Building Relationships at the Beginning of the School Year
“Back to School” season can be such an exciting time for students and teachers! Although it is a very exciting time of year, it can also be stressful to think…
4 Classroom Setup Tips for Upper Elementary Math Teachers
A quick Pinterest or YouTube search for “classroom setup” will show you how to put together a beautiful classroom. I’m all about having a cute classroom that you enjoy being…
3 Easy Ways to Make Math Worksheets More Engaging
During my teaching career, I’ve never been a huge fan of textbooks. The textbooks I’ve been given over the years NEVER match the standards I’m supposed to teach! So I…
3 Valentine’s Day Math Activities for Upper Elementary
Valentine’s Day can be such a fun time of year in elementary school! I love celebrating with my students by passing out valentines and treats… but I really love doing…
A Teacher’s Guide: How Parents Can Help with Math at Home
It doesn’t take being a veteran teacher to know that parents often feel frustrated with math. They might mention in conferences that they aren’t sure how to help their child…
Halloween Math: Low Prep Activities for Upper Elementary
Halloween is one of my favorite holidays to celebrate with my students! It’s the first “fun” holiday of the school year, and there are so many fun events. But most…
How to Teach Multi Digit Multiplication so Your Students Actually Get It
When I first started teaching, I thought that teaching multi digit multiplication would be super easy. All you have to do is follow a few steps in the multiplication standard…
How to Teach Place Value to the Millions
Do your 4th and 5th graders still get confused with place value concepts? Do they look at you like you have 3 heads if you ask them to write a…
Using Math Escape Rooms to Increase Engagement
Escape rooms are all the rage right now! When I played my first escape room game, I immediately knew it was something I wanted to try in math. Keep reading…
Math Workshop Series: Small Groups and Centers
This post is the fourth part of a series on using math workshop in your classroom. To read how to get started with math workshop, click here. In this post,…