Cooperative learning activities on the first day of school do something routines alone can’t: they give students an immediate reason to talk to each other. When students collaborate, listen, and…
Teachers spend a lot of time describing where students need support, but it can be tricky to put a student’s strengths into clear words. Having ready-to-use examples of student strengths saves…
Planning a classroom movie day sounds fun… until you actually try to pick a movie. Finding G-rated movies for school that are engaging, appropriate, and won’t raise eyebrows later can…
These quick classroom games are designed for those transition moments between lessons, indoor recess days, or the last 10 minutes before lunch when students need something active and purposeful. Most…
These 100 opinion writing prompts for kids are ready to use — no prep needed. They cover four categories: school life, home and family, books and games, and big questions,…
Fun attention getters for the classroom are one of the most effective tools you have for redirecting students without stopping the lesson. Whether your class is deep in group work,…
Partnering students in the classroom sounds simple until you’re standing in front of 24 kids at 8:30 in the morning, trying to figure out who goes with whom. The methods…
Writing prompts are one of the most versatile tools in the elementary classroom. The challenge is knowing how to use them well so students grow as writers, not just complete…
The CUBES math strategy is a word problem acronym that breaks problem-solving into five steps: Circle the numbers, Underline the question, Box the keywords, Evaluate what steps to take, and…
Teaching students to research online takes more than handing them a device and a search engine. These nine websites have been used in elementary classrooms for exactly the situations where…
Multiplication facts can be challenging for many students. Memorizing facts often requires repeated practice, but worksheets alone can quickly feel repetitive. Multiplication dice games give students a hands-on way to…
As teachers, the ongoing balancing act of managing academic demands and social-emotional learning can be tricky. We know that it is beneficial for our students to engage in activities that…