Recent Posts:
Distance Learning with Seesaw: Weekly Lesson Plan Template
This FREE Weekly Lesson Plan Template for Seesaw is going to change your life! I’ve been a fan of Seesaw for several years now, but I didn’t really know the power it held until I started using it for distance learning. Up until last spring, I pretty much only used it to share pictures with …
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Classroom Management Series: Classroom Culture
Create a Classroom Culture that Reduces Unwanted Behavior When we talk about classroom management, teachers often focus on how to change unwanted behaviors. But really, the focus should be on prevention. There are lots of ways that teachers can stop behaviors before they happen, and one of the most effective ways is creating a positive …
Read-Aloud Books: Must-Haves for Back to School
I’ve decided to jump on the bandwagon and start creating my must-have read-aloud book lists because I’ve got a little secret to share with you: I have a bit of an obsession with children’s books. They make me SO happy! Any of my former coworkers would tell you how absolutely giddy I got whenever the …
Classroom Management Series: Organization Tips
Make classroom management easier with these organization tips! Classroom management begins even before the first student steps foot in your room. The way you organize your classroom can have a huge impact on how your days will go. Looking back on my first couple years of teaching, I can see that the way I had …
Socially Distanced Centers: 4 Brilliant Ideas!
I don’t know about you, but centers have always been my favorite time of day in kindergarten. And now, suddenly, they’re going to have to look completely different due to social distancing in the classroom. That’s what this post is all about: ideas for socially distanced centers that still engage kids! In my classroom, I …
Build a Strong Classroom Community (Despite Social Distancing Rules)
There has been A LOT of talk recently about what school will look like with all the social distancing requirements that have been put into place. But with all these rules, how are teachers going to make students feel like they’re part of a classroom community? The lack of ability to gather on the rug …
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The First Week of Kindergarten: Lesson Plans
Not only can you survive the first week of kindergarten, you can ROCK it! Read on to see what my lesson plans looked like for the first week of school last year. You’ll find lots of links to resources (even some FREEBIES) and great activities to make the first days a success. The number one …
Seesaw Question of the Day: Farm Theme
Here’s the final set of FREE Question of the Day activities and we’re going down to the farm this week! There are so many fun ways to incorporate the farm theme into learning activities – and tons of great books out there too. This week is always one of my favorites! If you haven’t read …
Seesaw Question of the Day: Dinosaurs
It’s dinosaur week at our school! There are so many fun things you can do with a dinosaur theme, and this week’s Seesaw Questions of the Day are no different. I think my students are going to love completing these daily tasks! Every year, I have a handful of kiddos who just can’t get enough of dinosaurs, …
Seesaw Question of the Day: Ocean
Our theme this week is ocean animals, so this week’s Seesaw Questions of the Day feature sharks, octopuses, starfish and more! I don’t know about you, but I love the colors of the oceans – all the blues and greens make me feel so happy. To be fair, most of the ocean I’ve seen has been through …
Seesaw Question of the Day: Insects
This week’s Seesaw Questions of the Day are all about insects. If you’re not familiar with Seesaw, you can read more about it on their website. It is such an amazing tool – I’ve used it in the classroom for a few years, but I never knew all the cool features it had until I …
Seesaw Question of the Day: Spring
In this post, I’m sharing the second set of Questions of the Day that I’ve created for use in Seesaw. To find out how my team of kindergarten teachers uses these questions, hop over to my original post about our distance learning plan. Then check out these Spring-themed activities and get them all for free …
Seesaw Question of the Day: Seeds, Plants, & Trees
This post showcases the first set of Question of the Day for Seesaw. They’re more a academic in nature than the ones we posted the first week of distance learning, which were meant to help students get acquainted with the tools they’ll need to use in Seesaw activities. You can read more about those (and …
Seesaw Question of the Day: Overview
Updated July 24, 2020 During distance learning, we all had to get pretty creative with how we delivered instruction. As my school district started making a plan, one of the biggest questions my team of kindergarten teachers faced was, “How do we take attendance?” We wanted to keep it simple. We knew that parents of …
Distance Learning for the Early Grades
Updated August 1, 2020 Last March, on a Sunday morning, Minnesota governor Tim Walz announced that every school in the state would transition to distance learning to slow the spread of COVID-19. He gave schools two days to close their doors to students and two weeks to develop a distance learning plan. In my district, …
My Favorite Winter Book (Plus a fun craft)
A few years ago, I stumbled across the book How Big is a Million? by Anna Milbourne and Serena Riglietti and I completely fell in love with it. It’s the story of a penguin named Pipkin who wants to find out how big a million is. Along the way, he discovers 10 fish, 100 penguins …
Get your students to listen to directions the first time!
Do you ever have students who start moving before you’re finished giving directions – like as soon as they hear the first step, they think it’s time to go? It used to happen in my classroom ALL. THE. TIME. Then a few minutes later, I’d have a little sweetie asking, “What do I do next?” …
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Brain-Boosting Gift Ideas: Toddlers (18-36 months)
A few weeks ago, my husband and I decided to get cable for the first time. We’ve been loyal Netflix watchers for many years, but I recently discovered my love for NFL football (yes it took 37 years, and I credit Patrick Mahomes for igniting the spark…but that’s a little off-topic). The point is, you …
Brain-Boosting Gift Ideas: Babies (0-18 months)
Here’s a little secret: I love to shop. I will gleefully shop for anything and everything (I even enjoy grocery shopping…is that weird?) but what I really have a weak spot for is baby stuff! Seriously… I could wander through the baby aisles for hours because everything is just so sweet…and if I’m not careful, …
10 Learning Games You Can Play Anywhere
Today I’d like to share some fun games that you can play with your little learners that will help them develop skills in critical thinking, literacy, and math. And the best part is, you don’t need any materials at all – you can do them anywhere, anytime! Whether you’re a parent driving your kids to …
Kid-friendly Music for Every Season
The best part about these monthly playlists is that every song is 100% appropriate and (hopefully) it’s not the kind of children’s music that makes you want to bang your head against a wall.
The #1 Thing You Can Do to Help Your Child be Successful in School
I have a little secret for you…it’s the number one thing you can do for your child’s education, and it’s easier than you think! Are you ready for it? Read aloud to them! Every day. That’s it! Research says it’s what has the biggest impact on reading and learning – it’s not flash cards, not …
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An Open House Night Life-Saver
Starting a new school year can be both exciting and scary for students and their parents, especially in kindergarten. Because here’s the thing: it can be really hard for parents to leave their little ones in the care of someone else for 6.5+ hours a day and not have a clue about what goes on …
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A Little About Me:
If you believe that learning should be hands-on, theme-based, high interest, and FUN, then you’re in the right place!
My name is Amy Glade. I’m an early childhood educator – a kindergarten teacher, to be exact! I’ve been teaching kindergarten for 7 years, and I have a Master’s degree in Curriculum & Instruction with an emphasis in literacy. Aside from teaching, I’ve found I have a passion for creating digital resources. I designed my first product for Teachers Pay Teachers in 2014 and now that I have a few more years of teaching and creating under my belt, I’ve decided to expand my horizons: I’m working on growing my TpT store, creating active learning YouTube videos, and building this blog.
Over the years, I’ve picked up lots of tips, tricks, and resources to make learning more fun – the way it should be! Now I’d like to share them with you, so come on in, take a peek around, and find your next great idea!
