work can be displayed according to the subject that was chosen. "Roaring About _____________" is very similar to "Wild About ___________." You can add any subject or topic. Add student work and the board is complete. "You've Been Spotted _____________" reading, writing, behaving, and working are just some of the ideas that you can use with this board. "Swinging into _____________" just needs the grade level added to it. You have a perfect bulletin board for the beginning of the school year. "Welcome to the Jungle" can be displayed on your door. Perfect addition to your jungle themed classroom. "Rules of the Jungle" can be included with your classroom rules. It is important for students to be able to read the rules and review them often. "Exploring ____________" is another topic that can be used with any subject, topic, or lesson that you are teaching. Click below for free jungle themed hallway passes: If interested in more jungle themed classroom decor, click below: Jungle Themed Classroom Decor Farm Theme - Love this theme for primary classrooms! The main color of this theme is red and the animals bring along many other colors to brighten up a classroom. Some ideas to include in your farm themed classroom: "Mooooving Along in ________________" can be used to highlight a grade level, teacher's class, or subject area. Just place a drawing of a cow and the board is all set. "You've Been Spotted __________" is a great title for spotlighting a specific activity. Ideas include reading, writing, behaving, following directions, and completing homework "Down on the Farm with ____________" just needs the teacher's name added and you can use this at the beginning of the school year to welcome your students. "Round Up for _____________" is perfect for any subject area or topic taught. Add student work and the board is complete. Click below for a farm themed reading certificate: If interested in more farm themed classroom decor, click below: Farm Themed Classroom Decor Pirate Theme - Students love this theme. The colors include mostly red, black, and white. Where do you mostly find pirates? Sailing on the blue ocean under a blue sky. So blue is also another color that can be added to your pirate theme. Listed below are some suggestions to enhance your classroom: "We ARGH..." is a wonderful starter sentence and the possibilities are endless. We ARGH following the class rules. We ARGH prepared for class. We ARGH excited for school. We ARGH ready for ____ grade. We ARGH readers. We ARGH wishing our classmates a happy birthday. Add your own words to this sentence starter and your pirate themed bulletin boards are all set. "____________ is a real treasure!" is another heading you can use on bulletin boards. Add different subjects in the blank and you can use this to display your students work. "You ARGH top crew!" can be used to highlight the student of the week. Display these words on a bulletin board to showcase one particular student or a group of students. "Sailing into...." can be used for the beginning of the year. Just add the grade level or teacher's name and you have a title ready for your back to school bulletin board or classroom door. "Gold ___________" can be used to spotlight students. "Gold Readers" can be used to motivate students with a reading incentive program. "Gold Mathematicians" can be used to display outstanding math work. You can use this sentence starter to highlight students who are displaying academic success, positive behavior, and/or showing acts of kindness. Click below for a pirate themed top crew certificate: If interested in pirate theme classroom decor, click below: Pirate Theme Classroom Decor Hope these ideas help enhance your classroom! In the comments section would love to hear about your classroom themes and any additional ideas that you have.
Three Exit Slips Assessment Design % %
Take a G and an E and O, And add a little R-G-E, To a W-A-S-H, I...N...G If you add 2,000 pounds, That makes a ton, So what have you got? You've got a lot!
It can be very overwhelming, especially for my struggling readers, to focus on using multiple reading comprehension strategies with a piece of text. For this reason, I always take time in at least the first
The activities below are available for free download, and are to be used in educational and/or private settings. They may not be used elsewhere or for other purposes (such as for profit) unless exp…
The figurative language anchor chart shared in this blog post includes a cooperative activity. Visit this post to download the FREE materials and replicate this interactive lesson in your upper elementary classroom!
Do you have a newcomer student in your classroom? Here are some strategies for supporting newcomer ELLs in their elementary classroom...
Check out these fun activities from Award Winning Author/Illustrator Jarett Lerner to do at home or in the classsroom. Includes comics, drawing, and more.
How to Make an Art History Mini-Golf Course Connections % %
Check out these fun activities from Award Winning Author/Illustrator Jarett Lerner to do at home or in the classsroom. Includes comics, drawing, and more.
Imagination Workout Printable Click the link above to download Attalie’s Imagination Workout free printable art worksheet.
Farley is hosting her monthly Linky Party! Check out Currently February: As many of you know, I'm preggers (due in April). Therefore, my hubby and I are staying in a lot more than we usually do and watching lots of TV! We've watched Breaking Bad (all five seasons) and Homeland (just starting season two). We also watch lots of documentaries on Netflix. We found a great one the other night that I'd like to recommend. It's called "American Teacher" (2011), and it follows the lives and experiences of four teachers. It's only about 80 minutes long, so check it out if you have some free time! Matt Damon narrates the documentary so enjoy that! =) Photo courtesy of IMDb. On another note, did you hear about the Sunday Super Sale over at TpT!?! Everything in my store will be on sale for 28% off! Yippee!! I know I'll be shopping for lots of activities for the month of February, spring time writing activities, more clip art, and some center activities! Last but not least, I just added a great resource to my store called Sweet Sentences Mega Pack! It's only $4.00 and contains 56 pages of grammar and writing activities to help young writers grasp the concepts of complete vs. incomplete sentences. There are posters, activities for literacy stations and small groups, printables for independent practice, and whole group lessons. Check out a few examples below: {CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.1.1j and CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.2.1f} Leave a comment below about writing instruction in your classroom (also include your e-mail), and I'll choose a few lucky winners to receive the Sweet Sentences Mega Pack for FREE! :)
Need to help your students get more hands on practice for their vocabulary words? I've got 5 fun vocabulary games you can use right away!
If you struggle with classroom management no matter how many different strategies you try, there's a chance you're doing something to get in your own way.
It’s that time again! Time for learning the parts of speech! In Montessori schools, we have a lot of fun with nouns, verbs and adjectives because of something called Symbolic Grammar–a …
Are you teaching students to identify the four types of sentences? Check out this blog post. It contains multiple activities that you can use in your upper elementary classroom! Check out the types of sentences anchor chart and download the FREE worksheet and interactive notebook foldable!
Getting started with coding in the classroom doesn’t have to be scary or intimidating! You don’t have to have a background in computer science to teach it, and you don’t even need expensive robots or technology to get started! WHY Teach Coding?
Got a talkative class? Check out these 5 ways to quiet the chatter!
I love using class call backs and attention grabbers! These are so fun! My class loves them! This freebie is a classroom staple!
3-Act Math Tasks are some of the most powerful learning experiences I've used in my middle school classroom. Learn about the research behind these effective teaching practices, and grab some incredible ready-to-go lessons for every grade level, primary to high school! #math #mathteacher #mathclass #3actmath #teaching
All students want to feel part of their classroom community. Here are four activities to help them feel welcomed and comfortable.
A Montessori Infographic For Every Occasion If you are interested in Montessori, I'm sure you have come across the situation where someone has asked you about it and rather than go into a 3-hour lecture on how the Montessori method rocks (totally worth the 3 hours)..Do you wish you could show someone in simple terms what
I've been reading the book, Mindsets in the Classroom by Mary Cay Ricci, and just finished chapter 3. It was a real eye-opener. Through all of my years of teaching, I thought I was differentiating by planning and implementing reteaching and enrichment lessons and activities as my class worked through a unit. But in this chapter, I learned how important it is to start the differentiation before the unit even begins! This process begins with the preassessment. So much valuable information can be gathered before you begin teaching a unit. The purpose of the preassessment is to find how much students understand the content before you plan and teach the unit. Do they have a complete understanding of the content? Then they will need enrichment and/or accelerated activities. Do they have a partial understanding of the content? Then you need to make note of the gaps in their learning so you can plan accordingly. Checklists are a great way to keep track of the objectives and student mastery. From this checklist, you will also see students that need to be grouped for instruction. Keep in mind that this grouping will change as students master the objectives. Another insight I gained from this chapter is the different types of assessments used in a classroom. I put together this graphic to sum up the three types of assessment you should be using in your classroom. Click on the image to download the pdf version. You can also download this free packet with three quick and easy formative assessments you can use
matching 3 things: name, picture, and country - ESL worksheets
Effortlessly Communicate Your K–8 Curriculum With These Student Handouts Curriculum % %
Teach word problem types for more accurate problem-solving in the elementary classroom.
Correlative conjunctions... they are fairly easy for students to recognize, but they aren't always the easiest sentences to write! In fact, when it was time to teach a grammar lesson on correlative co
Choosing a theme for your classroom can be both exciting and challenging. What best represents your personality? What would the students choose? Some teachers choose not to have a theme and may use a color scheme instead. Summer vacation is a perfect time to plan and organize for the upcoming school year. There are so many resources to use online to help you create a classroom that is both inviting and conducive to learning. Listed below are some of my favorite themes with creative sayings to display classroom materials and highlight students. Dog Theme - Students and teachers love dogs! What a wonderful way for students to make personal connections with their classroom. Even for students who are not dog owners, these cute and adorable animals brighten up any classroom. "Barking About ______" is a title that can be used in a variety of ways. Highlight a subject area or activity on a bulletin board. Just add student work and this board will be something to bark about. "Top Dog" can be used to describe a student of the week or month. You can create a bulletin board highlighting students for their accomplishments. "Dog-Gone Good ______" is another title with endless possibilities. You can add words such as students, work, behavior, readers, writers, scientists, etc. This title will fit perfectly on a bulletin board in your dog themed classroom "Paws"itively __________" is a wonderful play on words for a dog theme. You can add so many different words to highlight students, subject areas, and classroom activities. "You've been Spotted ________" can be used for so many different bulletin boards. Ideas include: reading, writing, working, behaving, and following class rules. Click below for a free dog theme poster: If interested in more dog theme decor, click below: Dog Theme Classroom Decor Hollywood Theme - I have used this theme in my classroom for several years. You can actually check out pictures of my Hollywood classroom on my blog. I love the idea of the students becoming stars of their classroom. If you like to coordinate your room with certain colors, then red, white, and black will really stand out in your Hollywood themed classroom. Some ideas that you can use on bulletin boards to spotlight students, activities, and lessons include: "Spotlight on ___________" can be used for almost any idea. Students love to see their work spotlighted and this helps build their self esteem. "Now Featuring/Playing __________" is similar to "Spotlight on _________." You can highlight students, specific lessons and/or activities. "Wall of Fame" can be used to motivate students. If students complete an assigned goal then their name can be added to the Wall of Fame. Students become more motivated when they realize that their hard work will be acknowledged. "Starring ___________" is another idea with endless possibilities. You can add your class name, grade level, or a description such as super students. "A Star is Born" can be used to spotlight a student of the week. Students can bring in baby pictures of themselves to add to this bulletin board. "Meet the Cast and Crew of ___________" is a perfect way to add your teacher name. This board should be displayed at the beginning of the year. "Look Who's Popping in ___________" can also be used at the beginning of the year to introduce the new students of your class. I used it in my classroom for Accelerated Reader. The students "popped" as they earned points. "Hollyword" is a wonderful title for your word wall. I used a wipe off board to display my words and hung the sign above the board. "Stage Crew" can be used as the title of your helpers bulletin board. I labeled the helpers with all Hollywood themed names. Click below for free Hollywood themed homework passes: If interested in more Hollywood Theme decor, click below: Hollywood Theme Classroom Decor Jungle Theme - Another favorite theme that I have used in the past. There are so many possibilities with this theme that it makes it easier to decorate a classroom. I am wild about a jungle themed classroom. "Wild About __________" can be used by adding any subject. Student work can be displayed according to the subject that was chosen. "Roaring About _____________" is very similar to "Wild About ___________." You can add any subject or topic. Add student work and the board is complete. "You've Been Spotted _____________" reading, writing, behaving, and working are just some of the ideas that you can use with this board. "Swinging into _____________" just needs the grade level added to it. You have a perfect bulletin board for the beginning of the school year. "Welcome to the Jungle" can be displayed on your door. Perfect addition to your jungle themed classroom. "Rules of the Jungle" can be included with your classroom rules. It is important for students to be able to read the rules and review them often. "Exploring ____________" is another topic that can be used with any subject, topic, or lesson that you are teaching. Click below for free jungle themed hallway passes: If interested in more jungle themed classroom decor, click below: Jungle Themed Classroom Decor Farm Theme - Love this theme for primary classrooms! The main color of this theme is red and the animals bring along many other colors to brighten up a classroom. Some ideas to include in your farm themed classroom: "Mooooving Along in ________________" can be used to highlight a grade level, teacher's class, or subject area. Just place a drawing of a cow and the board is all set. "You've Been Spotted __________" is a great title for spotlighting a specific activity. Ideas include reading, writing, behaving, following directions, and completing homework "Down on the Farm with ____________" just needs the teacher's name added and you can use this at the beginning of the school year to welcome your students. "Round Up for _____________" is perfect for any subject area or topic taught. Add student work and the board is complete. Click below for a farm themed reading certificate: If interested in more farm themed classroom decor, click below: Farm Themed Classroom Decor Pirate Theme - Students love this theme. The colors include mostly red, black, and white. Where do you mostly find pirates? Sailing on the blue ocean under a blue sky. So blue is also another color that can be added to your pirate theme. Listed below are some suggestions to enhance your classroom: "We ARGH..." is a wonderful starter sentence and the possibilities are endless. We ARGH following the class rules. We ARGH prepared for class. We ARGH excited for school. We ARGH ready for ____ grade. We ARGH readers. We ARGH wishing our classmates a happy birthday. Add your own words to this sentence starter and your pirate themed bulletin boards are all set. "____________ is a real treasure!" is another heading you can use on bulletin boards. Add different subjects in the blank and you can use this to display your students work. "You ARGH top crew!" can be used to highlight the student of the week. Display these words on a bulletin board to showcase one particular student or a group of students. "Sailing into...." can be used for the beginning of the year. Just add the grade level or teacher's name and you have a title ready for your back to school bulletin board or classroom door. "Gold ___________" can be used to spotlight students. "Gold Readers" can be used to motivate students with a reading incentive program. "Gold Mathematicians" can be used to display outstanding math work. You can use this sentence starter to highlight students who are displaying academic success, positive behavior, and/or showing acts of kindness. Click below for a pirate themed top crew certificate: If interested in pirate theme classroom decor, click below: Pirate Theme Classroom Decor Hope these ideas help enhance your classroom! In the comments section would love to hear about your classroom themes and any additional ideas that you have.
