Blog - School and the City

Opening a New Classroom After the Start of the Year

On a recent Instagram story, I mentioned that we earned a new unit for our 3rd grade team. I'm not sure how common this is, but you all had lots of questions for me! I had 25 students in my class, which is the state maximum for first, second, and third grades. However, we had to wait for the ten day attendance count and allotment funding to come through before hiring a new teacher. We were so ... Read More about Opening a New Classroom After the Start of the Year

What To Do With All Those Dust Jackets

So you have a ton of dust jackets from all the amazing new books you picked up over the summer. Now what? Every new classroom I've moved into has provided me with new dust jackets to inherit. I don't know why teachers leave them behind... maybe they are a lot like me and just can't bear to trash them! of course I ended up with a bunch of dust jackets of my own, too, and had to ask my Instagram ... Read More about What To Do With All Those Dust Jackets

4 Must-Read Novels for Educators

I love to read, and chances are that you do too. As educators, we often read children's literature to stay in-the-know and professional books to improve our practices. But how often do we read fictional novels that can teach us just as much as a teacher textbook? Years ago, when I was in college, my mom (Hi, mom!) handed me a book and said, "If you're going to be a teacher, you need to read ... Read More about 4 Must-Read Novels for Educators

Curriculum Night

Every year, my school does a Curriculum Night. You might call this Open House, Parent Night, or something along those lines. Basically, parents are invited into the classroom (without their students) to learn about: grade level curriculum content resources standardized testing schoolwide expectations PBIS important policies like transportation changes classroom ... Read More about Curriculum Night

How I’m Managing a Split-Level Math Class (Guided Math)

No matter what type of class we teach, we always have a range of levels that requires many levels of differentiation. I know. It's a challenge that all teachers face. However, I'm facing a new challenge this year: a split-level math class. For me, that means half of my class is starting at the beginning of the third grade curriculum (place value and rounding), while the other half is starting ... Read More about How I’m Managing a Split-Level Math Class (Guided Math)

The First Week of 3rd Grade: Day by Day Plans

Last year, I blogged about my first week of third grade. That's still a good resource for you if you're looking for ideas, but I did change things up just a little this year, so I thought I'd provide some more details for you to help you plan some first week of school activities. Eeeek! By clicking “Send It to Me!” you are consenting to receive emails from School and the City. Your ... Read More about The First Week of 3rd Grade: Day by Day Plans