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Celebrating Holidays in the Classroom: Halloween without the Fuss!
Remember when classroom transformations were all the rage? Teachers were turning their classrooms into operating rooms, restaurants, campsites, and just about anything else you could imagine!I’ve always loved finding easy Halloween classroom ideas that make the day feel special without spending hours preparing or decorating. I remember scrolling through social media, absolutely amazed at the creativity. Teachers were covering walls, rearranging furniture, creating elaborate decorations, and completely transforming their classrooms into these incredible learning experiences. And I loved it! Well, I loved the idea of it. But I couldn’t help thinking about the amount of time and work that went into creating these amazing spaces. And then, when I realized some of these transformations were for just ONE day? Oh my goodness! I was exhausted
A Few Fun Things to Try in Your Classroom This September
I love September. Okay…maybe I love September in theory. We’re finally starting to settle into our routines, I know everyone’s name, we’re figuring each other out, and the beginning-of-the-year craziness is starting to feel slightly less crazy. And there are so many fun things happening this time of year! The State Fair is coming, apples are everywhere, football is back, and the weather is trying to tell us fall is coming—even if New Mexico doesn’t always get the memo. So I thought I’d start putting together some of the things I’m doing in my classroom, things I want to try, and easy ideas you can steal for yours. Nothing complicated. Nothing that requires you to completely rearrange your lesson plans. Just a few fun ways
Small Classroom Routines That Make a Big Difference
Looking for simple classroom management ideas? Discover small classroom routines that reduce interruptions, build independence, and help your elementary classroom run more smoothly.
More Teaching. Less Managing.
Every Summer, I write one thing on a sticky note as a reflection of the year behind me. This year it says, “More Teaching. Less Managing.” As I reflect on last year, I’m realizing behavior is only part of the story. Underneath behavior lies a foundation of skills that make learning possible.
Summer Break (Teacher Version)
One day we’re standing in front of our students going over an assignment, quietly waking up a sleeping child, expertly using our “teacher stare” to stop a student who is dangerously close to falling back in his teetering chair. The next day we’re standing in Target wondering if we actually need those cute bins for a reading corner. Then we stop ourselves because we promised we weren’t buying anything for school this summer. (Or is that just me?) We tell ourselves we’re going to relax this summer. Recharge. Rest. Practice self-care. You know, all the trendy buzzwords. Then we find ourselves taking pictures of bulletin board ideas, saving teaching reels, and mentally rearranging our classroom library while floating in a pool. Welcome to summer break!
Teacher Notes
Hey teacher friends! I hope you were able to catch my session during this summers e2e Teacher Summer Reboot Conference. If you did, I hope you were able to download the templates I included. If not, you will be able to grab them here. Didn’t make it to the conference this year, here is a sneak peek at my session on note taking to help you stay organized! Taking notes is not just for students! Learn how taking the right kind of notes can help with: progress reports report cards student support paperwork Interventions progress goals parent communication Why Take Notes It’s no secret, our workload during the school year is exhausting. It’s exhausting because not only are we physically going through the actions of