Every morning, I have a ritual that kickstarts my brain and sets the tone for the day: diving into the New York Times Connections game. I’m not just a fan; I’m downright obsessed. It’s the perfect blend of challenge and satisfaction, and it got me thinking: why not bring this excitement into the classroom? Seeing the game’s popularity and its knack for drawing connections between The post Making Your Own Connections Game: A Fun Classroom Innovation appeared first on Minds in Bloom ..read more

Just the other night, my best friend sent me the cutest video of her daughter reading me a book. She’s stepping into the big world of reading, and boy, was she excited to show off her new skills! The book she picked? “What’s the Opposite.” It was one of those sweet coincidences because National Opposite Day was just a couple days away. This adorable moment The post Opposite Day Activities in the Classroom! Flip the Tale! appeared first on Minds in Bloom ..read more

If you’re like me, you know that the life of a teacher extends far beyond the final bell. As much as we love igniting those little sparks of knowledge in our students, we are well-acquainted with the after-school grading hours spent buried in piles of papers. From grading student work to keeping classroom materials in order, managing papers is an integral part of our daily The post Grading Papers, Organizing Work, and Getting It All Ready to Send Home FAST! appeared first on Minds in Bloom ..read more

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from years of teaching 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders, it’s this: understanding place value is absolutely crucial. It’s one of the most fundamental concepts in our number system, and without it, tackling larger numbers, decimal numbers, and mathematical operations could seem like solving a cryptic puzzle to our students. Throughout this post will be different resources for you to The post Teaching Place Value So Students Truly Understand appeared first on Minds in Bloom ..read more

In case you haven’t heard, artificial intelligence (AI) is taking over the world. Maybe not in the Skynet/apocalypse sense, but the topic has been everywhere since the release of ChatGPT in November of 2022.  As the leader of an EdTech company serving over 10,000 schools each year, it didn’t take long for me to realize AI would immediately affect our industry, the broader world of The post AI in the Classroom: 3 Questions to Ask appeared first on Minds in Bloom ..read more

Yes, Financial Literacy Can Be the Backbone of Your Classroom Management Strategy! How many times have you found yourself searching for classroom management strategies that not only keep your class engaged but also teach them valuable life skills? If your answer is “too many times to count,” then you’re in the right place! Today, we’re going to dive into a strategy that’s a game-changer: integrating The post Financial Literacy: The Best Year-Long Classroom Management Strategy appeared first on Minds in Bloom ..read more

Make Your Students Responsible For Their Own Pencils and Other Supplies Let’s jump straight into something we’re all too familiar with – students misplacing their supplies.  Every teacher, at some point, has experienced the constant cycle of a pencil gone missing, the mysterious disappearance of an eraser, or the vanishing act of a pair of headphones. It seems like we’re in a never-ending detective story, The post Managing Classroom Supplies: Cultivate Responsibility in Students appeared first on Minds in Bloom ..read more

Music Can Boost Your Child’s Mental Health- Here’s How! Music has some great benefits in our life! It helps to reduce stress. And also has the power to heal our mind and soul. Do you know that 92.1% of parents in the U.S. played music to their kids? Yes!  Most of us know and appreciate the advantages of music. And we also make use of its The post How Music Can Boost Your Child’s Mental Health appeared first on Minds in Bloom ..read more

Finding The Right Coding Class (Freebie included!) We live in a world that is becoming more and more digital every day. One skill that’s super important is coding. It’s not just for tech wizzes anymore; it’s for everyone. Schools are adding more classes centered around coding each year, and we are seeing coding transition from being considered an elective class to becoming a core class. The post Finding the Perfect Coding Class for Elementary Students appeared first on Minds in Bloom ..read more

Report Card Comments I know personally the power report card comments can have on a student. When I was in 5th grade, my teacher wrote a comment on the back of my report card: “Cassi is a bright girl.” All these years later, I still remember that report comment and how good it made me feel. More than just a reflection of grades, report card The post 100+ Student Report Card Comments appeared first on Minds in Bloom ..read more