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My name is Leigh Ann Shiroma.
I am in math class ITE 325.
I am a 2nd year undergraduate in the College of Education at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
Here are some resources that I found helpful for all content areas :)

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Dear New Teachers,

This blog post is for you. Perhaps you've heard that your first year will be "sooo hard." I want to offer you another possibility. Your first year might just be awesome. You might not only survive it but you could even thrive.

Here are some suggestions to help you have a fantastic first year in the classroom.

1. Build Community

Your relationships with others will keep you strong, and they might be the key to fueling your energy to persist through challenges. Build strong relationships with your colleagues and administrators and with your students and their parents. If you're shy, now is the time to pick up some strategies for making connections with others. Ask questions, knock on doors, and invite people into your classroom. Your community will be a buoy when times get hard.

2. Find Hopeful, Positive Mentors

There are veteran teachers who are sad and cynical, and there are others who are wise and hopeful. If you find yourself amongst the cynical (I found them congregating in the staff lunchroom), leave. Stay far from that negativity. You need mentors who can share their wisdom and expertise and who can remind you at the end of October that things will get easier. If you can't find any in your school, look in other schools in your district. They are there, and many will happily mentor you. Ask.

3. Ask for Help and Demand Good Professional Development

Yes, I do suggest that you demand good professional development (PD). You have so much to learn as a new teacher (and I know you know that), and you can't do it alone. Ideally, you need an instructional coach (coaching is a form of PD), but if you can't get a coach, then at least you need some high quality PD. Ask other teachers to recommend workshops, online courses, and conferences. Your administrators don't expect you to be perfect. They know you have a lot to learn -- so ask for support (persistently) to close those gaps.

4. Observe Other Teachers

Ideally, observe really effective teachers in your school or other schools. Even if they don't teach the same thing you do, you'll learn a great deal. Pick one thing to pay attention to so that you don't get overwhelmed. For example, pay attention to routines and procedures, the pacing of a lesson, how questions are asked, or the different ways that students are engaged. Ask your administrators for a release day so that you can do this. If they say no, then at the very least, take ten minutes a few times a month to poke your head into another teacher's classroom during your prep period. You will learn so much from observing your colleagues.

5. Do Home Visits

Visiting the homes of just a few of your students will provide unique insight and perspective into your students. You could visit just about any of your students' homes and this would be the case. Visit the home of a student you are concerned about, as well as the home of a student you're confident is doing well. This is easiest to do in the first few weeks of school when you're building relationships with families, and you can explain that you want to learn more about your students. Use the visit as an opportunity to listen to parents -- to ask about their child's interests, family, friends, and so on. Be curious. It's not a time to share your concerns or complaints.

6. Write Down Your Vision for Yourself as a Teacher

What do you see as your goal or purpose as a teacher? Can you distill that into a short paragraph or a few sentences? Creating a personal vision or mission statement can help anchor you when times get hard. It can serve as a guidepost when challenges come up. You don't need to make it too complicated or fancy. You don't need to share it with anyone. This is for you.

7. Don't Neglect Your Body

Sleep. Rest. Eat well. Exercise. You've heard it before. It really matters during your first year of teaching when the stress -- plus all the new germs -- depletes your immune system. Don't wait until you get the flu in January to commit to taking care of yourself -- start now. Sleep.

8. Do Something Non-Teaching Related

Once a week, at least, do something for yourself. Take a Saturday pottery class or a Brazilian dance class. Run marathons. Join a romance book club. Do something that engages other parts of your being. It's easy and tempting to get sucked into all teaching, all the time during your first year, but you need a mental break from it.

9. Catalogue Every Single Success in the Classroom

Write them down. Make lists of what's going well. Identify your successes; include every single tiny one: Alfredo smiled today when he walked into class; James remembered his book; Jackie said goodbye to her mom and didn't cry; I ate lunch; my lesson plan is done for tomorrow. If you don't do any of the other tips on this list, but you do this one thing every day, I can almost guarantee that you'll have a great year.

10. Take a Day Off

Most teachers get personal days. Plan ahead, get a sub, and take them. Take them and catch up on laundry, go to the dentist, sleep, or go for a walk. Use them. You need days off. It's okay.

Your first year doesn't have to be hard -- nor do subsequent years. These strategies can help you thrive in your first year and build the kind of resilience that will carry you through the many challenges we face as teachers.

By the way, welcome to the teaching profession. You're embarking on a wonderful, wonderful journey.

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10 Tips for Surviving and Thriving in Your First Year Teaching

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Dear New Teachers, This blog post is for you. Perhaps you've heard that your first year will be "sooo hard." I want to offer you another possibility. Your first year might just be awesome. You might not only survive it but you could even thrive.

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Hawaii Children's Discovery Center Field Trip

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Hawaii Children's Discovery Center Field Trip

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The Hawaii Children's Discovery Center provides a world-class, interactive, participatory learning environment designed to inspire the young and "young-at-heart" to new heights of learning and discovery. The Center provides an environment that encourages children to use their senses of touch, sight, hearing, and smell to gain a better understanding of the world around them.

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The Daughters of Hawai'i operates and maintains the Queen Emma Summer Palace in Nu'uanu and the Hulihe'e Palace in Kailua-Kona.

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Oahu, Hawaii's Top Attraction | Polynesian Cultural Center

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Best Price Your best price is always at Polynesia.com. Best Price Check out our deals here. Best Seats You select your seats for the Evening Show. Best Seats Our site allows you to select best available seats for your chosen package. Best Service We're here for you every step of the way.

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Bishop Museum - The Hawaiʻi State Museum of Cultural and Natural History

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Battleship USS Missouri Memorial Field Trip

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Battleship USS Missouri Memorial Field Trip

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Pearl Harbor Memorial - USS Battleship Missouri Memorial

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The Battleship Missouri Memorial rests in the heart of Pearl Harbor offering activities and tours to Hawaii's visitors from across the world.

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Has your spelling practice become dry or boring? Well, brush off the dust and try some of these hands-on spelling activities!

Since readers need to have BOTH phonics and sight words understanding to become good readers, focusing on both phonics AND sight words during spelling instruction is a great way to help words "stick" in a child's memory.

When words are taken out of the context of a book and their patterns, letters, and parts are studied, it forces readers to slow down and really take it all the word has to offer them. This, in turn, helps them become better readers.

So today, I'd like to share 50 of my favorite hands-on spelling activities for phonics and sight words. Many of these are included in the back of my ebook, Teaching Kids to Spell.

Did you know you can find 700+ pages of printable spelling activities and games in my ebook? Yes! That's enough to cover an entire year of spelling fun!

50 Hands-on Spelling Activities

Most all of these activities can be adapted for either phonics OR sight words. You can also insert your child's spelling list into the activity instead of using the specific words shown in the post.

1. Scoop & Spell {This Reading Mama}

2. Sidewalk Chalk Spelling Hop {Relentlessly Fun, Deceptively Educational}

3. Stamp Your Words {Lessons Learnt Journal}

4. Go on a Word Treasure Hunt {Hands On: As we Grow}

5. Make a Spelling Word Search Puzzle {This Reading Mama}

6. Use a Spelling Dictionary {The Measured Mom}

7. Dot Sticker Spelling {School Time Snippets}

8. Post-a-Word {This Reading Mama}

9. Make a Giant Crossword Puzzle {A Mom with a Lesson Plan}

10. Phonics Jumping Game {Learners in Bloom}

11. Play Word Rocket {Playdough to Plato}

12. Spell with Beads {Frugal Fun 4 Boys}

13. Spell with LEGO Letters {This Reading Mama}

14. Spell the Most Words Game {No Time for Flashcards}

15. Spinning Straw Spellers {Still Playing School}

16. Build Words with Rocks {Sugar Ants}

17. Glitter Spelling {Here Come the Girls}

18. Play Word Bump! {This Reading Mama}

19. Roll a Sight Word {I Can Teach My Child}

20. Making Words {Buggy and Buddy}

21. Paint your Words {Childhood 101}

22. Oversized Letter Cards for Spelling {This Reading Mama}

23. Seek and Find Spelling Game {What Do We Do All Day?}

24. Rainbow Write Your Words {Nurture Store}

25. Words 3 Ways {Teach Mama}

26. Use Crayon Resist {This Reading Mama}

27. Spell with Pipe Cleaners {Make and Takes}

28. Spell with Your Fingers {Home School Innovation}

29. Use Word Sorts {This Reading Mama}

30. Spell with Cereal {A Mom with a Lesson Plan}

31. Finger Tap Spelling {This Reading Mama}

32. Car Track Delivery Spelling Game {Stay at Home Educator}

33. Make a Chalkboard Refrigerator Game {Enchanted Homeschooling Mom}

34. Visual Spelling Practice {Home Literacy Blueprint}

35. Roll & Cover Spelling Words {This Reading Mama}

36. Make a Spelling Garage {123 Homeschool 4 Me}

37. Roll and Spell {Well-Nurtured Plants and Pillars}

38. Letter Lacing {Mama Miss}

39. Roll & Write Words {This Reading Mama}

40. Spelling Hangman {Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas}

41. Waffle Words Spelling Game {The Homeschool Post}

42. Use a Board Game {Teach Beside Me}

43. Spell with a Word Family Dictionary {guest post on The Measured Mom}

44. Play a Word Stretching Game {The Pleasantest Thing}

45. DIY Spelling Word Puzzles {This Reading Mama}

45. Allow Invented Spelling {1+1+1=1}

46. Spelling Puzzles {No Time for Flash Cards}

47. Missing Letter Spelling Game {Imagination Soup}

48. Ride to Spell {This Reading Mama}

49. Spelling Battleship {Relentlessly Fun, Deceptively Educational}

50. Clip a Word {Sugar Ants}

51. Bottle Cap Spelling {This Reading Mama}

More Spelling Activities and Resources:

Go digital with spelling! Read all about my educational apps or purchase them on iTunes or Google Play!

is a fantastic spelling program using the Orton-Gillingham methods. Hands-on work is a big part of All About Spelling!
Using Words Their Way to Teach Spelling 5 Things Struggling Spellers Need
Enjoy teaching!
~Becky

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50 Hands-On Spelling Activities {for Phonics and Sight Words}

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Has your spelling practice become dry or boring? Well, brush off the dust and try some of these hands-on spelling activities! Since readers need to have BOTH phonics and sight words understanding to become good readers, focusing on both phonics AND sight words during spelling instruction is a great way to help words "stick" in a child's memory.

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Sound Sorting | Workbook | Education.com

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Sort out the short vowel sounds with this comprehensive phonics packet! Beginning readers will review vowel families and practice differentiating between "short" vowels and "long" vowels.

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Students will be able to add within 20.

The adjustment to the whole group lesson is a modification to differentiate for children who are English learners.

Tell the class that today, you're going to read One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss.

Encourage students to read along if they can.

Beginning

Preview the story before this lesson to familiarize students with new vocabulary words.

Review numbers 1-20 in English.

Intermediate

Review addition and number names and numerals prior to the start of the lesson.

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One Fish, Two Fish | Lesson Plan | Education.com

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This wacky lesson combines math and reading practice with a Dr. Seuss classic and some fun online games.

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Whether you've been teaching for years or it's your first day as a full-time teacher, the first day of school is usually accompanied by some anxiety - no matter how prepared you might be.

It's the same for students. Uncertainty about friends, teachers, and schoolwork is enough to make the most extroverted students a bit nervous.

With that in mind, you should always consider what first day of school activities can stimulate introductions, get students talking, and set the tone for successful classroom management .

Get inspired by these 17 fun, creative first day of school activities and try them out yourself. They're easy, free, and guaranteed to ease the tension on a busy, hectic first day of school.

1. Find a friend

The "Find a friend" game is a fun activity designed to help students become comfortable with their new classmates.

To play, students must first receive worksheets containing a list of topics - such as sports, foods, games, and so on - from which they must pick their favorites.
Image source: First Grade Schoolhouse, Teachers Pay Teachers
Distribute the worksheet to students, and allow five minutes or so for everyone to indicate their favorite categories with a pen or pencil. You can create your own worksheet or access free printables such as the one above.

Then, have students find fellow classmates fitting the description in each box. This will give them a natural talking point as they meet one another - helping them find what they have in common and sparking friendly interaction.

Students can list each classmate only once on the worksheet

Students should spell names correctly; when they find a friend to add to their sheet, they should ask the friend how to spell their first name

You can use this chance to have students show you their best handwriting, setting a good precedent for the school year

2. "Who's new?" word search

Use a free word search generator such as Discovery Education's puzzlemaker to create a word search using the names of your students as the hidden words. Print copies to place on each desk.

Students will enjoy searching for their names along with those of their classmates. After 10 minutes or so, students naturally begin helping each other - kindling conversation and facilitating introductions.

3. Thanks for the compliment!

This lighthearted, confidence-boosting icebreaker encourages students to share compliments about one another.

To start, every student gets a blank piece of paper taped to their back. Then, each classmate thinks of a compliment to write down on the back of every other student. After the entire class is finished, have students remove their papers and read all the compliments they received in front of the class.

Invite students to help decorate the classroom - sending the message that their opinions are valued, their voices are heard, and you welcome their presence.

Split the class into four groups and designate each group to a wall. Distribute materials such as markers, posters, tape, and pieces of chart paper. For a personalized touch, have each group come up with one common goal they wish to accomplish in your class, and to summarize it in one word.

Next, have students write their words in big letters on the chart paper, ensuring each group has a unique goal.

Once the class is finished, hang them on each designated wall, encouraging your class to embrace the responsibility of making sure they all achieve the goals they set for the end of the school year.

5. Prodigy

Try Prodigy - a free, game-based math platform aligned with curricula - to engage your class while reinforcing lesson content and teaching essential skills.

Borrowing elements from video games such as Pokémon, students use Prodigy to compete in math duels against in-game characters. To win, they answer sets of skill-testing math questions.

Prodigy uses adaptive learning and differentiated instruction principles to adjust problems, addressing each student's problem areas.

It's also backed by research. In a recent study , we found schools enrolled in Prodigy both performed better and enjoyed greater improvements on test results than inactive schools.

6. "Would You Rather" Questions

Lead, guide, and stimulate healthy debate among students with a set of questions that are sure to get the classroom talking.

Consider a few examples of "would you rather" questions, such as:

Would you rather play outdoors or indoors?

Would you rather see a firework display or a circus performance?

Would you rather go skiing or go to a water park?

Would you rather everything in your house be one color or every single wall and door be a different color?

Would you rather visit the international space station for a week or stay in an underwater hotel for a week?

To keep the class on the same page, consider preparing a few questions on a printable such as the one below.

7. Group contracts

Write group contracts containing guidelines, and have everyone sign them to foster effective student group work and good behavior in the classroom.

Group contracts - an important feature of cooperative learning - should be based on expectations students and teachers have for one another.

You can collect the class's thoughts by talking about what the ideal group member does, and how he or she behaves. Once you've come up with the contract, brainstorm with students to come up with consequences for breaking expectations.

For example, in the flexible seating contract above, students agree to use the learning space appropriately. If they break the contract, students agree "that my teacher will move me to a spot that will better meet my needs."

8. Student surveys

Use surveys to collect and assess information about a broad range of topics that will help you get a feel for your new students and guide them to success this school year.
Consider asking questions about preferences for seating arrangements, group work versus individual work, and noise levels in the classroom.
Use this information to get a better sense of trends in the classroom. See if you can use the information to differentiate instruction, assessment, and evaluation to improve the learning environment.

One of the qualities of a good teacher is the capacity to use different teaching strategies - especially ones that are responsive to different students' unique learning preferences.

For example, consider taking a survey of how students like to learn, asking the following yes or no questions:

First day of school activity: How I like to learn

9. Classroom scavenger hunts

Send your students on a classroom scavenger hunt, helping them to get to know each other and their new learning space.

Provide a print-out of classroom items to look for, leaving a space for students to write a brief description of where they found each item.

The completed scavenger hunt sheets can serve as an easy reference for students in the first weeks of school to ensure they know where to find everything in your classroom.

You can make the list of items yourself, or use a free printable such as the example below.

10. Two truths and a lie

Encourage students to write down three statements about themselves, with one of the statements being false.

After giving students five minutes or so to write their sentences down, have them read them out loud one by one - and enjoy the entertainment as fellow students try to guess which of the statements is a lie.

This activity also serves as a simple, early way to get a gauge of the skill levels of your new students: As your new students write out their sentences, you can walk around and see which students need help might need help with written communication.

As they read out their sentences, you can also gauge verbal communication skills.

11. Class time capsule

Create individualized time capsules on the first day of school. Fill them with items such as personal letters about what students plan to accomplish throughout the school year.

Letters can include expectations, clubs they would like to join, and desired grade point averages.

You can also take pictures of your students on the first day, print them out, and put them inside the time capsules.

On the last day of school, return each student's time capsule and allow them to see how much they have learned, , and achieved throughout the school year.

12. Tall Thomas

Encourage students to think of an adjective to describe themselves. The adjective must suit the student and must also start with the first letter of their name - for example, "Tall Thomas," "Funny Frankie," or "Smart Sam."
Encourage students to try and memorize every name to add a skill-testing element to the activity.
Have the class stand in a circle, and then have one student state his or her new nickname. Then, have the next student try to name the previous name before saying their own name.

Make sure to keep the activity lighthearted and fun. Feel free to stand in the circle and join the fun to further engage with your students!

13. Don't answer

Ask your class to stand in a circle. Have one student engage with another classmate, and pose the other student a question about his or her personality. To clarify, give students a few examples: "What is your silliest habit?" or "What is your pet peeve?"

However, explain that the student who is the question may not respond - with the student to their left answering for them. Note that the answer doesn't have to be right, and that each student can make their answers as imaginative or creative as possible.

14. Draw a Self-Portrait

Provide a self-portrait worksheet such as the one below as an easy beginning-of-year activity. When everyone is finished, have each student present their self-portrait to the class as formal introduction to their colleagues and to yourself!

15. Be unique

Have everyone stand in a circle. Encourage each student, one by one, to say something they believe to be unique about themselves. For example: "My name is Jason, and I have two brothers" or "... and I speak three languages." If another student also has two brothers or speaks three languages, they must sit down.

The goal is to stand as long as possible and therefore to share very special things about yourself that no one else typifies.

16. Six word story

Get students to explain what they did over the summer using only six words, writing the statement down as a complete sentence on a piece of paper.

Then, have students exchange papers with a classmate, with that colleague also adding a comment comprised of only six words. You may choose to rotate the papers to adjust the length of the story to your preference!

This activity helps students learn interesting facts about one another. Have your students stand in a circle. Next, take a ball of yarn or string and hold on to the end of the it while passing the ball to another student.

Ask this student an interesting question such as "If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?"

Once they have answered the question, have them pass the ball of yarn to another student in the circle and ask them a question. When all your students have had their turn, explain that the web they created represents the uniqueness of your classroom - and that their participation makes the classroom a special place for learning and creativity.

First day of school activities: Final Thoughts

It's important to pair fun and kindness with clear and firm expectations - so think of the first day of school as your chance to demonstrate your ability to conduct activities that are both enjoyable orderly.

See which activities on this list appeal to you most, and try them out yourself as a memorable back to school introduction!

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17 Fun First Day of School Activities to Try - Prodigy Blog

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Whether you've been teaching for years or it's your first day as a full-time teacher, the first day of school is usually accompanied by some anxiety - no matter how prepared you might be. It's the same for students. Uncertainty about friends, teachers, and schoolwork is enough to make the most extroverted students a bit nervous.

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One of the many challenges that teachers face is classroom management. Whether it's getting students to stay in their seats or just simply follow the rules, controlling kids using classroom management can be a constant struggle. Follow these top 10 teacher-tested classroom management tips to ensure that you have a well-managed school space.

1. Use Classroom Management to Make Your Schedule Predictable

Children thrive on predictability. It's very important that your students know what to expect every day. Also, being predictable in your routine can ensure that students won't misbehave. Make sure that you try and stick to your routine each and every day.

2. Have Very Clear Expectations

A well-managed classroom means that students have a clear view of what you expect of your students. It's fine if you set your expectations high, because you can always lower them later on. Make sure that students know exactly what you expect at all times. The clearer your expectations are, the less issues that will arise.

3. Create Simple to Follow Rules

Keep your rules simple and right to the point. Try to have about three to five rules and post them somewhere in the classroom where it is easy for the students to reference. Make sure that your rules are positive versus negative to help you teach students the preferred behavior that you expect. For example, make your rule positive by saying, "Please raise your hand before talking" versus the negative, like "Do not talk without raising your hand."

4. Make All Procedures Clear

Just like your expectations, all of your procedures need to be clear and predictable. If you decide that you want students to come into class each morning and do seat work, then make sure that you stick to that every day. When your procedures are unclear and undefined, then this can lead to an out-of-control classroom, where students don't know what they should do next. When this happens, there is a good chance that your students will misbehave.

5. Keeps Lessons Short and Sweet

Research shows that students can't sustain attention for more than five to ten minutes, so it's important that you make lessons short and to the point. Break your lesson into parts, and involve students by using cooperating learning groups. You can also incorporate a few "Brain breaks" throughout the day where students get up and get moving to help them release some energy. Try making your lessons no longer than 20 minutes and incorporate some type of brain break after each mini-lesson.

6. Deal with Discipline Immediately

Deal with the problem as soon as it occurs to ensure that there will not be a larger issue later on in the day. If you see two students having a disagreement, deal with it as it occurs and do not wait. Even if you think the issue may be small, it's still best to tackle it right away.

7. Make Transitions Smooth and Easy

Transition time between lessons or in-between specials can be the worst part of a teacher's day. Be sure to make your transitions quick and easy. Try using a visual or non-verbal prompt to get students' attention. An attention signal will help you deter unwanted behavior. When your students know what you expect of them, they will be more willing to do what you want.

8. Be Confident

Students can sense if you are not confident. Even if you feel that you are not confident, then try and fake it. Think about how you will respond to a few common situations that could possibly occur in class. Then practice in the front of the mirror how you will respond to them with confidence.

9. Stay Organized

Organization is the key to a well-managed classroom. Without an organized classroom, you have an out-of-control classroom. Train your students to put things away where they belong and try and label everything. When your students know where things go and can see the label for it, it can eliminate all of those trivial questions students ask, like the placement of the ruler or extra pencils.

10. Always Be Firm

Your students are not your friend, you are there to teach them. Be firm and your students will respect you for it. It is possible to be nice and firm at the same time -- you just have to choose to be that way. Choose your words wisely and never cower.
Do you have any classroom management tips to add to this list? Please feel free to add them in the comment section below, we would love to hear your thoughts.
Janelle Cox is an education writer who uses her experience and knowledge to provide creative and original writing in the field of education. Janelle holds Masters of Science in Education from the State University of New York College at Buffalo. She is a contributing writer to TeachHUB.com, TeachHUB Magazine, and Hey Teach. She was also the Elementary Education Expert for About.com for five years. You can follow her on Twitter @Empoweringk6ed, on Facebook at Empowering K6 Educators, or contact her at Janellecox78@yahoo.com.

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One of the many challenges that teachers face is classroom management . Whether it's getting students to stay in their seats or just simply follow the rules, controlling kids using classroom management can be a constant struggle. Follow these top 10 teacher-tested classroom management tips to ensure that you have a well-managed school space.

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As teachers, we know the value of having good attention-getters to calm a noisy classroom. I have always wanted a comprehensive list of all of the best attention-getters in one spot. So, I decided to poll the Education to the Core Community to see what we could come up with. If you are in need of some great attention-getters to quiet your classroom, this list is just for you!

We all know that getting our students' attention and putting them back on track is crucial to making every minute count in our classrooms. Once you have used these attention-getters to catch their interest, you need activities that are going to keep them engaged in learning throughout the lesson.

Favorites of mine include I Spy, Write the Room, Color by Code, and Science in a Snap. You can find all of them on Education to the Core Premium. Give Premium a try today and have all of your resources in one place for one low price.

Attention Getters to Calm a Noisy Classroom

1. I put a wireless doorbell in my classroom last year and it was magical! Get the kind that plays different songs and the kids love it - I carried the remote around with me and just clicked it when I needed their attention. -Alisa C. from First Grade Fun Times

2. Holy moly, guacamole! Zippity doo dah, zippity ay!! Rachel G.

3. One day I was trying to come up with something different from what they may have had in the past, and then it hit me! I say "Alright stop!" And the students say "collaborate and listen!" It's perfect because they really do have to do those things, come together and listen. I love it! It's such a hit with them and their parents. -Brieann W.
Once you have them listening, take it a step further and work on those listening comprehension skills!
4. WBT- "Class Class Class", they respond with "Yes, Yes, Yes". In the exact same way the teacher said, whether in a high or low voice, silly or whatever. -Heather S.

5. Macaroni and cheese! (They respond) everybody freeze! -Sue L.

6. One of my favorites is T: "Hocus Pocus" S: "Everybody focus!" -Jessica B

7. I say class they say yes. I say classity, class, class. They say yesity, yes, yes. My first graders love it. I change the tone of my voice and they change the tone of theirs. -Danielle R.

8. I knew one teacher that would use the McDonalds theme song. She would say " ba da ba da ba" and the students would respond "I'm loving it". -Maleisa C.

9. "Oh watch me watch me" and they say "Oh watch you, watch you!" It's hilarious but all of them -Amy A.

10. I use a wind chime. Sometimes I say clap the answer...2+2, 4+3, and end with 7-7. -Molly F.
Molly's attention-getter is great to use right before starting your math block. You can keep your students practicing their math facts in an engaging way with I Spy Math printables.
11. Anything that is nonverbal such as a bell, chime, or rainstick works well. I've also used typical call and response, but prefer the nonverbal attention getters. -Katie M.

12. My favorite comes from Dr. Jean..."Tootsie roll, lollipop. We've been talking, now let's stop!" -Mandy D.

14. Teacher: "Let's go Cubbies!" Students: reply with clapping... Clap clap clap clap clap. (Teachers can insert their favorite team or local team) -Sarah C. from Kindergarten Smarts

15. I actually just started using: T eacher- "peanut butter" Students- "jelly!!!" It's working amazingly well! -Erin V.

16. Zip it, lock it, and put it in your pocket is my favorite. -Sheri L.

17. As a high school teacher, I put up a picture on my projector screen. The kids are quick to sit down and hear what it is about. It leads to great discussions. I call it "The Picture of the Day." -Denis C.
That is a great suggestion from Denis about using a picture or something else on your screen to grab your students' attention. You can do this with Morning Meeting Slides as well. Simply project and have students start working on the question or task posted.
18. Give Me 3....stands for Stop Look & Listen -Kristen A.

19. Show me you're thinking of me. -Sarah L.

20. Teacher, "Who's the friend who likes to play?" Students, "Bing Bong, Bing Bong." From Disney's Inside Out. -Kresta L.

21. T: flat tire! S: sshhhhhhhhh -Laura C.

22. I say-POP. Kids say-corn. I say Apple. Kids say Sauce. I say hot. Kids say dog. I say milk. Kids say shake. Any word combo works as long as kids know that when they say the word it means to freeze and eyes on me. -Blue M.
Besides using this attention-getter to work on compound words, your students can practice with a variety of compound word activities on ETTC Premium.
23. My Bologna has a first name... They sing "It's OSCAR" I play the commercial for them so they can hear the song. They LOVE it! -Emilee L

I start with a whisper and they are silent by the time I get to 4 claps... the best part is no yelling. -Laura C. 25. If you can hear my voice, clap once. If you can hear my voice, clap twice.

Now that you have some fresh attention-getters, you're on your way to becoming a more efficient teacher!
At Education to the Core, we exist to help our teachers build a stronger classroom as they connect with our community to find trusted, state-of-the-art resources designed by teachers for teachers. We aspire to be the world's leading & most trusted community for educational resources for teachers. We improve the lives of every teacher and learner with the most comprehensive, reliable, and inclusive educational resources.

If you enjoyed what we have to offer at ETTC, be sure to join our email list, so you won't miss a beat. We are here to help with all your resource needs. Become a Premium Member of Education to the Core and receive immediate access to thousands of printable activities. For one small monthly or annual fee, everything ETTC can be at your fingertips all of the time.

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25 Attention Getters to Calm A Noisy Classroom

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As teachers, we know the value of having good attention getters to quiet noisy classrooms. I have always wanted a comprehensive list of all of the best attention getters in one spot. So, I decided to poll the Education to the Core Community to see what we could come up with.

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As Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) become more acknowledged as necessary for students to learn, teachers must also learn how to incorporate these skills into the curriculum. The following articles and sites offer excellent information, ideas and support for the integration of HOTS into existing curriculum and student skill sets.

1. Higher Order Thinking Skills
http://www.mcsk12.net/schools/peabody.es/hots/hots1.htm
A HOTS Resource site

2. Teaching Kids to Use Higher Order Thinking Skills
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYgVTwON5Rg
A video from Youtube

3. Thinking Skills Resources
A resource site from Lessonplanet

Laura Turner teaches Computer Technology in the College of Education at Black Hills State University, South Dakota.

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HOTS for Teachers: 25 Top Resources For Higher Order Thinking Skills

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As Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) become more acknowledged as necessary for students to learn, teachers must also learn how to incorporate these skills into the curriculum. The following articles and sites offer excellent information, ideas and support for the integration of HOTS into existing curriculum and student skill sets.

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Growth mindset lesson and activity ideas to help motivate your students to believe in themselves and achieving the goals they have set. Make sure to download the free growth mindset resources in the post!
I guess it's no news that as teachers we have so many things to do...planning, prepping, assessing, grading, PLC meetings, more meetings..... The list is never ending and we are tired! But we continue to push through and put forth our best effort because we care about the success of our students. We want to ensure they all reach their potential in our classroom and beyond.

So while our time and energy is pulled in all different directions, one place I really believe we should be putting effort is into helping students develop growth mindsets. When students believe that dedication and hard work can change their performance in school, they grow to become resilient, successful students. Even at such a young age, it is essential for us to teach our students that their intelligence can be grown or developed with persistence, effort, and a focus on learning.

You may also believe teaching your students the many facets of Mindset is important, but feel overwhelmed by all the research, planning, and gathering of lesson ideas and activities it requires. With all else on your plate it may not be a top-priority. I understand this and that's why I am here to help you!

Carol Dweck's mindset work validates everything I have always believed but didn't know how to articulate to my students. Once I started studying her work, I became so passionate and started tapping into the power and building a growth mindset culture in my classroom. Soon I helped my students understand that everyone can learn, that intelligence can be developed with appropriate instruction, time, persistence, and motivation. Instantly, I saw student's performance and achievement increase. This sparked my desire to know even more.

Last year I created many growth mindset resources and I felt like I barely scratched the surface of what I could teach them about their intelligence. It became such a strong part of our classroom culture. It wasn't rare for me to overhear a student cheering another on with the power of YET or another student tell me she could feel her brain growing! Yet, I still had a deep desire to know more about mindsets, how the brain learns, goal setting, and the power of feedback, so naturally, I grabbed some highlighters and dove into more books! #booknerd[spacer height="20px"]

Over the past few weeks, I have spent countless hours reading, watching videos, and writing lessons specifically designed for elementary classrooms. For each lesson I have included objectives, materials needed, step by step teaching plans, and activities. Then for each lesson I have differentiated the levels of activities so you may choose what will best work with the level of your students.

Here is a closer look:
Research shows it is crucial to involve and educate families about the growth mindset culture you will establish with your students. They need to hear consistent messages at home. To help you with that, I have included an editable letter to send home with your students.

This work is so important to build a culture of success and student achievement in our schools. I feel so lucky that my school has embraced the Mindset culture and there are visuals throughout our building to reinforce their thinking.

Would you like to try a lesson and some activities for FREE? Sign up below to get them delivered to your email now!
Recently, I made this bulletin board after seeing a similar idea on Pinterest.

If you'd like these printables to make your own bulletin board you can grab them { FREE growth mindset bulletin board HERE}.

I promise you, if you start teaching your students about the malleability of the brain and emphasize the process of learning over perfection you will see your students grow a love of learning.

You can download the GROWTH MINDSET LESSONS below if you are ready to change your student's thinking and empower them to achieve!

If you've been toying with the idea of introducing the topic of growth mindset to your students or looking for more ways to incorporate it, I hope my resources will motivate you to give it a go. So while I know your days are filled with to-dos, I can promise you this topic is one of such great value. If you can help your students establish a growth mindset you will have given them a gift that will serve them for years to come!

I'd love to hear from you! If you have you already started incorporating growth mindset into your classroom community, what improvements have you seen with your students? Have parents been receptive to the culture? I'm eager to hear your thoughts and observations!

PIN FOR LATER

Want to learn more about teaching growth mindset? >>>click the image to go to the post<<<

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Are you ready to start fostering a growth mindset culture with your elementary students and unsure where to start? This resource is designed with explicit, research based lessons, activities, anchor charts, and an interactive bulletin board to help your students distinguish between growth and fixed mindsets, how the brain learns, goal setting, and much more!

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This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. View disclosure policy HERE.
Christmas classroom activities for teachers. Arts & crafts, games, activities, decorations and cards, gift and book ideas, STEM activities and more!
Celebrating the holidays and Christmas is a special experience for children. Bringing these celebrations into the classroom makes learning memorable. Teachers can accomplish this with the following 30 Christmas in the classroom ideas.

Teachers go out of their way everyday for their students. They love to share and celebrate with their little families at school before the break. Teachers enjoy decorating their classrooms and planning Christmas activities for children that they may not have at home. Taking this time away from the rigor of day to day school life to celebrate together is a magical thing.

A List of the Best Christmas Classroom Activities

I have scoured the internet (hello Pinterest) and gathered awesome ideas from my teacher/blogger friends to bring you the best ways that we can share Christmas and the holidays in the classroom. You will find a collection of activities, arts & crafts, DIY decorations, books, freebies, and more. Each idea is linked to the original post where you can find more details and instructions on how to use in your classroom. Happy Holidays!

Christmas Arts & Crafts

1.Make these Christmas tree pine cones from smART Class with paint, plaster, and sparkly craft supplies. Turn them into ornaments to hang on your classroom tree.

2.The simple gingerbread house tutorial from Crafts by Amanda will help you create a recycled village of gingerbread houses in your classroom.

3. First and Kinder Blue Skies has the cutest crafts for all holidays and celebrations! Check out her gingerbread man and elf crafts.

Christmas Decor & Decorations

4. A different spin on the usual paper loop garland, is this paper Christmas lights garland from Stubbornly Crafty. This would look great hanging up around any classroom.

5. Create a special keepsake for the Christmas tree with these DIY time capsule ornaments. Kids will love adding their own special items inside!

6. These toilet paper roll snowmen can be put together with a few simple materials. Super cute!

Christmas Games & Activities

7. Are you hosting a holiday party for your class? One Sharp Bunch has you covered with 8 simple holiday party ideas.

8. Writing letters to Santa is a great way to practice letter writing. Having a clear anchor chart filled with ideas like this one is a must. Of course, you'll also need this free Santa stationary from It's a Fabulous Life!

9. Having a Christmas book exchange in the classroom is a fantastic idea! Books and Giggles shares their tips on hosting one in your classroom.

Christmas STEM

10. STEM activities are the perfect thing to help with that extra excitement and energy that's floating around. This engineering activity from Fun-a-Day is sure to please!

11. Create an advent calendar with daily STEM challenges like the one seen in this post.

12. Make patterns in math with these hands-on activities by A Day in First Grade.

13. Children love making editable gingerbread houses and Happiness is Homemade makes it look so easy with graham crackers!

14. This Rudolph applesauce treat is healthy and so simple to whip up as a gift.

15. Bake at 350 has a simple way of decorating cookies with kids. Check out her post and tips to make icing those Christmas cookies a fun experience for all!

Christmas Gift Ideas

16. Looking simple holiday gift ideas for your students? Check out these 5 creative ideas from Diary of a Not So Wimpy Teacher.

17. These gingerbread man DIY crayons are a great way to use up those broken crayons you have laying around the class.

18. Create Rudolph lollipops as a simple, low-cost treat for kids.

Elf on the Shelf & Alternatives

19. Maria from Kinder Craze has a great elf on the shelf post where she details how she sets-up for, introduces, and finds the perfect spot for the elf.

20. Grab more fun elf on the shelf ideas for the classroom from All Students Can Shine. Love the elf in the basket with the reading buddies!

21. Love the idea of kindness elves as an alternative to elf on the shelf. The Imagination Tree has fantastic ideas of how this can be implemented in the classroom.

Christmas Cards

22. Crafty Morning's idea of using potatoes stamps in paint to make ornaments to decorate Christmas cards is a fun one.

23. Make these unique handprint Christmas cards from Blitsy for a perfect keepsake!

24. Nothing beats using a child's feet and hands to make the perfect Christmas card and gift. Check out these ideas!

Christmas Books

25. Here is a list of Christmas storybooks that are perfect for December read alouds. Which is your favourite?

26. Children love books about a gingerbread man! Read The Gingerbread Boy and make gingerbread playdough with this recipe from Amazing Mess.

27. Make a growing heart like the Grinch's heart with this Christmas ornament idea from Fun-A-Day.

Great Books for Classroom Activities

Christmas Freebies

28. Countdown the days until Christmas with this free printable. Each kid can make their own Christmas Holiday Countdown to take home during winter break.

29. This Christmas tree foldable is a great way to include how-to writing practice in December.

30. Here are 40+ FREE Christmas games for readers to download and use right away!

I hope you enjoyed this post! If you would like more tips and ideas from me, be sure to follow me on Teachers Pay Teachers, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook to stay connected with the latest news and freebies!
Santa Claus Drawing Christmas Story Books Santa Crafts
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Christmas Classroom Activities that are Sure to Bring Holiday Cheer - Proud to be Primary

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This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. View disclosure policy HERE . Christmas classroom activities for teachers. Arts & crafts, games, activities, decorations and cards, gift and book ideas, STEM activities and more! Celebrating the holidays and Christmas is a special experience for children. Bringing these celebrations into the classroom makes learning memorable.

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Valentine's Day is a wonderful time to celebrate love, friendship and kindness with your students. Welcome this special day in your classroom by partaking in Valentine-related classroom activities that will put your students' hearts to work.

Here are ten teacher-tested teaching classroom activities that you can use to celebrate Valentine's Day in your classroom.

1. A Note of Kindness

Valentine's Day is about being kind to one another. Have students pick their classmates' names from a jar, and write a brief note of kindness telling them all of the things that they like about that student. Then, you can either post the notes on your bulletin board, or create a kindness tree using clothes pins to clip each kind note to the tree.

2. Valentine's Day Boxes

Let students get creative by making their own Valentine's Day boxes to hold all of their special notes and cards from their classmates. As an at-home project, instruct students to take an empty cereal box and choose a theme that represents them to decorate it. On Valentine's Day, students bring in their boxes and before handing out their valentines, they present their boxes to the class to get judged. The winner with the most creative box receives a get-out-of homework free pass.

3. Door Decorating Contest

Invite all of the classrooms down your hall to participate in a Valentine's Day door decorating contest. Each class comes up with a theme and together decorates their classroom door. Then, appoint one student from each participating classroom to be a judge. The classroom that wins receives a Valentine's Day cake for their class party.

4. Heart-Stopping Fun

Play a variation of the game Hot Potato with your students but using heart cut-outs. To prepare for the game, cut out a class supply our paper hearts in all different colors. Begin the game by randomly giving students hearts, then starting the music. Students must pass their heart to the person on their right until the music stops. Once the music stops, the teacher calls a color. If a student has that color they must spell one of their spelling words correctly. If they do not, then they are out. If they spell it correctly they can continue to play. You can also use math facts, vocabulary words, or whatever other concept students need to review.

5. Friendship Bracelets

Some schools are unable to celebrate Valentine's Day for religious reasons. So instead of a Valentine's Day celebration, you can have a friendship celebration. On this day, invite students to wear red and pink, write friendship letters to one another and make friendship bracelets.

6. From the Heart

Students can send a message from the heart to anyone of their choosing. To begin, give each student two paper hearts, one red and one pink. The red one should be a little bit bigger than the pink one so the students can paste the pink one on top of it. Once students glue their hearts together, instruct them to look through magazines and choose words and/or pictures that describe the recipient of the heart. They should glue the words, phrases, and pictures to the heart so it looks like a collage. Add a fancy bow or ribbon and you have yourself a personalized valentine.

7. Valentine's Day Learning Stations

Learning centers are always a fun time for students. This Valentine's Day have students move through a variety of centers where they can create a heart valentine, play Valentine bingo or lotto, play a game where they must pick up candy hearts with chop sticks, and of course, eat some fun Valentine's Day treats.

8. Lovely Literature

Sweeten your valentine festivities by reading some heart-warming stories. Here are a few favorites.

"Arthur's Great Big Valentine" by Lillian Hoban

"Rotten Ralph's Rotten Romance" by Jack Gantos

"Roses are Pink, Your Feet Really Stink" by James Stevenson

9. Hearts

Purchase a bunch of plastic hearts from the Dollar Store. You can use them for a variety of heart-related activities. For math, you can have students choose a heart and complete the problem inside. For every five hearts they get correct, they earn a chocolate-covered strawberry. For language arts, you can have students do the same thing but this time they have to answer a writing prompt.

10. Valentine's Day Bingo

Play a fun game of Valentine Bingo using candy hearts. Give each student a blank bingo board and instruct them to write the following words randomly in each square: Hugs, love, wow, cutie, best friends, be mine, 2 cute, hearts, you're great. Then, using the candy hearts, students will play bingo. The first one to get three in a row yells "Valentine's!" and wins!
What Valentine-related activities do you do in your classroom? Please share your ideas in the comment section below. We would love to hear your thoughts Janelle Cox is an education writer who uses her experience and knowledge to provide creative and original writing in the field of education. Janelle holds a Master's of Science in Education from the State University of New York College at Buffalo. She is also the Elementary Education Expert for About.com, as well as a contributing writer to TeachHUB.com and TeachHUB Magazine. You can follow her at Twitter @Empoweringk6ed, or on Facebook at Empowering K6 Educators.

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10 Teacher-Tested Valentine's Day Classroom Activities

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Valentine's Day is a wonderful time to celebrate love, friendship and kindness with your students. Welcome this special day in your classroom by partaking in Valentine-related classroom activities that will put your students' hearts to work. Here are ten teacher-tested teaching classroom activities that you can use to celebrate Valentine's Day in your classroom.

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Work! Work! Work!
In 1894, in attempt to please the hard working people of America, President Grover Cleveland declared the first Labor Day. Today Labor Day is typically viewed as the last celebration of summer. Join Education World as we celebrate the history of working men and women and their contribution to our great nation.

HOLIDAY IDEAS

Labor Day Internet Scavenger Hunt
Do you know who is honored on the first Monday in September? In this Internet Scavenger Hunt, students learn about the history and meaning of Labor Day activities in the United States.
Great Sites For Teaching About... Labor Day and U.S. Labor History
Labor Day is much more than the end of summer. It is a holiday unlike most others, honoring not public figures or war victories but the everyday worker. To commemorate Labor Day, Education World has found some of the best World Wide Web sites about the history of the holiday -- and labor -- in the United States.
Create Your Own Business
Students learn to work in cooperative groups to create their own businesses.

Never a Dull Moment: Growing Up In Colonial America
How has our worked changed? Exploring life in the Colonial Days will give your students an idea of of what the "work week" used to be like.

Twelve Great Lessons for Teaching the Great Depression
The workforce of America had little to celebrate during the Great Depression Era. These lesson plans focus on the plight of workers after Black Thursday.

Last updated 08/22/2017

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Labor Day Lesson Plans and Activities | Education World

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Work! Work! Work! In 1894, in attempt to please the hard working people of America, President Grover Cleveland declared the first Labor Day. Today Labor Day is typically viewed as the last celebration of summer. Join Education World as we celebrate the history of working men and women and their contribution to our great nation.

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New Years Eve/Day Activities will provide you with great activities to be used on and around the New Year.

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We found 74 items

Thanksgiving always falls on the fourth Thursday of November. Explore the rich historical and cultural aspects of this American holiday with Thanksgiving activities, lessons, and printables. You can incorporate Thanksgiving into many of your classes, such as Reading, Math, Science, and Social Studies. There are arts & crafts projects with which your students can demonstrate their creativity, math worksheets so they can show their critical thinking skills, references to teach the history of Thanksgiving, and activities perfect for your students to show their vocabulary and reading capabilities.

Videos about Thanksgiving

View our short videos about Thanksgiving and extend your students' knowledge with the extension activities prepared for each video.

Thanksgiving Slideshows

Browse our collection of slideshows to find resources to enhance your curriculum for the Thanksgiving holiday. Includes a printable book about the seasons, internet research that integrates math, and the turkey traditions at the White House.

Printables for Grades K-12

Teach your students about Thanksgiving with these printables and worksheets. Includes paper weaving, a mini-book with art projects, and improving math skills by creating a spreadsheet of favorite Thanksgiving foods.

Thankgiving Lesson Plans

Our Lesson Plans will help students understand Thanksgiving with activities such as creating a landmark commemorating different points of view, and much more.

Social Studies & Thanksgiving Connected

Explore Thanksgiving connections using these social studies resources. Includes videos on how Thanksgiving became a national holiday, learning using Pilgrim Fact Cards, and background information.

Studying Colonial Times

Integrating information about Colonial times into your lessons will extend your students' understanding of Thanksgiving with a lesson which compares the first Thanksgiving dinner to dinner now, as well as a reading passage from Colonial times.

Thanksgiving Math Activities

Interconnect math skills with these Thanksgiving activities. Includes creating a spreadsheet after researching turkey consumption, and practicing other math skills such as solving word problems and using logic.

Art Activities for Thanksgiving

Incorporate Thanksgiving activities into art class by creating placemats to take home, making a dried bouquet of flowers or paper weaving.

Reading & Language Arts Activities for Thanksgiving

Choose from these activities to help students expand their knowledge. Includes a reading passage using compare and contrast, enrichment activities, web resources, and practicing writing skills by creating a dialogue and journal entries.

Thanksgiving Foods & Recipes

Use these resources to expand your teaching strategies and lessons on Thanksgiving with background information on Colonial recipes, as well as information on the first Thanksgiving dinner.

Teaching Native American Heritage

These resources will increase students' knowledge about Native Americans and enhance your teaching strategies through background information and activities.

Learning About the Pilgrims

Students will enjoy Learning About the Pilgrims with these resources containing background information, writing activities comparing Pilgrim children to today's children, and games.

Browse Latest Resources

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Thanksgiving Activities, Crafts, Worksheets & Lesson Plans - TeacherVision

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ADVERTISEMENT | REMOVE ADS We found 74 items Thanksgiving always falls on the fourth Thursday of November. Explore the rich historical and cultural aspects of this American holiday with Thanksgiving activities, lessons, and printables. You can incorporate Thanksgiving into many of your classes, such as Reading, Math, Science, and Social Studies.

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Introduction:
"Easter is the most important annual religious feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to Christian scripture, Jesus was resurrected from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. Some Christians celebrate this resurrection on Easter Day or Easter Sunday.... Relatively newer elements such as the Easter Bunny and Easter egg hunts have become part of the holiday's modern celebrations, and those aspects are often celebrated by many Christians and non-Christians alike...." - Wikipedia
Lesson Plans: Art: Language Arts: Math: Music: Science: Other: Videos: Additional Recommended Resources:

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The Lesson Plans Page - Easter Lesson Plans, Teacher Resources, teaching resources, theme, unit, educator, education resources, resource, printables, worksheets, videos | HotChalk Lesson Plans Page

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Introduction: "Easter is the most important annual religious feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to Christian scripture, Jesus was resurrected from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. Some Christians celebrate this resurrection on Easter Day or Easter Sunday....

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Subtraction Activities for Kids | Education.com

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Check out Education.com's collection of fun, hands-on math activities for kids to get your child excited about learning!

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We know. Teaching fractions can be really hard. And teachers need lots of different methods to get those fraction lessons to stick. Well, here are a few more for your arsenal. These fraction games for kids boost understanding, critical thinking, and social interaction. Better yet, they're fun!

1. Fight it out in a fraction war.

Your kids probably already know how to play War with cards. This version just adds a fraction aspect. Students deal two cards, a numerator and denominator, then determine whose fraction is the largest. The winner keeps all four cards, and play continues until the cards are gone. You can also play using these free printable fraction cards.

Learn more: Mrs. Weigand's Mathematics Resources

2. Float some DIY pool noodle fractions.

It's so easy to make these pool noodle math manipulatives, which you can then use for all kinds of fraction games. Learn how to make them and get ideas for using them here.

3. Build excitement with LEGO fraction games.

Visualizing what fractions represent is easier (and a lot more fun) when you use LEGOs! Lay them out side by side or build towers. No matter how you play, this is a sure-fire hit.

Learn more: JDaniel4's Mom

4. Try making paper plate fractions.

Such a fun, colorful way to play with fractions and equivalencies! Get the full instructions here.

5. Boogie down with newspaper fractions.

Turn the music up! Start out with a full paper as each student's dance floor, then fold down to one half. Continue folding the paper into smaller and smaller dance floors and watch kids get creative as they try to stay on the paper.

Learn more: Mrs. King's Music Class

6. Jump into fraction hopscotch.

It's hopscotch-with a fraction games twist! Draw a hopscotch board on the playground (or outline one with tape on your classroom or hallway floor). Label the squares with fractions instead of whole numbers. Kids throw a marker and jump to where it lands, then name the equivalent fractions for that square.

Learn more: Capturing Classroom Ideas

7. Have a fraction picnic.

Provide a variety of food images cut from magazines or printed out from the Internet. Students plan a picnic and choose the food they want to bring along. Using a ruler and scissors, cut portions of their food choices and glue them to a paper plate. Finally, label each item with the fraction name. Bon appétit!

Learn more: E is for Explore

8. Connect fractions to learn and win.

Repurpose a Connect Four set to play fraction games! The goal is to match not only your colors, but the fractions themselves. For instance, you need four one-fourths in a row, but only three one-thirds, so there's strategy involved, too.

Learn more: No Time for Flash Cards

9. Grab the fun of fraction Spoons.

If you've played Spoons before you know the drill. Match four of a kind (this time using free printable fraction cards found at the link below), and you get to grab for a spoon-and so does everyone else! The loser takes one letter of the word SPOON, and play continues.

Learn more: Games 4 Gains

10. Put a spin on the fraction fun.

Kids get a kick out of stuff that spins, so they'll love these free printable fraction games. Since the spinners are just pencils and paper clips, every kid can have their own as they practice their fraction skills. Get the whole free set of games here.

11. Color your way to fraction bingo.

There's learning and strategy involved when you play fraction bingo. Kids color in portions of the circles in an effort to get five in a row, based on the fractions the teacher calls out. Of course, the best part is getting to shout "BINGO!"

Learn more: School Time Snippets

12. Reduce fractions and race to the finish.

Kids draw a card (the free printable cards and board are at the link below) and reduce the fraction shown. They then move along the board to the next square that matches. First to the end wins!

Learn more: 123Homeschool 4 Me

13. Draw on their creativity with fraction Pictionary.

Can you draw a fraction-without using any numbers? That's the challenge of this fractions game. Kids can draw single objects divided to represent fractions or be more creative. For example, they might draw three apples and two oranges to represent three-fifths.

Learn more: E is for Explore

14. Get into a fraction fiasco.

Once they get the rules down, kids will be adding fractions and checking each other's work in this free printable game. You'll find all the instructions and the game board at the link below.

Learn more: Learn With Math Games

15. Do the math with domino fractions.

Dominoes are like ready-made fractions! Multiply (or add, subtract, or divide) them and reduce the results. Turn it into a race to see who can finish-correctly-first.

Learn more: Relentlessly Fun, Deceptively Educational

16. Play with pattern blocks.

If you've already got pattern blocks on hand, put them to good use in some fractions games. In this one, kids spin to find out how many blocks they get to add to their board, in an effort to be the first to build six complete shapes.

Learn more: Math Geek Mama

17. Shake it up with number bonds.

All you need is a plastic cup and two-sided counters. Kids shake the cup and pour the counters on the table, then count how many of each color landed face up. For example, if 13 counters were rolled, six red and seven blue landed face up. Six and seven are both parts of thirteen (the whole). Have students write the number bond and fractions for each color.

Learn more: E is for Explore
What are your favorite fraction games for kids? Come and share in our WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook. Looking for more math games? Try this roundup of online math games for every grade level.

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We know. Teaching fractions can be really hard. And teachers need lots of different methods to get those fraction lessons to stick. Well, here are a few more for your arsenal. These fraction games for kids boost understanding, critical thinking, and social interaction. Better yet, they're fun!

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Missy left on comment on a previous post: " LOVE that you've included some of your favorite kids books! Any other books you'd recommend to the mom for reference for trying to teach her kids basic art principles?"

I use children's books all the time in the art classroom. It is a great way to tie in literature and inspire the kids through stories and illustrations.

Here is MY list of favorite books for teaching about art. I highly recommend checking them out through the library first to see if they are going to be useful for your curriculum and particular teaching situation. And, of course, you don't need to get them all at once. I've slowly built up my collection over the course of 11 years or so.

Creativity

1. Art by Patrick McDonell

3. No One Saw

Making "Mistakes" in Art

4. Regina's Big Mistake (Sandpiper paperbacks)

What is art?

6. M is for Masterpiece: An Art Alphabet (Alphabet Books)

Color, Shapes and Lines

8. Mouse Paint

9. Lines That Wiggle Students can create line drawings, line paintings or sculptures.

11. Perfect Square

12. The Shape of Things

Art History

16. Linnea in Monet's Garden I love the video of this book

17. Any of the books in the Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists series

Weaving

20. The Weaving Adventures of Edgar and Rita See some of my weaving lessons here.

21. The Goat in the Rug

22. Weaving the Rainbow

Recycled Art

23. Snowballs

Collage

25. Books by Eric Carle

There are plenty more wonderful art books out there and there are some I use that I have left off this list. What MUST-HAVE art books would you recommend?

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Missy left on comment on a previous post: " LOVE that you've included some of your favorite kids books! Any other books you'd recommend to the mom for reference for trying to teach her kids basic art principles?" I use children's books all the time in the art classroom.

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1. Subjects

2. Nutrition

View Nutrition Resources By Type

Recommended Nutrition Resources

Our cross-curricular resources on health education and nutrition will engage your students in prek, elementary, middle school, and high school, with fun and informative lesson plans, worksheets, and activities on their well-being. Teach them about illness, physical education, and balanced diets so they have the knowledge to make healthy choices. Good eating habits and a healthy amount of exercise help keep the mind and body performing at their best. Students will be fascinated with science activities on the human body, and you'll find plenty of resources on delicious foods to keep them interested in nutrition.

Health Lesson Plans, Nutrition Worksheets, Fun Activities and More for Your PreK to High School Students

Worksheets for Grades K-5

Physical activity is at the core of a healthy lifestyle. Help your students learn the best ways to be healthy and fit with these different activities! Students can learn about how to become their best selves through different fitness and nutrition worksheets, activities, and resources. Students go in depth with the inner workings of the body, different foods that give their bodies energy, and different ways that they can help others become healthy just like them.

Printables for Grades 6-12

You can use these various activities to help your students learn about the key aspects of nutrition and how it impacts their health. Topics in the different activities touch on serious subjects such as the impact of drugs and alcohol. Through novel study guides, interactive and printable worksheets, and statistical data and resources, students learn the best ways to be healthy and stay out of harmâ€™s way.

Health Lesson Plans

Use these health lesson plans as a comprehensive guide for teaching students about the importance of health and health related topics. Ranging from scientific experiments, opinion based discussions, and inquiry based projects, these lesson plans will structure your learning unit to not only be informative, but interesting as well!

Graphic Organizers

These health and nutrition graphic organizers are all about helping your students recall what they learned about being healthy. With different formats and purposes, these versatile organizers can be used for variety of goals and can be tailored to your individual classroom needs.

Food Resources

Health is a really informative topic but that doesn't mean a little creativity can't be mixed in. In this section, there is a large range of resources, lesson plans, and experiments that will help students see food in a totally different light. Print these resources and work on them with your students to make sure they are the healthiest they can be.

Activities for Science Class

Food isn't just for home economics class! Use this section to really experiment and analyze the inner workings of food and its impact on our bodies. Along with facts on nutrition, your students will learn the essential problem solving and deductive reasoning skills that they will take with them in future science topics.

Math, Health, & Nutrition Connected

If you've ever tried to bake a cake, you'll know it's a real art. Or it just takes a lot of math. In either case, these resources will help your students make the connection between math and nutrition. Use the different worksheets to connect mathematical skills such as estimating and measuring on different activities.

Art, Health, & Nutrition Connected

In this section, you can choose from a number of multimodal activities to activate their creative sides. These art printables help students learn essential nutritional information while giving them a fun challenge to complete. Also, there are several activities that connect to other subject areas which is helpful for cross-curricular studies.

Language Arts, Health, & Nutrition Connected

Looking for a great way to get students interested in their reading and writing while learning about nutrition? Look no further! These activities and teacher guides help you activate students creative juices and will help students reach their future ready goals and aspirations.

Literature, Health, & Nutrition Connected

Whether you want to focus on novels that reveal the dark aspects of not being healthy, or you just want quick and easy worksheets to reinforce discussions on nutrition, this is the section for you! Each activity focuses on activating students higher order thinking skills with classroom discussion, interactive group activities, and quick check-in assessments.

Social Studies, Health, & Nutrition Connected

Combine the experiences of historical figures from the past and the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle with these social studies focused activities. From secondary sources outlining different individual experiences with a lack of nutrition, to designing and making cuisines from around the world, activities in this section will provide students information about nutrition from the past to present.

History, Health, & Nutrition Connected

Have your students wondered how some of their favorite foods came to be? Or wondered what the best options are for school lunch are? This section provides the history of some of your students favorite traditional foods while setting the stage for them to make better future nutritional choices.

Physical Education Activities

It's not enough to eat healthy. Teach your students the importance of keeping themselves healthy with exercise as well. In these printable activities, students will discover their favorite exercise, understand how their body reacts to exercise, how to plan their own fitness schedule, and much more!

Resources on Illness & Disease

In this section, your students will learn about some of the most deadly illnesses and diseases in a variety of activities, resources, and visual guides. This section is geared predominantly to students in the middle and upper grades.

Resources on the Human Body

This section provides information about the human body. You can have students complete these without worrying what subject you're teaching. Choose from reading comprehension selections and questions, science experiments, and quick printable games that are fun and educational.

Alcohol & Drug Awareness Resources

No matter what subject area you teach, you will be able to find an activity here that reveals the dangers of alcohol and drugs. Whether you just want to teach your students key facts, new content vocabulary, or provide them strategies for facing difficult personal situations, this is the section for you.

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Health & Nutrition Lesson Plans, Worksheets & Activities - TeacherVision

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Subjects Nutrition View Nutrition Resources By Type Recommended Nutrition Resources Our cross-curricular resources on health education and nutrition will engage your students in prek, elementary, middle school, and high school, with fun and informative lesson plans, worksheets, and activities on their well-being.

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Children's Literature with Social Studies Themes

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Chosen by teachers!

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Many of the world's renowned scientists started life as a curious young child who thought big thoughts, asked big questions and explored their world in new and interesting ways. Share this collection of intriguing science books for kids and who knows? You may just inspire the next great scientist of our era.

Plus...check out our collection of 25 STEM books, too!

Science Book Series

The colorful books in the National Geographic Little Kids First Big Book of Series are perfect curiosity-sparkers for kids in grades PreK-3:

Other titles in the series include Animals, Space, Ocean, How, Who and more.

The National Geographic Kids Everything Series provide amazing graphics and more complex text for kids in grades 3-6:

Other titles in this series include Dolphins, Pets, Big Cats, Insects, Space, and more.

The Baby Professor Series tackles topics across the curriculum, but their science books are particularly engaging for elementary students:

Scientist Biographies

Read these inspiring stories about famous scientists who started out as curious kids just like your students:

Science Experiment Collections

Here are three of the latest fun-filled collections of science experiments for kids. Suitable for students in grades K-2 with a little guidance, and students in grades 3-5 on their own:

Encyclopedias

The Ultimate Collection has large colorful pictures and tons of interesting facts in an easy-to-read format for students in K-3:

The NatGeoKids Encyclopedias have amazing images and more complex text and higher level concepts for kid in grades 3-5:
What are your favorite science books for kids? Come in share in our WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook. WeAreTeachers HELPLINE is a place for teachers to ask and respond to questions on classroom challenges, collaboration and advice.

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23 Inspiring Science Books for Kids in Elementary School

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Many of the world's renowned scientists started life as a curious young child who thought big thoughts, asked big questions and explored their world in new and interesting ways. Share this collection of intriguing science books for kids and who knows? You may just inspire the next great scientist of our era.

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Plays for Kids!

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Honolulu Theatre for Youth, nurturing emotional intelligence and bringing enriching entertainment to over 100,000 people across the state of Hawaii through school performances, public performances,...

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Fun science, history, art field trip.

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Take your kids on an Animal field trip for science, math, social studies, art, anything!

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Honolulu Zoo | Hawaii Indigenous Species | Best Family Activity In Oahu

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The Honolulu Zoo is Oahu's best family activity. Located in the heart of Waikiki, visitors can learn more about Hawaii's indigenous species.

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Math help for parents, teacher, and students.

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Math and Reading lessons tailored to each student.

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Sentence Builder: Pronouns | Game | Education.com

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Kids build critical writing skills and practice completing sentences with simple pronouns in this interactive wall-building game.

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Sentence Builder: Adjectives and Adverbs | Game | Education.com

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Help kids master the essential skill of differentiating between adverbs and adjectives in this interactive sentence-building game.

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Ordering Coins by Value Game | Game | Education.com

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Penny, nickel, dime, quarter! Kids must order coins according to their values in this interactive drag-and-drop math game.

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Take to the skies in this high-flying math adventure game. Secret Agent Addition is an ultra-cool way for your first grader to visualize addition and counting on by using a number line. In it, your child will follow the on-screen instructions to lay out a path for Floyd as he tries to catch his cat nemesis, working on addition within 20 in the process.

Grade

Subject

View aligned standards

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Secret Agent Addition Game | Game | Education.com

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Use addition skills to help Secret Agent Floyd defeat the evil El Gato in a shrink ray battle in the sky!

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3-Digit Place Value Machine Game | Game | Education.com

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In this interactive game, kids practice making three-digit numbers with hundreds, tens, and ones, represented by chunks of chocolate.

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All About Three-Digit Numbers | Lesson plan | Education.com

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Students will get to explore three-digit numbers through base ten blocks and written form. Students will get plenty of practice identifying the place values of a number both individually and with the class.

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Ones, Tens, and Hundreds | Lesson plan | Education.com

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Introduce hundreds place value to your students. Increase their knowledge of place value while they enjoy working with ones, tens and hundreds blocks.

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Greater Than, Less Than, Equal To Game | Lesson plan | Education.com

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Help your students make sense of the greater than, less than and equal to in this interactive lesson! Your students will have opportunities to compare either two-digit or three-digit numbers.

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Number Recognition 1-10 | Lesson Plan | Education.com

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Kids love to count. Help your students gain a greater understanding of what each number represents numerically, and make counting from 0-10 a breeze.

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https://padlet.com/p0077346/PictureBookPlan

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https://www.jcch.com