Grammar Boost sample

Grammar Boost

Engaging the effective grammar practice has been missing in big name curriculum for a long time. For years, regardless of our district's ELA adoption, I have had to scramble to find additional practice grammar opportunities. . . .

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How to Customize Your Teacher Planner

Teacher planners with evenly spaced boxes are simply not helpful. Personalizing your teacher planner is easy, smart and SUPER effective! The Ultimate Weekly Planner is a teacher life-saver. I can't imagine teaching without it. Lesson plan template, . . .

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Editable Monthly Newsletter

Editable Monthly Newsletter

Providing parents with continual updates and communication is important. I use an editable monthly newsletter form that provides parents with all sorts of information. First, the newsletter is a calendar. I add in all of the . . .

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Friday Note

Weekly Parent Communication

Make a habit of communicating with your parents on a routine basis. Every Friday I send home a note that informs parents of what is happening the following week. This weekly parent communication is a . . .

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Engaging Writing

Engaging Writing Curriculum

Teaching writing is a stress inducer for a lot of teachers. Engaging Writing is here to help! During my first couple years of teaching, writing time was THE area that frustrated me the most. Many techniques and strategies I read about and . . .

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Classroom Decor

Classroom Reveal and Some FREEBIES!

Monday was our first day back with the kiddos. It's been an exhausting but fun couple of days. I'm popping on to share some classroom reveal photos with you. I have some FREEBIES for you . . .

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7 Keys to Effective and Engaging Reading Instruction

7 Keys to Effective & Engaging Reading Instruction

Teaching little humans to read is often the most rewarding and challenging part of the K-2 teacher’s job. It consumes a large portion of our school day. Are you like me? Do you find yourself . . .

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No Fuss Interactive Math

No Fuss Interactive Math Lessons & Curriculum

If you've been following me for a while, you know I am ALL about keeping things simple and easy while super engaging and effective. I expect my resources and curriculum to save ME time but . . .

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Backward Plan part 1

Backwards Planning for School Year Success Part 1

My team's year curriculum mapping and planning for next year is done! It feels fabulous to have this complete and ready to go! I'm ALL ABOUT backwards planning! Curriculum mapping and planning for the following . . .

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back to school necessities

Back to School Essentials

It's definitely an exciting and hectic time. Over the years there are a few things I've found to be MUSTS when heading back to my classroom. Here are a few back to school essentials that . . .

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Grammar Boost sample

Grammar Boost

Engaging the effective grammar practice has been missing in big name curriculum for a long time. For years, regardless of our district’s ELA adoption, I have had to scramble to find additional practice grammar opportunities. It has been driving me nuts! Essential Grammar For firsties, routine grammar practice is…

August 25, 2019Read More

Word Work Activities Extravaganza!

Kindergarten Literacy Activities

Phonics & Sight Word Practice with Chunky Monkey

The Most Important Reading & Writing Strategies

First Grade NGSS Life Science – Plants and Animals

How to Customize Your Teacher Planner

Inspiration & Tips From the Feed

The opportunity to be in the physical company of my students over these last couple of months has been an enormous breath of fresh air. It quieted the political chaos, muted much of the district noise, and tampered parent frustration. Most importantly their laughter, our shared laughter, has been fuel for all things. Finding that connection over the intermittent internet, bad speakers, bad mics, and all things digital, left us all wanting more. I hated not “knowing” my kids. Nothing has proved how important relationships are in education more than 2020-2021⁣
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Relationships are the heart of learning. The muscle that keeps motivation and desire pumping. Laughter is the beacon that pulls us all in, unites us, and has us all rowing the same boat.⁣
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In these few short weeks of laughter and “togetherness” our engagement in learning has grown exponentially. ⁣
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I’ve been so impressed by their efforts and determination over our last few real months together. And so honored and lifted by their laughter.⁣
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The last nearly 14 months have truly cemented by belief that relationships have to come first.⁣
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Through my desire to build those relationships (and honestly, just to hear laughter) in the short time we actually had together, I learned that the expected behavior will follow. Also, faking it is definitely not making it. It’s just exhausting and disappointing.⁣
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Did you have more in person time with your kiddos? What has been your “takeaway” from this last year?⁣
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#engagingteaching #teachersfollowteachers #teachersofinstagram #iteachtoo #iteach1st #iteachprimary #teacherlife #teachers #iteach #teacherinspiration #teachersfollowingteachers #iloveteaching #teachertruth #instagramteachers

Bookmark made easy.

We are doing our math journals from No Fuss Interactive Math - even at a distance! Taught the little peeps my old high school and college tip from way back in the 1900s. 😉

Completely fill both sides of the notebook page and you can cut the corner. That way, you can quickly find the next blank page for next time.

Working hard to keep this distance learning as much like classroom learning as possible. Using all the time savers we can!!

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-No-Prep-Interactive-Notebook-and-MORE-1st-Grade-BUNDLE-2746206

#engagingteaching

I usually use the same weekly plans as the year before. I just make a few tweaks here and there and adjust my small groups - but the plans are, for the most part, the same. #teachertimesaver.

But, this year?! My team was stressing. Our day is now broken into virtual time chunks. So, for the first time in a VERY long time, I had to make a new plan book for myself!
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That's SUPER easy to do with the COMPLETELY EDITABLE "The Ultimate Weekly Planner"!

CALM and PEACEFUL was my main goal - because nothing else about this school year is calm or peaceful so far. The beach and spa dictated my color choice. This time, I divided our day into 3 main instruction blocks, not my usual... MANY.

The cool thing is, my team is sticking to our year plan. We are giving the kids the same materials we use in class. Our lessons are following the same routine that we KNOW works. We are going to our best to recreate the same thing we would do in class - even though we are teaching through the screen. Those group, peer-to-peer projects, and hands-on game practice won't look the same - but the foundations of our day will!

We have made packets for our kiddos -hello way too may days of prep and stacks of ... everything - with all the paper/pencil (yay fine motor skill building) materials they will need, sent home Morning Wake Up in book format - A MAJOR MUST HAVE for spiral review of all ELA & Math standards (on SALE now for grades K-2!) and My Journal (a freebie on my blog).

Swipe to see my "usual" plans and a glimpse of my team's year plan.
The Ultimate Weekly and Year Curriculum Planners help us hang onto our sanity during all this "uncertainty". Click my bio to find them on SALE in my store.

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Traci-Clausen/Category/Planners-232306

#engagingteaching

𝙎𝙩𝙚𝙥 𝘼𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙁𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙣⁣
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So... this whole Distance Learning thing... It isn't fun.Not for the kids. Not for the teachers. Definitely not for the parents. ⁣
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I've been struggling you guys. ⁣
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How can I make all this screen time meaningful and engaging? How do I make worksheets that they may or may not be able to print engaging without a big ol’ fun and active lesson to go with it? ⁣
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Well, I can't. I've tried. But nothing is as great as the actual face to face engaged lessons that come with teaching. The reason behind our passion for what we do. ⁣
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I've uploaded all kinds of things I know will be helpful to my Google Classroom. It will help. The parents will be appreciative. ⁣
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But I know it isn't truly enough. They have access to all that we do in class now and that's fantastic. MORE things than they need, really. But they don't have the engagement part. The BIG part. The making a connection part. ⁣
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So I am providing them this grid of activities. It isn't random. It is specific to my class, my kids, where we are in the year. It is specific to the work I am assigning them in Google Classroom. Specific to what our Wonders Reading assignments and Pearson Math assignments attempt to build concept mastery about - but don't quite get there. ⁣
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These will provide them a simple way to incorporate the concepts in their current real world. ⁣
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The file contains my 7 different weekly Activity Grids as .pdfs as well as the editable file so you can make your own. ⁣
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It's available in a direct download Google Slides file as well as a PowerPoint file you can save to your desktop. ⁣
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I hope it helps you out!⁣
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Here's the link to the Google Slides version. The PowerPoint version is linked in the product description.⁣
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Distance-Learning-Activity-Grid-Editable-FREE-GOOGLE-SLIDES-5423331

#engagingteaching

I have spent the better part of forever searching for a good white pen. I have tried them all. I finally found it! When working on samples under the document camera for the little peeps, pencil and dark ink don’t always show up well on colored paper. @uniballco ‘s white gel pen to the rescue!

You guys! I use this pen constantly! On all the things! It’s the best!
If you’ve been searching for a smooth, vibrant strong white ink pen, look no further!! I linked it on my Amazon page: https://amzn.to/338NZOX

This plant activity is part of the Sunny Sunflowers Plant Science unit in my store.

#whitepen #teachersofinstagram #teachersfollowteachers #teacherhacks #plantscience #iteachtoo #iteachfirst #iteachsecond #engagingteaching

January has been L O N G. Starting February a tad early in my classroom today!
#groundhogphil

Grab this fun resource here: Groundhog Day - Reading, Writing, Adjectives and Rhyme by Traci Clausen on Teachers Pay Teachers
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Groundhog-Phils-Fascinating-World. Clickable IG link in bio 🙂

#engagingteaching

Our 💯Day is this week. AND it falls on a minimum day. AND I have an IEP scheduled for basically the whole day-so I won't be with my kiddos. AND I really like these kind of things to be easy-peasy. So I decided I need to change things and simplify my life.⁣
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I just sent these FREEBIES to my email followers.⁣
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Not on my email list? No worries. You can grab them, & other 100th Day freebies, on the blog. (IG clickable link in bio)⁣
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#teacherfreebies #teachersfollowteachers #teachersofinstagram #iteachtoo #iteach1st #iteachfirst #iteachkinder #iteachprimary #100thdayofschool #engagingteaching

It's so simple. So important. 𝗥𝗘𝗟𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦𝗛𝗜𝗣𝗦 first.⁣
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Before we went on break the usual 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥???? questions began. "Can we send you texts from our Mom's phones?" I LOVE that we have created such a strong connection and bond in these past few months.⁣
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This is such an amazing gift of our job. It is definitely a HUGE part of why I must stay in the classroom. We are so fortunate to be able to help guide and nurture the future. We are equally fortunate when they trust and love us back. ⁣
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Teaching is hard, exhausting and frustrating. But those kiddos can really bring us back to the reason we put up with all the not so great parts like politics before student needs, poor governing decision-making and lacking parental support. ⁣
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It all comes back to shared laughter, silliness, connections, understanding, patience and love.⁣
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Stay focused on the rainbows while skipping through those gray clouds! 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁.

#engagingteaching

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