Hi Reader, One of my favorite parts of teaching is watching students become genuinely excited about learning. Sometimes, the best way to create that excitement is to simply let them have a say in what they learn. Last week, I set up a little Travel Agency right in my classroom! I even had magazines and travel pamphlets that a travel agent friend gave me, which made our agency feel a little more official. I created a page with 12 pictures of destinations around the world that I typically teach...
11 days ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, There is something so exciting about a fresh classroom, a new group of students, and all of the possibilities that come with the first few weeks of school. But before the year gets too busy, I want to encourage you to do one simple thing that can make a BIG difference in your relationship with parents. Make sure the first thing parents hear from you is something positive about their child. It can be so easy for our first communication with a family to happen when there is a problem...
18 days ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, Can you believe it's already time to start thinking about a new school year? It feels like summer just started, and now classrooms are being unpacked, bulletin boards are going up, and lesson plans are filling our minds once again. As excited as I am for another year with my students, I know that back-to-school season can also feel overwhelming. There are supplies to organize, rooms to set up, and a hundred little details competing for our attention. In the middle of all the...
25 days ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, There is always a little sadness when summer starts winding down. The slower mornings, the extra time, and the freedom to travel and explore are hard to leave behind. But there is also something exciting about a new school year. There is a new group of students, new memories waiting to be made, and new things to discover together. Every school year is a fresh adventure, and I hope you are feeling ready for all the good things that are ahead. ❤️ Before I jump back into the...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
Hi Reader, I hope you are having a wonderful start to summer. I want to share something personal that I think you'll find useful in your classroom. Some of the best lessons I've ever learned didn't happen in a classroom. My husband, Bob, and I recently reflected on a trip we took to Mexico a few years back with Habitat for Humanity. We were in Chiapas, Mexico and spent time with a community whose language has no word for love. It's not because they don't understand it, but because for them...
2 months ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, Every great adventure needs a twist, and this one had a big one. For our final classroom adventure of the year, I wanted to send my kindergartners on the most epic mission of their lives, a journey around the moon and back. The catch? I wasn't going with them. Welcome to our Space Shuttle I divided our classroom in half. One side was Earth, where I remained for the day. The other side was a fully operational space shuttle, and my students were the crew. But not just any crew for...
3 months ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, Some lessons you plan for weeks. Others find their way to you. One of the most powerful experiences my students had this year happened when our class took an imaginary trip to Haiti, and one of my students' families made it more magical than I ever could have on my own. They sent in Haitian flags, traditional white cake, and Haiti's national soda, and in doing so, they gave our whole class a gift. The cake my student's family sent in Their daughter was absolutely radiant that day....
3 months ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, This week, our classroom “traveled” to Jamaica, and it turned into one of those days the students will remember for a long time. Several of our students are of Jamaican descent and they brought in souvenirs from their travels there. We hung Jamaican flags up and put their items on display. One of the most meaningful parts of the experience was when our school security guard came in and shared stories about what it was like growing up in Jamaica. Hearing real stories directly from...
3 months ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, Imagine telling your students they’re about to visit one of the most isolated islands on Earth. Easter Island, also known as Rapa Nui, sits alone in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, nearly 5 hours from the nearest mainland by plane. The island is famous for its enormous stone statues called Moai, and the mystery surrounding how they were created and moved still fascinates people today. No one knows exactly how these enormous statues were carved with such precision or how they were...
3 months ago • 1 min read