One of the best pieces of advice I could give to any teacher is to establish (and stick to) daily classroom routines at the very beginning of the year. Not only will creating routines help you manage all there is to accomplish in the classroom every day, but it also provides much needed structure for your students. Consistent routines are one of the best strategies for avoiding behavior management issues as well. Let me share with you a few tips on how classroom routines benefit you, the best places to have routines, and advice for sticking to them.

Spontaneity can be fun when you’re planning a last minute trip or deciding what to have for dinner. However, it’s not a recipe for success when we’re talking about lesson planning. Planning without having a system in place leads to so much time wasted searching for activities and resources that might fit with what your students need to learn.

There is a better way.

To make lesson planning less time-consuming, less stressful, and infinitely more effective, you need a system. It starts with saying no to planning “Pinterest-style.”

Over the past several years, I’ve talked to hundreds of teachers about lesson planning. We all have to do it and yet so many of us never quite find a way to make the process streamlined or easy. With something so foundational to our work as teachers, establishing a successful routine for lesson planning is paramount to simplifying our jobs as a whole.

The act of lesson planning will never go away - it’s something you’ll always have to do as a teacher. So why not incorporate a few changes now that will streamline the process and save you hours of time later? With these three tips, you can easily cut your planning time in half.

Lesson planning doesn’t need to be a chore. Establishing routines and using a planning approach can go a long way to simplifying your lesson planning process. Here are four simple steps that streamlined my lesson planning process and saved me hours of time.

Planning backward will change what and how you teach. Radically. It will challenge you. It might even frustrate you at first. It will also result in instruction that is cohesive, aligned, and meaningful.

When I started planning backward, using the Understanding by Design® method it transformed my teaching. My lesson planning process and the quality of my instruction as a whole changed dramatically. For the better.

Are you looking to start Literature Circles or Book Clubs with your upper elementary students, but don’t know which books to use? I have a short list of titles - some new and some classic - to get you started. You’ll find a range of reading levels and genres included including a graphic novel or two, which are perfect for reluctant readers.

All Types of Books Perfect for Valentine's Day |  Whether you’re looking for mentor texts for guided reading, popular kids titles for close reading activities, or just the best kids books to celebrate school holidays, this list is for you. Includes picture and chapter books, kids poetry books, and children’s read alouds. | everythingjustso.org #valentinesday #booklists #valentinesdaybooks #upperelementary

I'm always hearing from teachers looking for ways to get their students engaged and excited about reading. It seems to be an all-too-common trend that kids love the reading life, and then it just sort of starts to fizzle out.

Sound familiar?

If you're looking for a simple way to get your classroom excited about reading, Literature Circles are calling your name!

Literature Circles are a great way to expose your students to different genres of books, differentiate instruction, and let them talk about what they are reading. Using Literature Circles in my classroom was a game changer for me.

When you first introduce this type of group work, it can be overwhelming to have multiple groups reading different texts. So I’m sharing four tips for launching Literature Circles successfully in your Upper Elementary classroom to help alleviate some of that overwhelm.

In order for learning to happen, students must be engaged. Engaging students during instruction can be a challenge, even for the best teacher. This is especially true during virtual learning. But there are ways to engage students during distance learning. Megan, a 15-year veteran, is here to share four ways she’s found to keep her students motivated and excited about their learning even while learning virtually.

As reading teachers, one of our biggest goals is to instill a love of reading in our students while building comprehension skills. One of the best ways to accomplish both is by utilizing strategies such as Literature Circles or Book Clubs. While many people use the terms synonymously, they’re actually quite different. Which strategy is best for your Upper Elementary students? Let’s take a look at both.

Holding students accountable for assigned work can be difficult, especially during distance learning. Virtual teachers spend a great deal of time every week tracking down students who miss class meetings, fail to turn in assignments, or submit incomplete work.

Sarah Huler is a virtual 4th grade teacher in North Carolina. After being frustrated with students’ lack of accountability during distance learning, she decided to create her own solution. Because so many of you are experiencing the same frustration, I’ve asked her to share her solution with you today.

Do you have English Language Learners in your classroom? Are you looking for ways to support ELLs while teaching virtually? Well, you’ve come to the right place!

I’ve asked ShaQuina Stanley, who is an ELL Case Manager, to share her best tips for supporting ELLs during distance learning. And she did not disappoint. Get ready to learn all about how to incorporate ELL accommodations, instructional strategies for ELLs, breaking misconceptions about ESLs, and ways to build connections with ELLs and ESLs.

Just like in a brick and mortar classroom, all teachers need to set behavior expectations for students while teaching virtually. This might seem overwhelming at first, but several teachers have found ways to manage the transition from face-to-face instruction to distance learning.

Kayla, a third grade teacher from North Carolina, has found one system that works well for both in person instruction and virtual learning. Today she’s sharing with you her best tip for online classroom management

Engaging students’ families during distance learning can be a challenge. Various work schedules, learning systems, and means of communication can make it difficult to connect with parents and guardians. However, there are a few simple ways to encourage family involvement even while teaching virtually.

I’ve invited Emily Levine, a third grade teacher, to share her ways of boosting parent involvement during distance learning. As always, I encourage you to choose one that works best for you and your particular students.

After several months of distance learning, teachers have found ways of making virtual teaching easier. Implementing systems such as simple morning starters and efficient grading can make your job easier and reduce your overall workload.

I’ve invited Monica, an Upper Elementary teacher from Los Angeles, to share the tips she’s learned for making virtual teaching easier.