Upper elementary students can appear very mature and sophisticated, but – they are still children. And, like most children, they still want the grownups in their lives to be proud of them. (By the way, if you’re new to upper elementary grades or just want to know what to expect, here are eight generalizations I… Read More
One of the best parts about upper elementary grades is that the curriculum becomes more engaging. Students are more curious about the world. They are also starting to understand that people have different experiences, backgrounds, and viewpoints. Most students ages 8 – 11 enjoy working with partners or small groups and find it to be… Read More
Every upper elementary teacher knows the importance of establishing norms in the classroom. Norms are the expectations for how we will work together and treat each other throughout the year. We know that the norms we establish will help to create a positive and productive learning environment. How do we do that for our math… Read More
I recently posted a big list of math resources for upper elementary teachers. You can find that post HERE. Since then, several teachers reached out to ask me about the best resources for science and social studies. So here we go! Similar to the math post, this post is a little different, because it’s going… Read More
Many teachers have asked me about good beginning of the year math activities. We talk a lot about “building community” in our classrooms with establishing relationships. We also talk a lot about “building a reading/writing community” in our classrooms with getting our literacy block started. But what about math? What are some ways we can… Read More
Are you drawing a blank about the what to do on the first days of school in the upper elementary grades? I can help! (And if you’re already past the first week of school – some tips here might help you too!) Here’s the first thing to know: the day will go by more quickly… Read More