Earlier this afternoon I posted this picture on Instagram.... I received a few messages after posting regaring the containers I used for organization, so I thought I'd take a minute to break it all down in case anyone else is curious, too! Storage containers, Sterilite drawers, and clear shoe organizers!!!  Affordable and efficient!!! I absolutely love the clear shoe organizer (I found mine at Wal Mart for right around $7) for catching lots of odds and ends that would typically end up in a drawer and eventually find themselves at the bottom of said drawer leaving me baffled and ..read more

Yes YOU. The one whose weary body hits snooze 5 times before hurriedly rushing out the door to get to school on time.  I'm talking to you. The permanently positive teacher who slides into the classroom on rainbows and dreads the end of the school year because it means having to say goodbye to your students.   I'm talking to you. And all of you amazing teachers in between.   I'm talking to you, too. To the teacher who doesn't like a classroom full of stuff and has opted for a more streamlined and calming decor scheme, IT'S OKAY.  It doesn't mean you're not ..read more

As the end-of-the-year quickly approaches, we often find ourselves looking for exciting ways to engage our kids, keep their interest, and teach them all the way until the last day.  Okay, okay....the last week(ish), LOL.  So often Science and Social Studies take a backseat to the daily demands of math and literacy, but there are SO many ways to incorporate science on a cross-curricular level.  Why not end the year with a BANG and incorporate hands-on science activities that include a literacy and math component as well?!   Abby and I created a year's worth of The Science ..read more

Can y'all believe we're already (quickly) approaching the end of April?!  WHERE DID THE YEAR GO?!  Our babies get out at the end of May and you know how May goes.  Everything sort of hits us at once.  Cinco de Mayo, Mother's Day, testing, assessment after assessment, portfolios, cumulative folders, plays, musicals, field trips, graduation, etc., etc., etc.  Try as we may to be on top of things, sometimes the inevitable just sneaks up on us!  For me, that is usually Mother's Day.  I always think I have more time to plan and prep.  What about you?! Well t ..read more

If you're anything like me, as a teacher you love teaching thematically.  SO much content can be covered on a cross-curricular level...so many connections can be made... when taking this approach to instruction.  And because most public schools don't support teaching about Easter, this is a great time of the year for teaching all about oviparous and viviparous animals!  Today I wanted to share with you a few activities and read alouds I love incorporating in my plans this time of the year. No thematic unit of learning is complete without a good set of read alouds!  These ..read more

Today we're talking all about sight words.  Specifically, my top 5 effective tips for making sight words STICK!  So often we as teachers focus on assessing our student's sight word automaticity in isolation, but overlook the need to reinforce that same instant recall when identifying sight words in context.  We assume that easily reading sight words in context will be a by-product of focused instruction of words in isolation, right?! TRUTH:  I would always get so frustrated when my kids would recall words in isolation with NO problem, but when reading them in context ..read more

Happy first day of Spring to you!!! To be completely honest, I'm not sure Texas even had a winter.  Well, not much of one anyway.  A few chilly days, but nothing to write home about.  I'm definitely NOT complaining....I'm cold when the temps dip below 80 degrees...but it's crazy to think it's already SPRING!!!!   And you know what that means?!  Summer break is only 48 short days away...but who's counting?! #andalltheteacherssaidAMEN Now let's get on with the reason we're here! WEATHER. Y'all.  Have I told you before that this is one of my most favorite them ..read more

We're a week away from celebrating St. Patrick's Day, so I thought it would be the perfect time to First, let's talk behavior.  I always get a lot of questions about behavior management.  You will never hear me say I have it all figured out.  Nor will I declare that all of my ducks are always in their rows.  However, I do know that sometimes the novelty of what we're doing wears off and when it does our kids become less engaged in learning and more apt to act unfavorably.  I've found that changing up behavior incentives at different points during the year really seems ..read more

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day and today I'm at home nursing a sick child.  There is nothing worse than not being able to help your baby feel better.  This just STINKS.  We could absolutely use the prayers.  Fevers scare the daylights out of me...especially when the Motrin/Tylenol combo doesn't do a thing to relieve them.  For those of you who will be at school tomorrow, here are a few activities you can implement for a little extra fun.  Of course, they'll work perfectly for the month of February as well so no need to put them away after all the Valentine excitemen ..read more

Can y'all believe it's almost already Valentine's Day?  Does it seem someone pressed fast forward on February?  Or nah?  Well...that's what it feels like to me.   Moving on. Since Valentine's Day is just a few short days away, I wanted to share a writing activity & a printable treat tag that you might be able to put to use in your classroom this coming week.  First up, let's talk tags.  I absolutely LOVE Valentine's Day and love gifting different treats to students, co-workers, friends, and family.  There's just something my Kindergarten heart loves ab ..read more