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The Teacher Studio

Learning, thinking, creating

Creating a culture for successful independent reading

I highly doubt there are many teachers out there who debate the value of independent reading for elementary students.  The NCTE has created a statement on independent reading that states the following: Independent reading leads to an increased volume of reading. The more one reads, the better one reads. The more one reads, the more knowledge of words and language one acquires. (See where ... Read the Post

Classroom Organization: Designing Spaces to Maximize Student Learning

Today I want to talk to you about mindful classroom design and organizing your classroom--classroom organization that leads to efficient teaching and learning. We often get so caught up in planning lessons and activities that we forget that the space we teach those lessons in can really impact our teaching--and student learning! Every classroom is so different--it's hard to give clear direction ... Read the Post

Organizing Math Games: 5 Tips for Math Workshop

One of my goals for this summer was to figure out some systems for organizing my math games and math workshop materials. I didn't get everything accomplished that I wanted to, but I made some headway.  Let me tell you my thought process and what I did! First of all, I really wanted to focus on getting my intervention resources in a usable state--I have SO many games but I was always having to ... Read the Post

Classroom Must Haves: Teaching Tips

Sometimes it's fun to reflect on our favorites and "must haves" for our classrooms.  Today I thought I'd share a few of my classroom must haves. First of all, I wanted to share one of my favorite school supplies.  I am a HUGE fan of Mr. Sketch smelly markers...but when I make my anchor charts, I have found that some of the Mr. Sketch colors fade under fluorescent lights.  I tried the ... Read the Post

Math Workshop Organization…a few hints to help you out!

As we pass the halfway point in our school year,  one thing that is often a year-long issue is keeping all the math "stuff" organized!  If you are doing any small group work, you know that pieces and papers and parts can end up all over the place!  Here are a few tips that might help things run a little more smoothly-and save you and your students a little time and frustration. ... Read the Post

Bright Ideas: Exit Slip Storage!

Today's "bright ideas" post is the result of me having WAY too many papers floating around my room--especially the half sheet formative assessments I use ALL. THE. TIME.  Because they are smaller than the rest of my papers, they are constantly getting misplaced, stuck in piles, and so on.  Here's what I did! These little pesky buggers!  They are ALL over my room!  UGH! So, ... Read the Post