5 Activities for the First Week of School We know that the first week of school should be all about teaching procedures and building classroom community – but how can we do that in a meaningful way? With all the things that need to happen at the beginning of the year, it can be hard to come up with activities for the first week of school. Here are some ideas. Ideas for First Week of School Activities The first week of school should be focused on getting to know each other and learning about the classroom. Here are 5 ideas of meaningful first week of school activities. Decorate a Name…
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9 Back to School Tips for a Successful Start to the Year
9 Back to School Tips Back to school is just around the corner! Whether you start back in just a few weeks or still have a whole month ahead of you, you’ve likely already started getting ready for the first days of school. I know that back to school can be such an overwhelming time, and it can be hard to keep track of all the things you need to do. To help you out, I’ve compiled some of my favorite back to school tips to help you start the year off on a good note! Tips for Back to School The beginning of the year is really important to…
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6 Fun Math Holidays That You Should Be Celebrating
Math Holidays to Celebrate at School There are a lot of celebrations during the school year in various subjects that are celebrated in schools. In reading, there’s Read Across America Week; history/social studies can easily observe any historical holiday such as Martin Luther King Jr. Day or Black History month; and in science, we often celebrate events like eclipses or rocket launches. But what about math holidays? Though not as well known, there are actually several math holidays that take place throughout the year that we can easily celebrate with our students! One – Math 2.0 Day – actually takes place tomorrow on July 8th! Fortunately, there are many that…
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9 Classroom Organization Hacks for the Summer
Classroom Organization Hacks Summer break is just around the corner (or already here, for some of you!), and that means it’s time to pack up and organize your classroom for the summer. It can be a pain to have to move things around, only to move them back when the new school year starts. However, there are ways you can organize your classroom right now as you pack up to make it much easier on you in the fall! Here are some summer classroom organization hacks to help you out. Classroom Storage Hacks First, let’s talk about storage. Having great storage options is key for keeping things organized! If you…
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This is the Best End of Year Activity for Your Classroom
My Favorite End of Year Activity The end of the school year can be hard, especially if you still have a few weeks left after finishing your content instruction for the year. On the one hand, we want to leave our students with pleasant memories of our final days together. On the other hand, we still want our time together to be meaningful and structured. How can we as teachers facilitate both of these things in such a crazy and stressful time? Well, I have the perfect end of year activity for you to try. An Easy End of Year Activity Two years ago, I was in this exact situation.…
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5 Geometry Games for 2nd Grade That Will Excite Your Students
Geometry Games for 2nd Grade Geometry – that is, 2D and 3D shapes and attributes – is one of my absolute favorite units to teach in math. This is partly because geometry in 2nd grade is a very visual subject, and I am a visual learner. Geometry is also very hands-on and active for your physical learners as well! Today, I’m sharing some of my favorite geometry games for 2nd grade that I think your students will love. 5 Low-Prep Geometry Games These are some of my favorite games that help students gain a better understanding of shapes and their attributes. The best part about these games is that they…
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How to Teach Word Problems to Every Type of Learner
How to Teach Word Problems Word problems are one of the most complex skills to teach in elementary math. At the same time, they are also the most practical skill. It is so important that our students understand how to solve word problems, yet many teachers struggle with helping their students succeed with this skill. Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be hard. Keep reading to learn how to teach word problems like a boss. The problem with many traditional math curriculums is that they only cater to one type of learner. As a teacher, you know very well that there is way more than one type of learner out there!…
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How to Teach Money Using Games and Activities
How to Teach Money Money is one of my absolute favorite units to teach because it is so real life. That was a weird sentence, but you know what I mean? Everyone uses money. Kids are fascinated by money. There are so many real-world experiences we can create for our students when teaching money. Counting coins, making change, adding money – these are all super practical skills that we use every single day and the best part is students KNOW they will use these skills. The buy in is already there! As teachers, we just need to make sure we keep it interesting. Today, I’m sharing how to teach money…
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6 Dice Games for Math That Are Simple and Fun (+FREEBIE)
Dice Games for Math Want a quick and easy way to instantly make math more fun for your students? Give them some dice. Seriously – the simplest math activity becomes 100x more fun when dice are involved. Fortunately, there are so many ways to use dice in the math classroom for various concepts. Today I’m sharing with you 6 of my favorite dice games for math. Math Dice Games for 2nd Grade 1. Make That Number Make that Number is a simple dice game to practice addition and subtraction. All you need is 2 or 3 dice and a list of numbers 0-12 (for 2 dice) or 0-18 (for 3…
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Guest Post: 5 Engaging Sight Word Games
Teaching Sight Words using Engaging Sight Word Games Today on the blog, Erin from Classrooms and Cats shares all about her favorite engaging sight word games that she uses in her classroom, and hopes that you will implement in yours as well! Hello friends, my name is Erin Custer and I blog over at Classrooms and Cats! I have been a Transitional Kindergarten teacher for 7 years and I am all about helping other teachers find fun and engaging ways to help their students learn. Early Education is where I have spent my entire 10 year teaching career and it is my passion. I am eager to share my ideas…
