It all started when I unearthed the plastic set of drawers from our basement. A quick clearing of cobwebs, a brief dusting, and dishwasher run for the drawers, and my sight word station was as good as new. Hello, old friend! A quick back story first, though. This year, I…
Call me crazy, but getting to know you activities are one of my favorite parts of back to school time. And here’s the thing: we don’t have to stop doing these activities once back to school season is over. We are constantly learning new things about each other through conversation,…
Having a solid morning routine is a universal balm for any person or field. Need help getting healthy and in shape? Get a solid morning routine. Need to be more productive while working from home? Find a morning routine to help. Need to have consistency and clear expectations in the…
Since the entire point of morning meeting is to build your classroom community, this year presents its challenges. While most morning meetings thrive on circle time, student-to-student interaction, and team-building, a socially distanced classroom is not the most user-friendly for your typical morning meeting. There is a high need for…
Finding easy morning work solutions is harder than it seems. Chances are, you are no stranger to last-minute trips to the copier (which may or may not be working) to run off those morning work worksheets. And let’s be honest–those are more of an afterthought than a purposeful assignment. I…
The 2020 school year–or year in general–is proving to be such a confusing mess of unknowns that it helps to have *some* sort of idea what you’re doing come August or September. [Side note: while this isn’t 100% relevant, you can still get a HUGE checklist of to-do items for…
The classroom community is the single most important focus in the school year. Your classroom community is the foundation of your classroom for 180 days. It’s crucial to have behavioral and social expectations, routines, and ground rules that are reinforced every day. A solid classroom community is something we all…