If you've been following along in the Back to School Series, you already know how important strong routines and effective call and response strategies are for a smooth start to the school year. We even talk about how to set up your dream classroom on a budget. Now let’s talk about another powerful tool: centers. Centers (also called stations) are a great way to give your students the ... Read More about Introducing Centers in Your Classroom? Avoid These Common Mistakes

We’re continuing our Back to School Series: 5 Tips That Will Set You Up for a Successful Year! If you missed the first two posts, make sure to start here with Tip #1 all about classroom management routines and read Tip #2 about using call and response to get your class’s attention quickly. Let’s talk about the budget classroom setup. I’m not going to lie—I’m one of those teachers who loves ... Read More about The Secret to a Beautiful Classroom Setup on a Budget

We’re continuing our Back to School Series, where we share 5 amazing tips that will set you up for the best first week of school. 👉 Click here to read Tip #1! In this post, we’re diving into one of our absolute favorite strategies: Call and Response — the best way to get your students’ attention quickly (without yelling). Back to School Series: Call and Response 😩 Feeling Like You’re ... Read More about Awesome Call and Response Ideas You’re Sure to Love

We're kicking off our Back to School series with one of the most important foundations for a great school year: routines. Between Max and I, we’ve experienced our fair share of first days—and if we’ve learned anything, it’s this: You cannot expect your students to “just know” what to do. After a long summer (or for some, their first classroom ever), kids need clear, repeated, slow ... Read More about How to Teach Kindergarten Routines the First Week of School!