School and the City

Ideas and Resources for Your Elementary Classroom

These Are a Few of My Favorite [Teacher} Things…

Whether you are looking to #treatyoself, add items to your wish list, or shop for the amazing teacher in your life, this is the list for you! Here are 5 items I truly CANNOT imagine my classroom without: 1. PAPER CUTTER This is one of those items that I didn't know what I was missing until I had this in my life. I use this ALL. THE. TIME. Seriously, at least once a day. I use it to pre-cut ... Read More about These Are a Few of My Favorite [Teacher} Things…

My Literacy Block

I receive a lot of questions about how I run my literacy block. At my school, our schedule is blocked out, but I have freedom to arrange my own blocks (if that makes sense). So my literacy block is 9:40 - 11:15, and this is what I've decided to do with it: We start right away with our minilesson. Students are fresh from recess and eat their snacks while I read and model strategies. From there, ... Read More about My Literacy Block

Thanksgiving Reading Freebie: Text Features

I am SO thankful for you, so I thought I'd share a freebie with you that I hope will be useful in your classroom! My text features products are some of my absolute favorites. I originally created them my own classroom. I needed a way to assess my students’ understanding of text features other than by observation, and I wanted the assessment to tie in curriculum and relevant content. Thus, ... Read More about Thanksgiving Reading Freebie: Text Features

Why I Hold Student-Led Conferences

At the end of the first quarter, teachers at my school are expected to hold conferences with each child's parents. This is the third year that I have chosen to do student-led conferences, and I don't plan on ever turning back! Let me tell you why: It takes a LOT of pressure off of me. Students do a lot of the preparation and the spotlight is on them.  Students take responsibility for their ... Read More about Why I Hold Student-Led Conferences

Writing Conferences

I'm really trying to be better about holding writing conferences this year. These simple questions have completely changed the quality of my writing conferences: 🔹 What did you write about? Why?🔹 What was the easiest part of your writing process?🔹 What was the most challenging part? I've found students to be very open and honest. It's helped me build relationships and obtain valuable ... Read More about Writing Conferences

DIY: Interactive Bulletin Board

My Curriculum Night was just a few weeks ago, and I wanted to find something to keep parents busy while they waited in the hallway. I decided to bring my students' writing to LIFE by recording themselves reading it! Here's a detailed tutorial to show you just how EASY it is!      I used the Voice Memos app on my iPhone to record students reading aloud. It was very easy to trim and alter if ... Read More about DIY: Interactive Bulletin Board