Teaching kindness is just as important as teaching any academics. Choosing to always show kindness is a life-long challenge.  It takes a lot of practice and maturity to be able to set aside your initial reaction and choose to show kindness instead.  Eventually, kindness WILL be your initial reaction.  Isn't that the goal anyway? There seems to be a lot of negativity around us, but you never need to look far to find kindness around you.  As teachers, we need to focus on that kindness, highlight it, and encourage more of it.  In the classroom, it is important to hold your class to a high standard of kindness. ...

December is one of my favorite months because there is something electric in the air.  Kids are excited for the upcoming holidays.  And, there are cookies.  So many cookies! Here are a couple of ways that I add Christmas to my classroom.  Stick around to the end because I have a FREEBIE gift tag to go along with an inexpensive and easy gift idea for your students, friends, and neighbors. Christmas Math You can find a bunch of Christmas-themed math resources in my Teachers Pay Teachers store.  The resource below is a fun division review and coloring activity.  You can also find some partner activities and math scoot fun to add a little Christmas cheer to your lessons!   *This post may contain affiliate links.  Using an affiliate link does not cost you any additional money but I will make a small commission from Amazon. ...

My daughter's last day of school is next week and I wanted to throw together a little something for her two teachers.  This time of year is super busy for everybody so I wanted to make it as simple as possible! ...

I love December.  I love the smell when you first turn the heat on in your house.  I love the first snow fall, but not as much as I love snow days.  I love Christmas.  I love baking cookies.  I love eating cookies.    A bunch of my friends from Classroom Tested Resources have joined together to share our favorite cookie recipes that you're going to want to try this holiday season! ...

I cannot believe that another school year is winding down!  It seems like each school year goes by more and more quickly!  With summer right around the corner, I wanted to share a few end-of-year activities that I have done in my classroom. I think almost everybody does some type of memory activity with their class.  I have found that many of my kids are bored with the usual memory books and activities.  A few years ago, I thought of a way to put a new twist on the old end-of-year activities.   ...

Snow days!   Students.  Teachers.  We all love them!  I signed up for school cancelation text messages years ago but will still wake up and check the news every half hour starting at 3am.  Who sleeps the night before a predicted snow day, anyway?   Sometimes, I need to check multiple sources just to make sure it isn't too good to be true.  And there is no better feeling than being able to snuggle back into your warm bed without having to write sub plans.  Am I right? Now, imagine that excitement...MULTIPLIED!  Oh, yes! A Top Secret Mission  can make anything more exciting!   When you notice that the weather is starting to turn, it is a great time to introduce your Snow Day Top Secret Mission envelopes!  I've used half-sheet manilla envelopes and regular business envelopes.  Once you have a class set of sealed Secret Mission envelopes, let your students in on the secret!  Tell them to keep th......

One of the things that I find to be helpful is getting to know each student from the parent's perspective.  Each little person in your room is somebody's greatest love.  Parents have a wealth of information about their children that can be helpful when you're developing relationships.   During the first days of school, I give parents a homework assignment.  I ask them to tell me all about their child in a million words or less. Click on the picture to download the FREEBIE file.   Why a million?  That give parents the opportunity to write as much as the need or want!  You'll really enjoy reading the letters that make their way in. Best wishes for a great school year and I hope to see you here at Learning Lab again soon!   ...