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HI! I’M KAYLA!

I am a former 2nd & 3rd grade math and science teacher in the great state of Texas, and the face behind The Average Teacher. My mission is to help make learning FUN – for both the students and the teacher! I am particularly passionate about math instruction. If you’re looking for guidance on teaching elementary math – I’m your girl! I struggled with (and hated!) math as a student, but since becoming a teacher, have completely transformed the way I think about math. I’ve made it my mission to…

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First day of school idea: have your students decor

First day of school idea: have your students decorate a nametag or name plate when they first come in!⠀
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This a) helps everyone learn each other's names, and b) allows students the opportunity to express themselves. Starting off the school year in this way will help make all your students feel like they have a place in your classroom!⠀
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You can use adhesive nametags, or have students decorate a name plate to set up on their desk. This can be permanent or temporary. For a temporary option, simply take a piece of paper and fold it in thirds to make a triangle. They can decorate each side, if they want!⠀
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I'm sharing more first week of school activities in this week's blog post. If you'd like to check it out, comment below and I'll send you the link! ⠀
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What do you have planned for the first week of school?⠀
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#teachersfollowteachers #iteachtoo #iteachfirst #iteach #iteachsecond #iteachthird #teacherblog #teacherblogger #instateacher #teachersonig #elementaryteacher #teachersofinsta #teacherthings #teacherinspiration #teachertips #teachingideas #weareteachers #teachersquad #backtoschool #classroomcommunity

🥳 It’s GIVEAWAY time 🥳 I’ve partnered w

🥳 It’s GIVEAWAY time 🥳

I’ve partnered with the Katie from @curious.owl.sensory.play to put together an awesome Shapes Inspired Bundle!

Included in the giveaway is:
📚@curious.owl.sensory.play Shapes Bottle, with check-off chart and extension learning activities
🧩@theaverageteacher Polygon Bingo Game
🖐🏼 Sensory Waterbead Shapes

To enter:
1️⃣ Follow BOTH @curious.owl.sensory.play and @theaverageteacher
2️⃣ Tag a friend, mama, teacher, anyone who you think would love this! (one tag per comment)
3️⃣ Tell us how you would use these games!
4️⃣ Additional tags or shares on stories are additional entries 🎉
🖐🏼 Giveaway ends 8/19 at 11:59pm, winner will be randomly drawn.

Per Instagram: this giveaway is in no way sponsored or affiliated with Instagram. Winner must be 18+ of age and a US resident.

TEACHER TIP! ⏰ Set alarms on your phone for 5 m

TEACHER TIP! ⏰ Set alarms on your phone for 5 minutes before all your daily transitions. Lunch, recess, specials - all of them! It can be so easy to lose track of time during the day, but it's important to try to be on time to all. the. things.⠀
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When the alarm goes off, it's time to wrap up whatever you're doing and get ready to go. No more having to constantly check the clock or worry about being late!⠀
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I wrote a blog post last summer with more teacher time management tips. If you'd like to check out the post (because, let's face it, one thing teachers never have enough of is TIME), drop me a comment and I'll send you the link!⠀
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#teachersfollowteachers #iteachtoo #iteachfirst #iteach #iteachsecond #iteachthird #teacherblog #teacherblogger #instateacher #teachersonig #elementaryteacher #teachersofinsta #teacherthings #teacherinspiration #teachertips #teachingideas #weareteachers #teachersquad #timemanagement

Today for #ATMathMonday, I shared an incredibly si

Today for #ATMathMonday, I shared an incredibly simple card game to practice basic mental addition! All you need is a deck of cards for each player.⠀
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Here's how it works:⠀
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1️⃣ Remove face cards from each deck, or assign them a value (jack = 11, queen = 12, etc.).⠀
2️⃣ Students hold their deck face down, and one by one flip over each top card and lay it down.⠀
3️⃣ As they lay down their cards, they mentally add up the total value of the cards they've put down.⠀
4️⃣ The first student to reach 100 wins! (You can choose a number other than 100 if you want)⠀
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That's it! So easy, right? If you want to see this game in action, check out my stories from today!⠀
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#teachersofinstagram #math #teachergram #iteach #2ndgrade #1stgrade #3rdgrade #mathteacher #mathgames #mathskills #mathisfun #mathcenters #iteachmath #2ndgrademath #3rdgrademath #elementarymath #mathideas #makemathfun #mathmonday #mathcardgames

Will you be starting the year virtually 💻 or in

Will you be starting the year virtually 💻 or in person 👩🏻‍🏫? Whatever you’re doing, you should definitely check out @classtagme!

I admit, I’d never used this program before, but I so wish I had! ClassTag streamlines parent communication all in one spot. It integrates with Google Classroom, and can reach parents in 60+ languages! The best part? It’s FREE! 🎉

Keep parents updated about grades, meetings, events, and more with ClassTag. And, you can earn points to exchange for school supplies! How cool is that??

Do you use ClassTag? I’d love to hear your thoughts about it in the comments! Here’s to starting the year #BackToSchoolStrong!

You can get started with ClassTag at www.classtag.com!

#teachersofinstagram #teachersfollowteachers #teachersengaging #distancelearning #iteachfirst #iteach2nd #iteachthird #backtoschool #ad

Looking to change up your classroom job system thi

Looking to change up your classroom job system this year?⠀
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I struggled with jobs for years because I could never remember to change them! I tried reducing the number of jobs, extending how often they were rotated, and one year I even tried not having jobs at all, but nothing was working!⠀
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Finally, I came across the idea of doing class CAREERS instead. Basically, there are enough careers for every student in the class. They apply for their job, and once they're hired, that's their job for - get this - THE WHOLE YEAR. 🙌⠀
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Once you train them, your job is done! Of course, you can choose to periodically switch them if you want (per quarter, semester, etc.), but the point is that they are much longer term. You can even use them with a classroom economy system, too!⠀
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The bulletin board pictured is available in my TpT store! I also have a blog post about how to successfully implement this system in your classroom. Let me know if you'd like me to send you more information on classroom careers!⠀
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How do you do jobs/careers in your classroom?⠀
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#teacherlife #teachersofinstagram #firstgrade #teachergram #tpt #teacherspayteachers #secondgrade #thirdgrade #teachingresources #teachersoftpt #tptsale #teacherresources #tptfreebie #tptstore #tptgiftcard #teachercreatedresources #teachersfollowteachers #iteachtoo #iteachfirst #iteach #iteachsecond #iteachthird #teacherblog #teacherblogger #instateacher #teachersonig #elementaryteacher #teachersofinsta #teacherthings #teacherinspiration

Back to school tip: While you're getting together

Back to school tip: While you're getting together all the important papers to send home with your students, make a few extra copies and stick them in folders to give to new students throughout the year.⠀
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No more scrambling when a new student walks into your class on a random Tuesday in October! 🥳 Simply give them the folder and you can rest easy knowing they have everything they need.⠀
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This little trick was a LIFESAVER for me. There's nothing worse than having to track down blank copies of those beginning of the year papers in March. 🤦‍♀️⠀
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For more back to school tips, check out my new blog post! Drop me a comment if you'd like me to DM you the link! ⬇️⠀
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What's your best back to school tip?⠀
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#teachersfollowteachers #iteachtoo #iteachfirst #iteach #iteachsecond #iteachthird #teacherblog #teacherblogger #instateacher #teachersonig #elementaryteacher #teachersofinsta #teacherthings #teacherinspiration #teachertips #teachingideas #weareteachers #teachersquad #backtoschool #backtoschooltips

Here’s an easy & fun #backtoschool idea for you!

Here’s an easy & fun #backtoschool idea for you!⠀
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One of my all time favorite #classroommanagement techniques is using a mystery reward board! Making one is really simple:⠀
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💙 Grab a poster board and write a reward on it, such as extra recess or no homework.⠀
💚 Cover the board in sticky notes.⠀
💙 Write class goals on each sticky note, such as “compliment in the hallway” or “transition in less than 30 seconds.”⠀
💚 When a goal is met, remove the sticky note, slowly revealing the reward!⠀
💙 Celebrate the reward when all sticky notes have been removed.⠀
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I love using this in the first weeks of school to help really solidify those procedures! If you like this idea, I share more classroom management strategies in a blog post I wrote last year! Comment below if you’d like me to DM you the link!⠀
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What’s your favorite classroom management strategy?⠀
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#teachersfollowteachers #iteachtoo #iteachfirst #iteach #iteachsecond #iteachthird #teacherblog #teacherblogger #instateacher #teachersonig #elementaryteacher #teachersofinsta #teacherthings #teacherinspiration #teachertips #teachingideas #weareteachers #teachersquad #classreward #studentincentives #behaviormanagement

#ATMathMonday is back, and today we're chatting al

#ATMathMonday is back, and today we're chatting all about manipulatives! If you're an elementary math teacher, you definitely need math manipulatives in your classroom - especially for the younger grades! ⠀
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Manipulatives are great for providing concrete, hands-on practice to help build a better conceptual understanding. Some of the manipulatives I recommend for elementary math teachers are:⠀
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🔹 Base 10 blocks⠀
🔹 Place value disks⠀
🔹 Counters⠀
🔹 Square tiles⠀
🔹 Pattern blocks⠀
🔹 Geoboards⠀
🔹 3D solids⠀
🔹 Rekenreks (most helpful for primary grades)⠀
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This year we have a bit of an extra challenge since students shouldn't be sharing supplies! In my stories, I'm also sharing some ideas for organizing your supplies into individual math toolboxes. One option is to get small divided boxes (I got the one pictured from Dollar Tree!) for each student and sort your manipulatives inside.⠀
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For more information on manipulatives, check out my Instagram stories from today! You can also find all my favorite manipulatives in my Amazon storefront.
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You can also grab the link to my digital math tool library (FREE resource) in my stories as well! In case you find yourself needing some digital manipulatives at any point this year - this resource organizes them into one easy reference sheet. Details in my stories!⠀
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What are your favorite math manipulatives? Tell me how you use them in the comments! ⬇️⬇️⠀
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#teachersofinstagram #math #teachergram #iteach #2ndgrade #1stgrade #3rdgrade #mathteacher #mathgames #mathskills #mathisfun #mathcenters #iteachmath #2ndgrademath #3rdgrademath #elementarymath #mathideas #makemathfun #mathmonday #mathmanipulatives #targetteachers #dollartreeclassrooms #tftpickme

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