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Let’s Talk Math!
Math is not my friend, to put it kindly. I have struggled with math my whole life so when it came time to teach math, I felt sick to my stomach. Turns out, I really enjoy teaching math with my first graders! I love doing stations with them and being able to make math fun. As a new teacher though, I really struggle with finding ways to collect data that is quick and easy for me. But I’ve found a way and here is my little secret: math fact fluency tests. I give my students a 32 equation math fact fluency test every Friday. They have 2 minutes to solve…
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The Big Classroom Reveal!
Even though school has technically begun, I still wanted to have a classroom reveal. Before we get into the good stuff, I need to disclaim that I pour my heart and soul into my classroom. I spend 5 days and 40+ hours a week in this room. It would be insanely hard for me to work and enjoy coming to work if it did not feel like an extension of my home. This career is my passion so I enjoy buying things for my job. It’s more than ok if you choose not to spend money on your classroom! There are moments where I realize I can’t either and it’s…
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Outer Space Classroom Theme: Birthday Edition
Let’s talk student birthdays! This is a topic that I really enjoy talking about with other teachers. Everyone has a great way of celebrating their students and making sure they feel special! One thing that I’ve noticed all teachers need is a birthday bulletin so obviously that means I had to create one for my outer space classroom theme. (PS- Don’t miss out on a super cute freebie at the end of this blog post!) My First Year Birthday Traditions When it comes to celebrating my students, I took a lot of little ideas from everywhere. So my tradition from my first year of teaching is as follows: every month,…
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Outer Space Classroom Theme- Math Displays
Confession: I HATE MATH! I know that I am not alone in this at all but trust me when I tell you I hate math. Honestly, “hate” doesn’t even accurately describe my feelings toward it. So when I realized that I will be teaching all subjects (aka MATH), I died a little inside…at first. If you missed it, I am moving from second grade ELA and Social Studies to self contained first grade. You can read all about the trauma of me going through it here. But, I have decided to turn the page and get myself PUMPED for this grade level change. After much thought, I figured moving rooms…
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Outer Space Classroom Decor- Alphabet Posters
Well if you missed the news, I’m switching grading levels! Next year I will be teaching first grade. Trust me, I was completely shocked but I am so excited for this move! If you want to read more about my reaction to the news, you can click here. But if you’re all caught up, let’s talk about my absolute favorite part about having my own classroom: DECOR! I am so obsessed with creating a fun, calm, and inviting learning space. Not only do I want it to be beautiful and exciting for my students, but I NEED it for my own mental health and sanity. I cannot work in a…
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Outer Space Classroom Decor- Word Wall Headers
Welcome back, my friend! I am still obsessing and working hard over this outer space classroom decor set. There have been so many friends already enjoying the outer space theme so I am not going to stop creating until my fingers fall off. Haha! Today I wanted to talk about word walls… I absolutely, positively did not have a word wall last year. There I said it! There was totally a designated spot for my word wall but the only time it was touched was when my students would rip off the command hooks that I planned on hanging binder rings of words on. Sooo it was a total first…
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Words Their Way Spelling Lists
Spelling tests! I feel like there are some teachers who hate them and don’t think they are beneficial but I’m a first year teacher so I like to try things for myself. So far, I personally think that it’s a good way to see that students are practicing independently and utilizing study skills! But, like I said, it is my first year teaching so I have plenty of time to change my mind. 😉 For now, I needed to create my own spelling lists because that’s not something that is provided for me. (First year teacher problem: thinking that spelling lists are something you don’t need to create…) How I…
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Red Nose Day Children’s Activities!
Well my friends, it’s that time of year again! Red Nose Day is May 23 this year and I’m so excited. If you don’t know what Red Nose Day is, HAVE YOU BEEN LIVING UNDER A ROCK?!? If you shop at Walgreens, you’re probably asked or reminded of it every 30 seconds. But I promise you, it’s for a good cause! Red Nose Day was created by Comic Relief in the UK to bring awareness to child poverty. In 2015, the United States decided to bring awareness to this issue. Walgreens is just one of many sponsors and they collect donations by selling fun items that everyone can wear on…
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End of the Year Gift Tags for Students and Staff
I have so many friends on the amazing Instagram teacher community that are so close to the end of the year and I’m not going to lie… I’m JEALOUS! I still have about 7 weeks left. But even though I am jealous, I am so excited for them. I absolutely love seeing how teachers about the world celebrate the end of the school year with their students! I absolutely loved coming up with these peanut free candy puns! I truly appreciate a good pun. It was really important for me to also make sure that I made these end of the year gift tags for students and staff with peanut…
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Let’s Talk Classroom Management for Substitute Teachers!
If you have been hanging out with me from the start, you know that I was a day-to-day substitute in my current school for 3 months before I transitioned to different long-term positions. When I was an ESL push-in, I would get pulled to substitute pretty frequently. Before I started my long-term positions, I was trying my best to make an impression on the office staff and teachers that I was substituting for in hopes of being kept in mind for any openings the next school year! I learned very quickly that the most challenging part of substituting teaching is having a concrete way to have classroom management for every…
