We live in a day and age where it is a sad & disgusting truth that lock downs are becoming a common occurrence. I feel like once we get back into the swing of things, something terrible like what just happened in San Bernadino happens and we are put on high alert again. That's why today's blog post is going to focus on fire drills - but even more specifically on lock down drills. Surely all schools then go into crisis mode and practice these alarms just to make sure they are on top of things. The sad thing is that it usually scares the kids OR makes them super anxious/hyper/not themselves. It is easy to let this behavior slide because we are so ... Read More
Celebrating Each Other for a More Positive Environment
This one seems like one of those super simple statements that just gets tossed around. Well, guess what? It is and there is a reason for it: it works. What phrase am I talking about? Positive Learning Environment By now we have all heard about the benefits of a positive learning environment. With that being said, I am going to get into some of the stuff that I believe in that might not sit well with some: I don't agree with the "everyone is a winner for participating" era happening right now. I believe in tough love... AND I believe in showing love. Now before you get too upset, allow me to explain. I think it is great that we celebrate ... Read More
April Math and Literacy Activity Set
OKAY, so I am wayyyyyyy late to post this on here. It has been done for a while but I have been SO busy lately trying to get my NEW WEBSITE up and running! It is here and I am in LOVE! Do you guys like it? It will be so much easier to navigate around here :) Anyhoo, I will make this a short and sweet post that gives you a quick glimpse into this month's activities. Your students will love this fun, themed coloring activity! Not only will it help with fine motor skills but it can help with other content areas as well. With six different coloring activities, this pack is perfect for differentiated learning (phonemic awareness, number ... Read More
Aromatherapy for Behavior – Classroom Management Monday
Happy Monday friends! Today's topic is ALL about aromatherapy for behavior in the classroom. About 10 years ago I received my first training on aromatherapy. I worked at Bath and Body Works and we sold essential oils at the time. We had a whole chart on which oils work to help aid in various parts of health. This ranged from stomach aches to behavioral issues. This was SO interesting to me! I thought it was so fascinating that certain scents could affect us in such a powerful way. And you know what? I was totally on board. I know scents affect me. Vanilla totally relaxes me, a good Fall scent brings me ALL the happy vibes, and fruity ... Read More
Tips for Returning from Spring Break – Classroom Management Monday #4
I hope your Spring Break went well! If you are anything like me, you went home with a pile of stuff that needed attention. You were so happy that you had a WHOLE week to get it done and get totally organized and READY for the final stretch of school. Fast forward to the Sunday before returning and you are scrambling to just get your lesson plans together.... oops! Well more than likely, your students didn't give school a second thought either. So usually the week back can be a little.... hectic? messy? frustrating? You pick the adjective. So here are some tips for returning from spring break. This will make the first week or two back a little ... Read More
Behavior Chart or No Behavior Chart – Classroom Management Monday
There has been a lot of talk in the past few years of ridding behavior charts all together. The whole reason behind this is because it is a form of "shaming." Look, I get it. When I was going through my first professional development course on this, it made perfect sense. Why would you want to display to everyone that a child is "bad?" After that course, I went to my classroom and tore my chart down. And you know what? Behavior didn't get worse. Chaos did not ensue. I continued to use my behavior calendars to send home and communicate with the parents. Other than that, we just went on with our days and it worked. The following year ... Read More
