February Planning for Upper Elementary

The one with February plans for upper elementary

January is the month that never ends, but February can fly by! Yes, I know it’s the shortest month, but it also has a lot of important dates. Here’s what I’m planning on sharing with my students in February. First and foremost, February is Black History Month. This should NOT

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DIY Classroom Incentive

The one with simple DIY classroom incentives

As a type B teacher (and also as a part of my classroom philosophy), I like to think less is more. Most of the year, I’ve done a simple class incentive, FUN FRIDAY. We earn letters for working hard, persevering through a challenge, and being complimented by other adults in

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Classroom out of control? Management reboot is here.

The one about rebooting classroom management

If you’ve been here for a minute, you know I take classroom management seriously. Maybe you took my free course to kickstart your classroom management at the beginning of the year. But it’s January and we’re wayyyy past the honeymoon phase. There are times throughout the school year when your

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Four Ways to Celebrate Veterans Day in the Classroom

The one about Veterans Day in your upper elementary classroom

Honoring former and present military members has always been important, but since I started teaching on a military base three years ago, it’s taken on an additional meaning. Veterans are the parents, caregivers, and other family members of my students. They’re part of the community I interact with daily. This

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The Morning Messages You Need and Three Reasons why these will change your classroom

The one about morning messages for upper elementary

Everyone needs to use morning messages in their classroom, upper elementary and beyond. The summer after I had the toughest class, I spent a ridiculous amount of time scouring social media for the best classroom management solution. I was determined not to deal with the same amount of stress the

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Why you need to change your read aloud books and how to find something new

The one about changing your read aloud books

Do you remember the read aloud books your teachers read to you? I didn’t have that many teachers who read aloud to us, especially as we got older. I remember in fourth grade, our teacher read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and Island of the Blue Dolphins. In

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First Week Plans are Here for Back to School

The one with first week plans for back to school

Back to school is upon us, which means you have to wrack your brain to remember what you even did at the beginning of last year. Don’t stress! I’m ready to share my first week plans for upper elementary with you. Key elements to my plans: Establish classroom culture. Build

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