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Using Photos With English Language Learners Part 2

Emily Calhoun (1998) developed the Picture Word Inductive Model based on strategies for language acquisition. This method uses pictures containing familiar objects, actions and scenes to draw out words from children’s listening and speaking vocabularies. This model helps students add words to their reading vocabulary, as well as their writing

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Fabulous Fall Freebies

I know it sounds so cliche but I really do love Fall! We have such hot humid summers in Georgia. The cooler weather is such a welcome relief. It just is my favorite time of the year. In school, I feel like students are getting settled in. They know the

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End of the Year Luau Party

Have you had your End of the Year party yet? Even if you have, you surely can save these ideas for next year! I love doing an End of the Year Luau Party every single year. In fact, I have a box of Luau decorations from the Dollar Store that

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Keeping Students Engaged at the End of the Year

The end of the school year can be a challenging time for teachers as students become restless and start to lose focus on their academic work. We’ve got a thousands small tasks to take care on top of keeping students engaged in learning! Keeping students engaged in academics during this

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What can kids do to help the Earth?

Teaching kids about Pollution and Conservation is so important but the concept of taking care of the Earth can seem like a mighty task for just a little kid! Kids can feel like there’s nothing that they can actually do to make any kind of impact. This is why I

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Great Ideas for Poetry Month

Teaching poetry to elementary school-aged students can be a challenging task, but it can also be an incredibly rewarding experience. Poetry can help children develop their reading and writing skills, encourage creativity and self-expression, and build a deeper appreciation for language and literature. Here are some tips for teaching poetry

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The BEST Leprechaun Trick Ever

Are you ready for St. Patrick’s Day? I know some of you are excited for the 17th! I have worked with some teachers who go over the top with leprechaun craziness….knocking over desks, sprinkling green glitter everywhere, and even turning the toilet water green! WHAT?? I am not one of those teachers,

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Valentine Bags

Easy Valentine Dollar Store Bags

Valentine’s Day is so close! Are you ready?? I don’t know about y’all but I like doing our Valentine bags in class. I like having them all look similar and I don’t want to burden my families with having to make a box or a bag at home. But having

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An Alternative to a Classroom Elf

I know many teachers love to have a classroom elf who moves places every night and helps keep the behavior in check and it works for some! But I know my students just go insane when they see that thing. We have ladies in our cafeteria who have an elf

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Using Photos with English Language Learners

I am always trying to find the best strategies in working with my English Language Learners. Today I am going to share with you why you should be using photos with your English Language Learners to improve oral and written language skills. Why use photos with English Language Learners? First,

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Personal Word Book

Personal Word Book

Do your students struggle with spelling? Writing is the time when I really want my students to use all their strategies to spell a word. Also they can use all their resources. This is one reason I love using personal dictionaries or word books. Students can look up a word

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Check for Understanding

5 Ways to Check for Understanding

Today, I am talking formative assessments. We have been focusing on Formative Instructional Practices in my school using strategies like posting clear learning targets for students, making sure students know their learning targets and regular formative assessments to drive your instruction. So, I want to share with you 5 quick ways

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Bathroom Passes

Germ-Free Bathroom Passes

Can we talk about Hall Passes? I just can’t even begin to think about how germy those things are! I have a thing about lanyard passes because they are so long they get wet and whatever else…..so I really wanted to get some ideas together that are an alternative to

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Celebrating Birthdays in the Classroom

Celebrating Birthdays in the Classroom

Students love to celebrate their birthdays! Teachers love to keep it simple! Am I right? I know in my school (and probably in most schools) we are not allowed to use instructional time to celebrate students’ birthdays. If a student brings a birthday treat, we eat it in the lunchroom

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Teaching Government Whitehouse

Teaching Government in Third Grade

Learning about the US Government is often a hard concept for students. The branches and levels of government can be confusing. Also, students at this age often do not understand the difference between city, state and country. One thing I do is to try to use visuals as much as

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Literature Circles

The Do’s and Don’ts of Literature Circles

Ready to jump into Literature Circles but don’t know where to start? Check out this list of Do’s and Don’ts to get you going!  Student Centered Do: Literature Circles should be reader response driven! Not teacher driven. With a little modeling and practice, students can meet and discuss their books without

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Math Spiral Review

The Importance of Math Spiral Review

Spiral Review is a critical part of my day. There are several reasons why I believe spiral review is important. The very first reason why I love spiral review is purely management. I don’t like a chaotic morning. I feel like it just starts the day off wrong. So math

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Grade Level Team Building

Grade Level Team Building

Turn Your Group Into A Team Being a team leader or grade chair is not an easy job! The job often involves making sure everyone on your team is happy, mediating disagreements or relaying unpleasant news from administration. Often team leaders have to tell everyone more things they just “have

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