School and the City

Ideas and Resources for Your Elementary Classroom

4 Ways to Make Grammar Fun

It's hard to make grammar fun or engaging. I totally get it. I'd love to share a few of my favorites with you! 1. Picture Books, of Course First off, I LOVE the Words are CATegorical books, and my students do too. They've actually been on my wish list for years, but I don't own any hard copies. Many of these books can be found on Epic, so I typically read the eBook with ... Read More about 4 Ways to Make Grammar Fun

How to Use PDF Resources Digitally

Are you face-to-face or virtual? My district is currently all virtual, at least for the time being. I want to make sure that you are equipped to use resources you already have with your students, albeit digitally. Use what you already have - no need to completely reinvent the wheel! I have three tips for you to use PDF resources digitally. Work smarter, not harder! I'm going to ... Read More about How to Use PDF Resources Digitally

The First Week of Virtual School

I'm still shocked and in disbelief, but here we are planning for the first week of virtual school. We will be starting the school year virtually this year. In the past, I've shared with you my day-by-day plans for the first week of school. These plans won't exactly work this year, but many elements will. While I don't know exactly what "school" is going to look like this year, I do know ... Read More about The First Week of Virtual School

5 Ways to Get to Know Your New Students

Here are 5 of my favorite, tried and true ways that I use to get to know my new students. Teachers and students alike will love this back to school community building activities! 1. Survey Your Students I think it's so important to survey your students during the first week of school! I typically use surveys as morning work and keep them to refer to all year long. There are tons of free ... Read More about 5 Ways to Get to Know Your New Students

Look Inside a Choice Board

Choice boards are a staple in my classroom. I’ve explained why and how to use choice boards and even how to get started with choice boards. Maybe at this point I've convinced you how amazing choice boards are. They are truly a MUST-HAVE in my classroom - but I'll spare you the lecture! Have you been thinking about dipping your toes in by trying one of my choice boards? I ... Read More about Look Inside a Choice Board

Virtual Class Meetings: Theme and Activity Ideas

I have virtual class meetings with my students twice a week. They are not academic - purely for social and community purposes. I give each meeting a theme to give us some structure and something to do! ⁣ Here are the themes I've tried: Would You Rather I prepared a bunch of Would You Rather questions which turned into a whole bunch of silly discussions! Show and Tell Students ... Read More about Virtual Class Meetings: Theme and Activity Ideas