How to Encourage Active Listening in the Classroom
Quyen NicolWe all have standards to address in the classroom, and we admit that it can be overwhelming reaching all of these in 180 days (even less if you are in…
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4 Things You Should Be Doing to Make Routines and Procedures Successful in the Classroom
The first days of school are a time of excitement and nervousness as both the teacher and students get to know one another. In our opinion, the most important thing…
Read MoreABC’s of College Degrees Summer Countdown
We all feel it. Summer is approaching, state testing is looming, and everyone in the class has a case of spring fever. Rather than trying to fight against the excitement…
Read MoreUsing Picture Books for Narrative Writing
We love to use picture books in our classroom. We are firm believers that you are never too old to learn a good lesson from a picture book. Roller Coaster…
Read MoreThe Homework Debate
Why is homework synonymous with a feeling of dread? We have both had our share of parent concerns over the past decade regarding stress with homework. We have noticed that…
Read MoreMorning Routines!
We recently took a course from Tabitha Carro at FlapJack Factory. Our friend and colleague, Kristen, at Easy Teaching Tools recommended that we try it out and we were not…
Read MoreKindness Week Book Reflection
Have you ever read The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig? It is a heartwarming picture book about the power of kindness. Brian is a kid who feels invisible at school.…
Read MoreSuper Bowl Activities for the Classroom!
Each year, when the NFL season starts up, we both get very excited for a variety of reasons. We have been San Diego Charger fans since we’ve been born (although…
Read MoreGEMS is the new PEMDAS
When we both moved to 5th grade, one of our team members shared with us the idea of using GEMS rather than PEMDAS for Order of Operations and simplifying expressions.…
Read MoreReach for the Stars!
Do you incorporate growth mindset discussions in your classroom? We have made a concerted effort to keep students motivated by talking about how our mindset determines our ability to achieve…
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