Hello from a snow day in Ohio (yes, on March 14th)!  I'm here with a few, last minute St. Patrick's Day ideas for you.  I hope you find some things you can use!  Enjoy. First up is a rainbow craft.  For years, my students completed this tissue paper rainbow craft.  It takes a long time but turns out so cute, and is perfect to leave up all spring!  This year, I transitioned to a tear-art rainbow...much quicker and just as cute! On St. Patrick's Day (or close to), we love doing a procedural writing about how to make a shamrock float!  Of course, our writi ..read more

 Hey friends!  It's almost Valentine's Day!  I'm here to share a few ideas with you.  Hope you can find something to snag for the upcoming holiday! Party Pack-This is one of my favorite Valentine's Day resources!  It's a party pack containing everything (minus treats, of course!) you'll need to plan a simple Vday party.  Some of the stations/activities included are: Valentine BINGO, friendship notes/pictures, candy heart Math, and MORE!  Take the stress out of planning a party with this pack! Click the cover to grab this pack! Valentine's Day B ..read more

Happy Sunday!  I hope you're having a wonderful weekend.  It's a snowy day here in Ohio...hopeful for a snow day tomorrow or later in the week!  Speaking of snow and winter, today's post is dedicated to all things WINTER!  Maybe you'll find some new ideas! Mini-Book: I love a mini-book!  Been using them my entire teaching career.  They are great for building vocabulary and reviewing trick words.  I also love leaving a mini-book for a sub!  This "winter" mini-book is perfect for the first day of winter, and really any time during the winter season!  ..read more

Hi, friends!  Hope you had a wonderful Christmas and are enjoying your well-deserved time off.  Today's post is featuring a few ideas for New Years!  We head back this week, and I'll be easing myself and my students back into things with a few fun New Years activities!  Check them out below: I Have, Who Has Game-So fun for Morning Meeting or as a time-filler.  To play, go over the vocabulary on the cards first.  Give each student a card.  Have students stand or sit in a circle.  The student with the first card reads it.  The game continues until all ..read more

Looking for some student gift ideas that won't break the bank?  Today I'm sharing two ideas for you!  I hope these help you during a very busy time! Snowman Soup Snowman Soup, aka hot chocolate in a bag, is a simple yet creative idea for a student gift.  Add the following to a ziploc bag: hot cocoa packet, candy cane(s), marshmallows, and Hershey kisses.  Seal the bag and staple a cute label to it.  I'm linking the free label I found HERE but you can grab a different one off TPT if you want....Lots of choices!  Instant gift.  Total cost: around $12.00 fo ..read more

Magic Play Doh is a fun first day/first week activity to do with your students.  You can either make homemade doh (more time consuming, obviously!) or purchase pre-made doh (see affiliate link HERE).  *You want your dough to be white/cream.  Roll balls with the dough.  Add a few drops of food coloring inside (see affiliate link HERE).  Place the balls inside of individual baggies.  Staple copies of my free poem to the bags.  Read the poem together as a class.  *There is a large size of the poem included in my download.  Pass out the bags of dough an ..read more

Up until a few years ago, I tied kids' shoes all the time.  They asked, I tied.  Touched laces that were soaking wet with who knows what.  Touched the shoes that were covered in mud.  I am almost 42 years old with a lot of orthopedic issues.  Bending down is NOT easy!  A few years ago, I vowed to stop tying shoes.  GASP.  My orthopedic issues were the straw that broke the camel's back.  No more tying and you know what?  It's been fantastic!  Let me tell you why. Kids WANT to learn to tie.  Research shows that children are development ..read more

Setting up your classroom is stressful and exhausting, and just when you get everything "just so," the phone rings and it's the secretary saying "Hi Mr./Mrs. ____.  You're getting a new student."  You find yourself scrambling, looking through everything you've JUST PUT AWAY AND ORGANIZED.  Can this be?!  10 minutes until your meet the teacher event!?!   The story highlighted above has absolutely happened to me more than once, and I'm betting it's happened to you as well.  If it hasn't yet....it will.   Don't worry, though.  I've got you covered ..read more

It's always fun to leave a little something on your students' desks for your Open House/Meet the Teacher event.  If you don't have one of these events, leaving a snack on your students' desks for the first day of school is a great alternative!  Over the years, I've given many things, but the favorite so far seems to be food!  I can't blame the kids; who doesn't love a delicious snack!?   These sweet little snack tags are perfect for leaving a treat for your incoming students.  Available in color and black and white.  Two sizes to choose from.  ..read more

Throughout my entire teaching career, I have utilized some sort of take-home folder system.  When I first started teaching, we used folders that were ONLY take home folders.  A few years in, I began using data binders, which served as take home folders and data trackers for students and families.  In more recent years, I've used take home resource folders.  They serve as a transporting mechanism to get papers to and from school as well as providing resources for students and families to refer to while doing homework, reading, etc... Let's take a look at what's inside my fo ..read more