Literacy

Professional Development

3 Comprehension Strategies for Second Grade Guided Reading

You sit down at your table, get your readers reading, then freeze. Oh no! I need to check for comprehension. What will my focus be? If you have followed me for even a few months, you probably have heard me share about my guided reading journey. It took some time, but once I found my […]

The Best Holiday Resources for Primary Teachers

This time of year can be hectic. Between the celebrations, grades due, and sugared-up students, I know it can be hard to write lesson plans and include meaningful activities. So I wanted to put together an ultimate list of holiday resources that are perfect for kindergarten, first, and second grade to make lesson planning as […]

Start Effectively Using Mentor Texts for Writer’s Workshop

If you see a teacher lurking around the school library piling up books, scouring the latest Scholastic magazine, and raiding the literacy library, you know she’s probably just hunting for more mentor texts for writer’s workshop. For primary teachers, mentor texts play such an important role in our teaching of the youngest authors.  A mentor […]

How to Teach Guided Reading Level D: A Complete Guide

I hear many comments from teachers like this one from Angela: “I used to dread guided reading, but now it’s one of my favorite parts of the day.” How did she get from agonizing over guided reading level D to looking forward to it? By learning how to prepare, plan, and implement engaging and intentional […]

How to Set Up a Classroom Library and Include Kids Easily

In this post you will learn how to easily allow your students to help set up your classroom library. My first year in the classroom my kids rarely touched my books. I had books that I would share with them every month or few weeks, but I guarded SO many books with my life. What? […]

20 Tips for Tackling Your First Year of Teaching

Do you feel like you are barely surviving your first year of teaching? I know the feeling! Here are 20 tried and true tips for surviving your first year of teaching!

I remember it like it was yesterday.  My first year of teaching was a doozy. If you hang around here often, you probably are familiar with my first year of teaching story. I met a principal who I just fell in love with at our school’s career fair. I knew I wanted to work for […]

9 Must Make Anchor Charts for Social Studies

9 Must Make Anchor Charts for Social Studies--the 2nd and 5th are so simple to create! Students will love referring to these graphic organizers while learning in the classroom or homeschool room. #socialstudies #anchorcharts

Anchor charts are a classroom favorite for so many of us! Sometimes we, especially as females, get so discouraged when we see other people’s anchor charts and how perfect they look.  Friends, let me let you in on a secret–mine were NEVER perfect! As a matter of fact, some of the social studies anchor charts […]

3 Tips for Surviving Until the End of School

Sometimes the end of the year makes you want to pull your hair out! These 3 tips are just what you need to make it through!

The end of the year is so close for some of you! I read 15 days by someone this morning.  Can you see the summer? It’s also the time of year when you are exhausted, worn out, your brain hurts, the kids can easily go crazy in the blink of an eye. Today I wanted […]

Classroom Loves!

Love is in the air!!!….or maybe not, but we all have things that we love for our classroom! Today I’m linking up with Primary Powers to share my Classroom Loves! The last 2 years I have gone with a Target planner by Sugar Paper.  I love it! It’s less than $10 and it gets the […]

Meet the Teacher Linky

It has been a few years since I have done a little “Meet the Teacher” here on the blog.  I have gained a few followers since then so I thought it was about time! I’m linking up with Falling Into First to share a little about myself today! I married my college sweetheart! Most of […]

Bright Ideas for Birthdays

Simple DIY chair for celebrating birthdays in the classroom! My students couldn't WAIT to sit in it on their birthday! Also check out this simple birthday gift idea! #TeacherTips #ClassroomManagement

Birthdays are so special! Let’s make classroom birthdays fun, but keep them simple! I wanted to share this idea that my AMAZING mentor teacher passed on to me.  Mrs. Wilson gets all the credit for this first birthday Bright Idea! For birthdays in our classroom we have a special Birthday Chair! When I was student […]

My Sweet, Sweet Blessing is HERE!

On May 26th,  super early in the morning,  Canaan Luke was welcomed into the world.  Ryan and I are BEYOND smitten with this little guy.  I’ll just leave you with a FEW of the gazillion pictures we have taken. Yeah, yeah, I know what they say about pacis.  But I am learning that everyone is […]

Bright Ideas for iPads

I’m linking up today with a group of fabulous bloggers to share some “bright ideas” for iPads in an early elementary classroom. Now, I’m not guaranteeing this will be anything that changes your life, but I will say that these few changes have worked wonderfully in my classroom! I am blessed to have a school […]

Last Minute Christmas Gifts

It seems this year, more than any other, I am not prepared for Christmas. Usually my shopping was complete 2 weeks ago, gifts were wrapped and under the tree, and the house was filled with yummy smells!  Let’s be honest…I just finished this morning. This year has been different.  I have just been too tired […]

Thanksgiving Fun Coming Up!

I love this time of year! Thanksgiving and Christmas are both just around the corner.  I am one of those people that my drives my husband crazy.  The red Starbucks cups come out, the cooler weather is sticking around longer, and so what else do I do?? Naturally, I listen to Christmas music! I. Love. […]

Peek at My Week and some Freebies!

I’m still here!!! It has been almost a month since I last blogged.  Kindergarten is just keeping me busy, busy, busy this year! Along with our adoption, family, trying to stay healthy, and Aggie football games my little blog has just taken a back burner. I thought I’d pop in to share a Peek at […]

Facebook 700 Follower GIveaway!

This summer I decided to start a little Facebook Fan page for my blog.  What started out as just a summer project, turned into a page with 700 followers!! I am so excited and humbled that there are 700 people who would want to follow along! I thought it was time for a little giveaway! […]

Which type of professional development interests you?