My first year of teaching, I was given the idea to place small tags on my student desks. The purpose of these tags were to make it easier for me to group students. I used different emojis, figurative language terms, numbers, and fractions to group students. It was always a quick way for me to get students into different groups regularly without having to put too much thought into it. Since then, I have lost the original desk tags I used. However, I have since created two different resources teachers of primary, intermediate, and even middle school grades can use! The primary desk tags ..read more

  I have always loved to have students fill out banners for various occasions, because it adds personality to our classroom and gives students a sense of belonging!  I decided to create my own pack of back to school banners, allowing teachers to choose from 6 different options! This also might allow for students to choose which banner style they want to fill out, depending on if the teacher gives students the option to choose! I hope you all can utilize these banners well this upcoming school year!  To download the banners, click here to go to my TPT page ..read more

The beginning of the school year is a crazy time for everyone! If you're like me, you are probably trying to think of new creative first-day of school activities that don't require a lot of prep!  I have been using a classroom scavenger hunt for a few years now. I have found that it helps orient the kiddos to our classroom while also avoiding a long boring lecture! It gives the students a chance to move around and interact with their peers while also finding resources in our classroom in a way that is more likely to stick in their brains! I love this activity because it is simple and e ..read more

 Hello! As I said in my previous post, I really want to take this summer to read as much as possible. I am looking to read a lot of children's and middle grade fiction this summer so I have some great recommendations at the start of the 2021-2022 school year. I'm also looking for books that would be GREAT for a novel study! :) With that being said, I have picked out 5 books that I'm excited to read next! In the video, I share the 5 books and why I chose them; however, I also want to spotlight a book I am currently reading with my class and loving!!!  You have probably heard of One ..read more

 11 Professional Developments To Read This Summer! Hello friends! It's almost summer! Thank goodness!!! I'm really looking forward to this summer! Usually I nanny, but I think this summer I'm going to prioritize my learning! I plan to: 1. Read as many children's and middle grade diverse fiction books as I can 2. Read 11 professional development books! 3. Prioritize my Spanish tutoring 4. Take writing classes through MasterClass and work on my writing skills I am always looking for more professional development books that teachers LOVE, so if you have any recommendations, PLEASE leave the ..read more

  One of my favorite reads from 2020 was A Night Divided by Jennifer A. Nielsen. It was such a phenomenal historical fiction on a topic that is not often written about, at least not in Middle Grade Fiction - the Berlin Wall!  Synopsis of the Book: A Night Divided is about a young girl named Gerta who wakes up one morning to see that a wall has been built around East Berlin, separating all who live in East Berlin from West Berlin. This is particularly devastating news to Gerta and her family, because her father and brother traveled to West Berlin the night before. Gerta lives ..read more

I am a big fan of New Year’s resolutions. I know it’s common for people to start resolutions and then give up around February or March, but I think goal setting is important for a happy and healthy person. It’s good to have something to work towards, no matter how big or small it is!  Personally, I usually create a 52 Books in 52 Weeks reading challenge which functions as my main New Year’s Resolution because it brings me joy and I know it is attainable but still a challenge for me. I use a challenge list (from the ATY in 52 Books Goodreads group) which pushes me out of my comfort zone ..read more

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1. A book with a title that doesn't contain the letters A, T or Y Wicked Fox I DNF’d this about 3/4 of the way through. I honestly just can’t keep reading pointless scenes. Just pointless scenes. I love the cover and the premise was decent, but the characters are flat, it’s too contemporary and there is just too much added in that is unnecessary and I couldn’t keep wasting my time. I couldn’t focus. 2. A book by an author whose last name is one syllable Fable haven #2: Rise of the Evening Star The series continued to engage me and the kiddos. 3. A book that you are pr ..read more

I'm back at it again! I cannot wait. I LOVED this challenge.  Here is the new list! 1. A book that was nominated for or won an award in a genre you enjoy  Flame in the Mist There were definitely times when reading this that I thought to myself, "really?" But who am I kidding? I eat the kind of unrealistic romance-drama in this type of book up! I enjoyed that it related to Mulan. Although, I tried to make my voice sound manly when reading one of Maiko's lines, and I definitely did not sound like a man. So I'm not quite sure how she pulled that one off for so long. The romance wen ..read more