I made this blog a few years (!) back in hopes that I could record what I’m learning in the classroom- so that I can reflect as the years go on and so that maybe I can share my mistakes and wins with others. But, like most people who are in the classroom, the last two-ish years I haven’t had the energy to type up my thoughts, to create anything that didn’t immediately go to the benefit of my students. Teaching in a pandemic is exhausting at a totally different level. You can only hear administration say “keep being creative,” “keep being flexible,” and “remember to practice self care,” so…
-
-
6 Read Alouds for Back to School
For many of us, back to school is just around the corner! Ready or not, I’ll have a batch of Firsties waiting for me in just three weeks. That said, I’m starting to think about what those first weeks of the year will consist of, and I’ve found six read alouds for back to school that I think will set the tone for the year and our classroom! I should add, I’m in no way affiliated with these books, their authors, or any providers that sell them. I just genuinely love these books, and I know you’ll want to grab them for your classroom, too! Snag These Now! The first…
-
Emotion Identification- And why SEL is so important!
Social emotional learning is becoming more and more of a focus in modern education. Even the Target Dollar Spot is littered with emotion identification products this season, among other SEL manipulatives! And this is for GOOD reason. Over the past four years that I’ve been in this profession, there has been a shift, one that veteran teachers who are much more knowledgeable than I can undoubtedly see. For one, there’s a push to bring more rigor into the classroom. We’re asking kids to perform greater and greater tasks (some that arguably aren’t developmentally appropriate). Many of us are also working to bring STEM related studies into our rooms, because we…
-
My Recipe For A Summer of Teacher Self Care
Summer! It’s finally here! If you’re anything like me, the promise of lazy summer days stays on your mind for the weeks leading up to the last day of school, but once summer hits, you find yourself a little bit bored after a few Netflix binges and days spent poolside. After doing nothing for a few weeks you find yourself stalking the Target aisles for back to school goods, cutting and laminating, and dreaming up new bulletin boards. Before long, you’ve gone from all play to all work- just in time to feel totally unrested come teacher report day. Sound familiar? This summer I could TOTALLY fall prey to this…
-
5 Reasons to Add Poetry in Your Writing Instruction
Let’s talk about poetry. I feel so bad for poetry. It gets the short end of the stick. It isn’t an area of real concern in common core writing, and we tend to gloss over reading it. We assign it to one month of the year, if we teach it at all. Sometimes we recite poems near the holidays with our kids, or instruct students to write an acrostic for Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day, but honestly, poetry writing and reading has been largely left out of many modern classrooms. That said, poetry is beautiful, expressive, and a fun way to play around with language. Being able to read and…
-
Daily Affirmations
“I am kind. I am smart. I can do hard things. I am enough. I am loved.” Now more than ever, students in the elementary classroom need social emotional skills to be explicitly taught. I am a firm believer that our students learn more than standards from us, and that our actions can teach them healthy habits for life! Because I believe this, I think it is critical to use daily affirmations for students in the classroom. So what are affirmations, anyways? Daily affirmations are simple statements that we repeat to ourselves over and over again. The more we say them, the more we believe them, and the more they…
-
One Blonde Teacher
Hey friends! My name is Ty, and I’m a second grade teacher in sunny Tucson, Arizona. I love teaching primary kids (next year I’ll be headed to first grade!) I have a heart for teaching my kids social skills for life. Outside of school, I love country music, any cup of coffee I can get my hands on, and a great novel. Thanks for stopping by my blog!
