School and the City

Ideas and Resources for Your Elementary Classroom

How to Rock Your Open House

Year six has officially kicked off, and I had a successful Sneak Peek with my new students. Here's a few things I've learned throughout the years: 1. Be explicit with visual instructions.    You may be mid-conversation when a new family walks in the door. Don't let them feel uncomfortable while they wait for you!    2. Make sure there is a (labeled) place for ... Read More about How to Rock Your Open House

3 Reasons to Use Choice Boards in Your Classroom

WHY You Should Use Choice Boards: There are so many research-based reasons to use choice boards in your classroom. Here are just a few reasons why I've found choice boards to be a valuable resource in my own classroom:     1. intrinsic motivation   Choice boards provide students the opportunity to make their own choices, which increases intrinsic motivation and ... Read More about 3 Reasons to Use Choice Boards in Your Classroom

Last Week of School: Art Day

I was inspired by Cult of Pedagogy to keep my classroom a rigorous, engaging, meaningful classroom environment EVEN on the last week of school. We usually do theme days during the last week. I stuck with the idea of theme days, but put a little more effort into them so that students' time was valued AND I was still able to wrk on packing up my classroom. One of our theme days was Art Day, and I ... Read More about Last Week of School: Art Day

Movie Day Ideas for the Last Day of School

The last day of school is complete - we did it! I survived my fifth year teaching, and I can genuinely say that I did my best to make every last moment count. I was totally inspired (and convicted) by The Cult of Pedagogy's article about the last week of school: What To Do On Lame Duck School Days. In her post, Jennifer provides a categorized list of low-prep, medium-prep, and high-prep ... Read More about Movie Day Ideas for the Last Day of School

Exploring Economics & Entrepreneurship With Desktop Stores

I've taught economics every year that I've been a teacher. (See my second grade plans here.) This year, however, I'm teaching third grade, and the standards are much deeper than what I've covered in the past! First, and foremost... BOOKS I'm doing my best to keep my classroom a print-rich environment for my students. I'm trying to keep my personal spending down by using my local public ... Read More about Exploring Economics & Entrepreneurship With Desktop Stores

Diversify Your Classroom Library

I was very lucky to get a Donors Choose project funded recently. I titled my project "Diverse Books for Diverse Readers," which I totally copied from my friend Erin over at The Elementary Darling! Erin created a list using suggestions from Vera, who has tons of suggestions over on her blog, The Tutu Teacher. Make sure to check out their posts, and see the list below of books I scored for my ... Read More about Diversify Your Classroom Library