Thanksgiving STEM Activities I know how the week right before a break for a holiday goes – it can be absolutely crazy! And sometimes, you even start running out of things to teach. You don’t want to start something new right before the break, so what do you do to fill the extra time? STEM challenges are a great solution to this problem! They both engage and challenge students, and the way I do them, they’re incredibly low-prep and inexpensive! So, if you find yourself needing a quick and meaningful activity this month, here are some of my favorite Thanksgiving STEM activities. 1. Corn on the Cob For this STEM…
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5 Practical Tips for Teaching Responsibility in the Classroom
Teaching Responsibility in the Classroom All teachers know that there is so much more to our jobs than just teaching the content. Part of our job also involves molding our students into productive members of society. Perhaps one of the most important parts of that, is teaching responsibility in the classroom. Responsibility is a big deal to me. Of course I wanted my students to learn the content I was teaching, but just as important to me was that I teach them how to be responsible. Today, I wanted to share with you a few ways that I would help to foster a culture of responsibility in my classroom. It…
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5 Simple and Fun Fraction Games Math Students Will Love
Fraction Games for Math Does anyone else just hate teaching fractions? I’m not sure what it is, but it’s just not my thing at all. If you feel the same way, then maybe you’re looking for some fun ways to switch up your instruction. Today, I’m sharing 5 fraction games math students of all ages will love! These 5 games can be used for students of all grade levels! Whether you’re just working to identify and name fractions, compare fractions, or identify equivalent fractions – there’s a game in here for everyone! 1. Fraction Charades Okay, I know the idea of playing charades with fractions might seem a little confusing.…
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2 Thrilling Halloween STEM Activities That Are Un-BOO-lievably Easy!
Halloween STEM Activities Happy October! Halloween is just around the corner, and if you’re like me, you love incorporating seasonally-themed activities into your instruction! If you’re looking to have a little Halloween fun, then these Halloween STEM activities are perfect for you! They are low-prep and use only materials that can be purchased at Dollar Tree. Your students will be THRILLED to complete these fun STEM challenges! How to Do STEM Challenges STEM challenges have always been a big hit with my students. Typically, STEM challenges involve a short design/engineering task that students are required to complete using only certain materials. They are not told HOW to complete the task,…
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How to Engage Your Students Using Math Games with Dominoes
Math Games with Dominoes If you’ve been around for awhile, then you know how much I love easy, low-prep math games. Games are incredibly engaging for our students, but it can be a pain to have to gather materials for them sometimes. That’s why I’m a huge fan of games that use normal, everyday supplies – like dominoes! Today, I wanted to share with you some of my favorite math games with dominoes. These games are all incredibly simple, yet meaningful for students and only require a set of dominoes, plus maybe a sheet of paper or whiteboard to write on. You can use these games as a center or…
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How to Teach Skip Counting and Why It’s Important
How to Teach Skip Counting Skip counting is an often underrated and underused math skill. Obviously, skip counting can help students learn their multiplication facts – but there’s actually so much more to skip counting than that. Many people don’t realize that skip counting goes beyond simply counting by 2s, 5s, etc. If you aren’t sure how to teach skip counting effectively, then keep reading for some tips and strategies. Why Teach Skip Counting? Skip counting is more than just a quick way to count equal groups and a strategy for learning times tables. Being able to quickly and fluently skip count is also an important part of building number…
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4 Fall Science Activities That Are Easy and Fun
Fall Science Activities for Elementary Students Fall is one of my favorite times of the year. It starts off a little crazy with all the back to school chaos, but by mid-to-late September, things start calming down, the weather gets cooler, and the leaves change color. And that means it’s time to break out all the fun fall-themed activities! If you’re a teacher who loves fall like me, then you’ll love these fall science activities! 4 Fall Science Activities #1: Apple Oxidation Experiment Materials needed: 1 apple, a variety of liquids (such as water, lemon water, lemonade, sugar water, pure lemon juice, orange juice, water with honey, etc.), containers labeled…
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The Best Word Problem Strategies that Build Strong Mathematicians
The Best Word Problem Strategies Ah, word problems. They are SO important for our students to understand, yet one of the most challenging parts of math instruction. Word problems are unique in that they are not JUST about math – they require reading comprehension, as well. Therefore, even students who excel at math can often struggle with word problems. As teachers, it can be difficult to know which word problem strategies to teach. In this post, I am going to share some of the common strategies for teaching word problems and why they are or aren’t effective. I would also highly encourage you to check out this post, where I…
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4 Super Practical Tips for Departmentalized Classroom Organization
Departmentalized Classroom Organization Is your grade level departmentalized for instruction? I’ve been blessed in that 3 out of my 5 years of teaching, I was departmentalized, teaching only math and science. Personally, I’m a huge fan of departmentalization! However, organizing your classroom to prepare for having different classes in and out all day long can present a challenge. Figuring out departmentalized classroom organization can be hard – so today, I’m sharing my best tips with you to help streamline you routines. Tip #1: Color Code Everything My first tip for departmentalized classroom organization is to color code everything! Assign each class a color, and use bins, labels, folders, etc. that…
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5 of the Best Activities for Addition and Subtraction with Regrouping
Activities for Addition and Subtraction with Regrouping Pop quiz! What is the bane of a 2nd grade math teacher’s existence? If you said addition and subtraction with regrouping, you win! All jokes aside, addition and subtraction is one of the major focuses of 2nd grade math – and for good reason! In most states, students only learn addition and subtraction through 20 in 1st grade. By the time they reach 3rd grade, the focus shifts to multiplication and division, and addition and subtraction is only barely touched on. They are already expected to know it. In other words, students basically have one year to not only learn but master addition…
