You’ve probably heard it a million times. Relationships are at the core of successful teaching. You can’t expect students to care about learning until they know you care about them. So it's important to build a strong connection with students. When students feel connected to their teacher and to one another they perform better socially ... Continue Reading
A Simple Problem Solving Strategy That Works Every Time
I love teaching math. And not just any math, but word problems especially. There, I said it. I love teaching word problems. I know not all teachers share my fondness for word problems. And many students dread them. But I’m going to share a simple problem-solving strategy that will have you and your students loving word problems ... Continue Reading
Giving Students Feedback About Their Writing
When I was a new teacher, I dreaded teaching writing. I am embarrassed to admit that I actually got excited about a fire drill because it gave me an excuse to skip our writing time for the day. The reality is that I had no idea how to help students become better writers. No one taught me that in college! My lessons were too broad and I really ... Continue Reading
Virtual and Socially Distant Valentine’s Day Activities
Valentine’s Day is right around the corner? Are you ready? Whether you are teaching online or in-person, Valentine’s Day might look a little bit different this year. Many of our traditional holiday activities just aren’t possible. But just because we are socially distancing doesn’t mean we can’t share the love. In fact, our students probably ... Continue Reading
How to Use Project-Based Learning in the Classroom
Are you looking for a new way to keep students engaged and motivated in the middle of the school year? Why not try project-based learning? What is Project-Based Learning? Project-based learning (PBL) is a student-centered teaching method that encourages learning through engaging curriculum-based problems or challenges. Students start with a ... Continue Reading
A Fun and Free Inauguration Day Resource
On Wednesday, January 20, 2021 Joe Biden will be sworn in as the 46th President of the U.S. Inauguration Day, which only happens once every four years, is a special opportunity to teach students about history in real time. And this Inauguration Day Resource makes it easy to teach students about this special day. If you studied the ... Continue Reading
Starting Writing Fresh in the New Year
There’s a common expression that “September is the other January.” The return to a structured schedule is a natural time to set new goals and settle into new routines. This happens at the start of every school year. But in the classroom, the opposite is also true. January is the other September. In September you set goals and establish classroom ... Continue Reading
Improving the Quality of Student Work in Centers
I love centers. And so did my students. We did math and reading centers almost every day. Centers can be an incredibly valuable time in your classroom---or it can just be a time filler. If students are not producing quality independent work, then it is not a good use of time. Here are a few tips for improving the quality of student work in ... Continue Reading
60 Free Writing Prompts (and when to use them in your classroom)
Right now, some of my long-time followers are thinking that I have lost my mind. "Writing prompts? But, Jamie, you hate writing prompts!" It's true. I have spent several years teaching about the reasons that I don't use prompts in my writing workshop. I will keep spreading the word, but I also recognize that there is a time and a place for a ... Continue Reading
5 Ways to Spend Less Time at School (and still be an amazing teacher)
I resisted becoming a teacher. I had friends and family members who were teachers and I saw how much time they spent working at school and working at home. That scared me because I wanted to be a mom. I was worried about how to be an effective teacher and mother. When I finally gave in to my desire to be a teacher, I went in determined to be ... Continue Reading
Grab these FREE 60 writing prompts for grades 2-5.