Do you have students who are making the transition to middle school? š Whether your fifth graders are heading into a true middle school building next year or simply moving from 5th to 6th grade in the same elementary school, this season brings a lot of change. As an upper elementary teacher, Iāve seen how
Fatherās Day activities for kids do not have to be complicated to feel meaningful. Sometimes the best activities are the ones that help students slow down, reflect, and show appreciation in their own words. š If youāre teaching in June, homeschooling through the summer, planning camp, or getting ready for Sunday school or VBS, I
š¼ Teaching More Than Just the Date Memorial Day can be a tricky holiday to teach in upper elementary. It comes right near the end of the school year, when routines feel loose, attention spans feel shorter, and everyone is counting down to summer. But it is also a day that deserves care. Instead of
Have you ever walked into your empty classroom at the beginning of the school year, looked around at the desks, boxes, bulletin boards, and random piles of supplies, and thought, Where do I even start? š£ If so, you are definitely not alone. Setting up an elementary classroom can feel exciting and exhausting at the
š Start With Real Reading, Not Random Sentences You know that moment when a student stops mid-sentence and asks, āWhat does this mean?ā That is the perfect opening for context clue instruction. Upper elementary students need more than isolated practice sentences. They need to see how word meaning works inside real stories, nonfiction texts, and
Have you ever stood in front of your class during the first week of school and thought, āI need something simple that helps these kids relax and talk to each other… but I do not have time for anything complicatedā? Friend, Iāve been there too š The good news is that effective ice breakers for
A Sweet Way to Celebrate the Final Days of School š Graduation season always brings a special kind of classroom energy. Students feel proud, excited, and maybe even a little emotional. Teachers feel it too, especially after watching a class grow all year long. Thatās why a graduation bulletin board can be more than a
If youāre staring at your lesson plans wondering, āWhat am I actually supposed to do on the first day of second grade?āāfriend, you are not alone. ā¤ļø I felt the same way when I was a new 2nd grade teacher. The first day can feel like a mix of excitement, nerves, classroom setup chaos, and
