It’s that time of year! The end of January in our school district marks the beginning of the official testing window. Whether we like it or not, our kids will spend valuable hours navigating through state-mandated standardized reading and math tests here in Oregon. While the purpose of assessment in the classroom is to figure [...]

It doesn’t matter if you’re in elementary school or college, it’s important to know how to write an essay. As a fourth-grade teacher with state writing tests looming each spring, I have taught kids the general and finer points of constructing a basic essay. This guest post reveals helpful tips for kids of all ages [...]

Celebrate the crisp, cold winter snow with this fun math lesson plan for younger kids. These three snow-themed math activities are simple to plan and fit in with any winter-based classroom units. Snowball Math Materials For these three math activities, gather together the following materials: dark or light blue construction paper, cut into 8 1/2″ [...]

Earlier this month, I took both of my boys to their new classrooms on the first day at our local elementary school. My oldest is nine years old and attends a fourth grade class run by a Miss Y. Here’s a picture of his desk that first morning: My youngest is six, and his first [...]

You may be introducing the idea of New Year’s resolutions with your students, but what about you? Take a few minutes for inspiration with these five suggestions.

Help kids stay academically connected with fun practice and review activities to complete over Christmas break.

This fun math game for learning centers will help your young students connect numbers with their value as well as begin to work on addition skills. A free printable is included!

This slideshow was my first attempt at putting one together, and I created one based on the myths of Christmas. Check them out!

A Pajama Day is a fun and meaningful way to acknowledge your kids’ hard work. Here are helpful tips to make the most of this celebration!

This Butterfly Project Lesson Plan is actually a valuable social studies lesson about children and the Holocaust, where kids can honor the innocent children who perished.