Are you stuck trying to think of new and exciting ways to keep your fast finishers engaged? It can often feel like a never-ending challenge when students complete their work quickly but still need something valuable to do. Not to worry - I have created 24 engaging activities that are sure to keep your early finishers engaged and motivated! These activities will offer new ideas to keep your students excited to work even after completing their required assignments! This resource includes 24 ... [Read More]
Spring Picture Books for Upper Elementary
As the weather gets warmer and the days get longer, it’s you might want to start thinking about spring picture books for your upper elementary classroom. Picture books are great for teaching lessons on a range of topics, from growth and change to perseverance and hope. This post contains affiliate links to amazon.com. If you make a purchase from amazon.com through the links on this page, CreateTeachShare will receive a small commission. This helps to support the blog, and allows me to ... [Read More]
Picture Books & Activities for Back to School
Do you use Picture Books for those first days Back to School?! Those first days of school are all about getting to know everyone and building a classroom community. Picture books are perfect for making connections, establishing expectations, and building a community. I thought I would share some of my favorites! This post contains affiliate links to amazon.com. If you make a purchase from amazon.com through the links on this page, CreateTeachShare will receive a small commission. This helps ... [Read More]
Using Photos to Review Language Arts Skills
We have all heard the adage, "A picture is worth a thousand words." This could not be more true when using photos to teach and reinforce key language arts skills. When I was teaching 4th grade, I would teach with photos mostly by using them as writing prompts. I would project a photo up on the board and give students the chance to free-write. I quickly noticed how much more my students were able to pull from just one photograph. I would hear them using descriptive adjectives and verbs, as well ... [Read More]
Using Exit Slips to Engage Learners
My experience with Exit Slips started long before I knew what they were. I remember cutting scratch paper into thirds, passing them out to my students, and then putting some type of math problem or science question on the board to see what students learned from a lesson. I usually did this right before recess, lunch, or the end of the day, as students were about to leave the classroom, hence the term "exit slip". Sound familiar?? Over the years, I realized that there were so many different ways ... [Read More]
Use Class Discussions to Build a Classroom Community
Building a classroom community is more important than ever! It hasn't been easy for students to adjust to life and learning during a pandemic. As students head back into classrooms, or even if they're still online, classroom discussions are a great way to help students feel like they belong in their classroom environments. Ten to twenty minutes a day, is all it takes to give students time to chat and engage in meaningful discussions. Whether it's during morning meeting, or after lunch, spend ... [Read More]
A Digital Version of Status of the Class
Status of the Class is a classroom tool that can be used to track students’ independent reading, while also providing positive reinforcement and feedback regarding their reading habits. This digital version allows you to track students’ reading habits in Google Slides or PowerPoint, in the classroom or through distance learning. Use this tool during students’ independent reading time. Easy to Prep: Choose the month you want to use. Optional: Add the school dates for the month. Make a ... [Read More]
Opinion Writing: Reasons vs. Supporting Details
Opinion Writing is one of my favorite genres to teach. I also think it's one of the easiest! First of all, our students have opinions on just about EVERYTHING!! Right away, they're easily engaged with any assignment that asks for their opinion. Opinion essays also follow a specific format, making it much easier to teach than more open-ended genres like narratives. Over the years, I have found that the best way to teach opinion writing is to break it down for students. I like to use a series of ... [Read More]
Creating a Back to School Binder
Every year when I would prepare for the back to school season, I would find myself flipping through my filing cabinets, searching the files on my computer, and emailing coworkers to find everything that I needed for the first days of school. Sound familiar?? It finally occurred to me that teachers need a place to organize everything they need for back to school. Today I am sharing all about creating a Back to School Binder, where teachers plan, make lists, and organize their ideas and ... [Read More]
Celebrating Students’ Names
As you begin to plan activities for back to school, you definitely should consider spending time learning and celebrating students' names. Students come to us from many different places, cultures, and backgrounds, and their names say a lot about who they are. In this post, I share some books and activities that will encourage students to share and celebrate their names with you and their classmates. This post contains affiliate links to amazon.com. If you make a purchase from amazon.com through ... [Read More]
