Geometry math partner games and a 2D shapes freebie

fabulous resources

My biggest project for the past few weeks was creating geometry partner games for grades 1-5, and I’m excited to share that the final set was just approved by my classroom proofreaders/testers! Here’s a link to the original post I wrote explaining how these particular partner games work, in case you missed it. The games are designed [...]

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Teacher job satisfaction hits lowest point in 25 years

21st century schools

That’s according to the 29th annual MetLife Survey of the American Teacher, an always fascinating analysis of teacher and principal perceptions of their work. The fact that teachers are increasingly less satisfied with their jobs is probably not surprising to you, but MetLife found that teachers’ satisfaction levels have dropped 23% since 2008, and that, to [...]

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March’s best teacher freebies

best teacher freebies

I’m loving the sea of green below! This collection of free printables includes St. Patrick’s Day and Dr. Seuss celebrations, as well as some spring printables and many general resources that are as useful in March as they are throughout the rest of the school year. Be sure to check out the resources listed in [...]

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4 free tools for teachers to manage digital clutter

ed tech

Each month, I invite a different educator to share a few classroom management tips that have worked in his or her classroom. It’s part of a blog post series called Real Teachers, Real Tips.  My goal is to feature a large cross-section of teachers from all different parts of the world, at a wide range of grade [...]

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A new digital magazine for classroom organization

classroom management ideas

Here’s something fun for your weekend–an interactive digital magazine that shares classroom management and organization ideas! Created by Charity Preston of The Organized Classroom Blog, the magazine is a great new resource with practical solutions for organizing your classroom. There are also fast, simple organization challenges for the upcoming month, and stories and suggestions from fellow teachers. [...]

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Advice on publishing a children’s book from a teacher who’s done it

new and noteworthy books

Have you always wanted to write a children’s book? I’ve talked to a number of teachers who have terrific ideas for kids’ books, but aren’t sure how to get started. Maybe you, too, are wondering how to write a book and how to get published. Anyone with an interest in children’s books is going to [...]

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Should the toughest kids be assigned to the best teachers?

behavior management

You know exactly which kids I’m talking about here–their faces appeared in your mind’s eye as soon as you read the blog post title.  These are the kids who are violent and relentlessly disruptive in class, the ones who have a reputation throughout the school as being incredibly difficult to handle. Each spring, the teacher’s [...]

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Ask Angela Anything: February Edition

your questions answered

Welcome to this month’s edition of the monthly post series in which I answer readers’ frequently-asked questions. Although I do respond personally to every email, with this series you can submit any teaching-related question anonymously to maintain your privacy and student confidentiality. I’ve called the series “Ask Angela Anything” because I share what has worked for me [...]

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5 free apps for digital storytelling and sharing kids’ ideas

apps and websites

Digital storytelling simply means using computer-based tools to tell stories. The 5 apps below are some of my favorites for allowing kids to create, illustrate, record, and share stories and ideas. Digital storytelling is easy to do with these apps, and can be done even if you don’t have access to much technology at school. If you [...]

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10 time-saving tips for grading student writing

classroom management ideas

Grading students’ essays and stories can be extremely time-consuming. Here are some ideas for grading student writing more quickly and easily (and making the experience more meaningful for students): 1. Don’t correct every mistake you see. Sure, we want to make students aware of their errors. But pointing them all out at once can be [...]

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What’s it like to teach in a remote village in Alaska?

teaching around the world

I’ve always been fascinated by what life is like in places that are very different from my own. One of my favorite books in elementary school was Children Just Like Me, a giant hardcover featuring photos of children all over the world and their explanations of what daily life (especially school) was like. Once I [...]

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The best teacher freebies of February 2013

best teacher freebies

I’ve now been creating these monthly round ups of the best teacher freebies for an entire year! You can check out last February’s best teacher freebies here. Below you’ll find free teacher printables for Valentine’s Day, Groundhog Day, President’s Day, Black History Month, National Children’s Dental Health Month, and winter, along with freebies for use all throughout the [...]

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What’s your best advice for student teachers?

classroom management ideas

Last week, I added a new page to the site called Classroom Management Tips for Student Teachers. I then asked educators on Facebook to share their best advice for student teachers and practicum teachers. There are some amazing responses in the thread! I’ve compiled some of the most helpful tips for this post, but you can [...]

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5 tips for making every moment count in the classroom

classroom management ideas

Each month, I invite a different educator to share a few classroom management tips that have worked in his or her classroom. It’s part of a blog post series called Real Teachers, Real Tips.  I’m hoping to feature a wide cross-section of teachers from all different parts of the world, at a wide range of grade levels, [...]

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When your students misbehave for other teachers

behavior management

I received a question about this topic through the anonymous form for Ask Angela Anything, and I thought it was such a common issue that I’d address it in its own post. KM writes: Usually my grade 3 students are very well behaved when I am teaching them, but if they go to specials, they [...]

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Ask Angela Anything: January Edition

your questions answered

Welcome to this month’s edition of the monthly post series in which I answer readers’ frequently-asked questions. Although I do respond personally to every email, with this series you can submit any teaching-related question anonymously to maintain your privacy and student confidentiality. I’ve called the series “Ask Angela Anything” because I share what has worked for me [...]

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Math partner games for the Common Core

fabulous resources

When I first started delving into the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for math, I thought to myself, How different can these expectations be? Math for elementary schoolers is math for elementary schoolers, right?  It wasn’t until more careful examination of the standards (I refuse to use the term ‘unpacked’) that I realized how much [...]

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The Classroom Teacher’s Technology Survival Guide

new and noteworthy books

The idea of writing a book about classroom technology is a daunting one, given how quickly tech changes. So much information is readily available online, and it’s constantly  updated to include the latest tools, tips, and tricks. Why bother to put it in a printed book that starts becoming obsolete before it’s even available to [...]

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Reflections on thoughtful blogging & selling out

rants and reflections

I’ve been wanting to check in with you all about some things for awhile now, and haven’t been able to find the right words to do it. But this is the time of year when we’re all thinking about what we’ve accomplished in the last twelve months and what we hope to accomplish next, so [...]

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Ralphie’s math vs. the Common Core

21st century schools

Like half of America, I spent some time watching “A Christmas Story” over the holidays. Re-watching is probably the more accurate term, since this viewing was approximately number 429. And each time another year passes and I watch that movie again, I find myself even more in awe of the scenes in Ralphie’s classroom. The [...]

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