Let’s “Chalk” About It- 5 Great Teaching Ideas!

Let’s “Chalk” about getting inspired in the classroom! Isn’t that why we read blogs?

I am linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching and sharing 5 great teaching ideas and inspirations! We need some down and dirty tips to save our butts when we are in the trenches of teaching and we need some inspiration too! So here are my top 5 moments from this week!

Sit Spots: A new kind of “carpet” time

Do you have a rug where all the kids sit ? Has it been peed on , spilled on, and have dirt from the last 20 years ground into it?  Do you wish you could really get it clean?  Not to mention the rug only has room for 20 kids! I ditched it and got sit spots instead!  They are a dream!

I brought mine home  from school this week to wash them.  After a year on the floor they began looking “grungy”. They turned out perfectly pristine ! You can’t say that about a HUGE school rug! Nor can you put that huge rug into your machine.

I tossed them in the washer, then dryer, and put them in a sandwich bag to flatten them out again. They are so danged easy to drop on the floor, step on, and you are ready to rock and roll!

The company will send you a sample to see if they will stick your school’s carpet. So there is no risk! Have fun shopping here!

Planning for long term using your desk calendar:

This idea came from a brand new teacher on my grade level. I admire new teachers so much and I enjoy the freshness they bring. Like this fresh idea. I popped into her room grab glitter and saw that she puts her desk calendar on the wall. I KNEW I had to try it. Well, I did, and I loved it! If you have the wall space, give it a try.

Best Blog Post of the Week:HELP! My students are not reading anywhere near grade level!

Jen Jones is is quite possibly one of the smartest kindest and sweetest people on this planet. She gets teaching, she gets teachers, she gets the Common Core, she gets kinder and first grade! She wrote a blog post that is so darn smart, you must read this if you have some below grade level readers. Even if you are not a kinder teacher, this is a MUST read!

Click {here} to read her post.

Magnetic Base Tens

I almost spent a fortune on magnetic base ten blocks from Lakeshore and then I remembered a post that Cara Carroll did about her calendar. She put magnets on the back of real blocks! Hey “Y’all” this chick is the real deal and I love her! Thank you for sharing Cara!

Friday Freebie

This little freebie will help your students gain vocabulary, practice writing words and sentences, create graphs, and think about numbers in the form of least and greatest. All of it comes in the form of a single-sheet game called “Race to the Top”. This game can be played in pairs, groups of 4, or even individually as seatwork so you can fit in a small group!  I have given you a St. Patrick’s Day and Easter/ Springtime sheet. Enjoy teaching this week sweet friends!

I am so proud and honored to be Debbie’s guest EduCelebrity this week. Join us on Twitter 9PM Eastern/6PM Pacific. Debbie hosts a weekly Teacher Think Tank and this week we are going to discuss ways to make education more fun and meaningful. Plus, we are going to hit classroom management! Debbie and I will be tweeting live and taking your questions! If you want to join us follow me by clicking the little birdie below or click {here}!