Fall can be such a fun time of year! Today we are having our first full day of rain after the hot, dry summer and I am enjoying a day curled up inside wearing a sweater and drinking too much coffee. As the seasons turn, I, like many teachers in education, like to adapt my… Continue reading Writing Prompts to Use in Your Intermediate Classroom this Fall
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Getting to Know You Activities for the First Week of School
It's that time of year when students and teachers are flocking back to the classroom. Those first few weeks are important for setting up routines, building classroom culture, and getting to know your students. Keep reading for 5 amazing getting to know you activities for the first week of school. Getting to know your classmates… Continue reading Getting to Know You Activities for the First Week of School
5 Time Capsule Activities to do with Students at the Beginning of the Year
Students change so much over a given year! What better way to celebrate and bring awareness to this than to create a class time capsule? At the beginning of the year, find a box to place student artifacts in. The box could be something fancy or could be a cardboard box covered with student art.… Continue reading 5 Time Capsule Activities to do with Students at the Beginning of the Year
10 Amazing Prompts to Get Middle Schoolers Writing After Summer Holidays
It's that time of year again! Students and teachers are settling back into another school year. What better way to get students putting pen to paper for the first time in (probably) months, then to get them writing about their summer? Keep reading for 10 writing prompts that are sure to get your middle school… Continue reading 10 Amazing Prompts to Get Middle Schoolers Writing After Summer Holidays
Weekly Round-Up: 4 Fun and Free Typing Resources for Students
Learning to type is a key skill for students. When students are able to type effectively, they are better able to write quickly and to not get caught up in the physical mechanics of typing. There are lots of incredible, free, typing resources on the Internet. I particularly like typing games that provide words instead of just letters. It feels weird just randomly hitting letters on the keyboard when they aren't part of words! Here are 4 typing lessons and games I particularly enjoy!
5 Fun Pre-Reading Strategies to Try with your Grade 3-6 Students
Reading with your class is key part of literacy! All students come into our class with different reading abilities and we need to plan so that all students find success in the reading activity. Here are 5 pre-reading strategies to help all learners get ready to read the text!
5 Strategies for Students to Use when Planning their Writing
Pre-writing and planning are the first two steps in the writing process (pre-writing, planning, writing, revising, editing, and publishing) and yet many students struggle with this step. A good plan helps students get their ideas down, helps them break the large writing process into manageable chunks, and keeps them on track. Keep reading for 5 ways to help students plan their writing.
Weekly Round-Up: 5 Incredible Writing Prompt Resources
It's time to do our first weekly round-up! This is a great place to find resources without needing to scour the internet yourself. Today's topic is incredible writing prompt resources. There is a good variety below, including video prompts, writing prompt generators, and picture writing prompts. Keep reading for 5 incredible writing prompt resources!
15 Fun Debate Topics to Try in your Literacy Classroom
Talking is part of literacy too! Debate is a great activity for students to practice talking. Plus, students can take the skills that they learn for supporting their point during debate and apply it to their writing. Not to mention that many middle school students just love to argue. With that in mind, here are 15 fun debate topics to try in your middle school classroom this year.
How to Find an Appropriate Work-Life Balance as a New Teacher
Teaching is hard work. Between teaching all day, parent contacts, prepping, and marking, it seems like the work could go on forever. I, like most teachers, feel the crunch of too many things to do and not enough time. While I definitely do not have the answers, there are some tricks I wish I had known in my first year or teaching. Here are 6 tips to try to have a better work-life balance as a new teacher.