Let’s talk daily spiral review – the instructional math routine that completely changed my 2nd grade classroom (and what you need to make sure it works!): A few years ago, I had a frustrating realization. My students were completing their daily math warm-ups. They were doing the work. They were filling out the worksheets. And…
Let’s talk… What Is Spiral Review?: You taught the lesson. Your students practiced. They passed the chapter test. Then three weeks later, you put a similar problem in front of them and suddenly it felt like they had never seen it before. Sound familiar? If so, you’re not alone. This is one of the biggest…
Can You Save Fred? The STEM Challenge Every Elementary Teacher Needs This Back to School Season: Picture this. It is the first week of school. You have got 25 kids who do not know each other yet, a mile-long to-do list, and somehow you are supposed to build classroom community at the same time. Enter:…
Learning how to make an end of the year slideshow does not have to be a 3-hour Pinterest rabbit hole. In fact, with the right plan, you can pull together something genuinely beautiful without sacrificing your sanity or your precious prep time. Ready to actually get your end of year slideshow done? Here is a…
Fun End of the Year Activities for Elementary Students By the time the last week of school arrives, most teachers are juggling two competing goals. First, you want to keep students engaged with end of the year activities. Second, you want to make the end of the year feel meaningful and memorable. However, if we…
Teaching subtraction can be surprisingly challenging, especially once regrouping enters the picture. Here’s the truth: 2 digit subtraction strategies can feel deceptively tricky. Students can breeze through the simple problems and feel confident, but the second you introduce regrouping, everything changes. Suddenly place value disappears, subtraction feels confusing, and some kids start treating the worksheet…
If you have ever taught addition and thought, “They get it during the lesson… then forget it the second I stop holding their hand,” you are not alone. That is exactly why I swear by place value strategy addition instead of jumping straight into the standard algorithm. Because when students actually understand how numbers work,…
How to Teach Money to 2nd Graders Let’s be honest — teaching money can feel like one of those lessons that should be simple… but never quite is. If you’ve ever found yourself wondering how to teach counting coins in a way that actually sticks, you’re not alone. The truth is, understanding money takes time,…
You’ve modeled, you’ve practiced, you’ve even broken out the base ten blocks — but somehow, 23 + 48 still sends your kids into full “guess-and-check” mode. That’s where teaching adding strategies (the right way) changes everything. When students learn multiple addition strategies — like base ten blocks, open number lines, and break-apart they’re not just…