I think it is important for children to learn the basic number facts. In this day and age, we can get too caught up in letting technology solve all of our problems for us. It is too easy to reach for a calculator or use the one built into our computers to solve basic problems.…

I found this excellent resource a few years ago that I have used countless times in the classroom. It is called Nikki’s Map Adventures. It is a great resource to use in the first few weeks of school. There are seven lesson plans that are easy to follow and really engage students. The unit is…

Nobody likes homework. I know that I sure don’t. I try to get most of my work done at school during my planning times. It’s part of my teaching philosophy to keep it at school. That’s why I’ve really been thinking about what I want my homework program to look like this year. I discussed…

This is an excellent unit to start off your Language Arts program. It is called “Fairy Tale Friends and Foes.”  It was originally meant for Grade 2 classes in Catholic school but I have adapted it over the years to use in public schools for several different grades. I like how you can teach the…

My best advice for the first day of school is to plan, plan, plan, and over-plan. You should have your day structured so well that there will never be any lag time. You need to involve the students in some easy work right away, first thing in the morning. I usually have them do an…

I wanted to put together a New Teacher Guide to help all of those teachers who are busily preparing for their first teaching assignment. I remember all the effort I put into organizing my classroom, collecting resources, and writing my year plan and lesson plans for that first week of school. I know that it…

Dear Parents and Guardians, I think we need to continue learning even though it is summer vacation. Summer is an important time for families. It gives parents a chance to spend some quality time with their kids. Time is the most important gift you can give to your child. I would like you and your…

You probably read the title for this post and said, “What? Summer homework! What kind of a teacher assigns homework over the summer?” But the truth is, children need educational experiences over the summer. There have been countless studies done on this and there is plenty of data to suggest that after having two months…

Last year when I inherited my new classroom, I also inherited a mess. It took me nearly two weeks to clean the classroom up, organize resources, throw out garbage, and clean off the chalkboard. I really wasn’t expecting to walk into a disaster zone, and, I tell you, I didn’t appreciate it at all. I…

I am very honoured to be the guest columnist for Teaching Tip Tuesday! I hope I can live up to WitGirl’s fabulous column from last week. I suppose I should start off by introducing myself. My name is Elle, and I’ve known Chase for years: He and I went to teacher’s college together. I, with…