This past school year, 2018-2019, our school district adopted a platform called School City. The goal was to roll out a math assessment for each grade level, each trimester. I was fortunate to be the 5th grade representative from my school! As the representative from my school, I got to work with other 5th grade teachers … Continue reading School City: District Math Assessments

I really appreciate educators who share their ideas on social media so I can implement them in my own classroom! One idea I implemented for my science review, which could easily be used in EVERY subject, was "Strike a Pose"! I can't remember who posted the idea originally, but I did tweak it a little … Continue reading Strike A Pose: Formative Assessment

A good portion of fifth grade math deals with four fraction operations: addition & subtraction with unlike denominators , multiplication, & division. There are some important things to know before students can truly understand any of these operations. For example, it is important that students know what  a fraction is & what each part of … Continue reading Equivalent Fraction Frenzy

Adding and subtracting decimals is one of the essential skills in 5th grade. There aren't many years in our lives when we aren't working with decimals! I wanted to give my students a meaningful learning experience in order to show them how applicable adding and subtracting decimals is in the real world, and also their … Continue reading Shop Local: Adding & Subtracting Decimals

Almost two years ago, one of my co-workers approached me about starting a STEM endorsement with her. It sounded like a great opportunity at first, but I immediately thought of all the reasons why it wouldn't work. I was only a second year teacher (or officially a first year teacher since my internship didn't count … Continue reading (STEM) Endorsed

One of my favorite ways to practice a math skill is to complete error analysis. Regardless of how it is set up, the goal of this activity is to allow students to analyze a problem solved incorrectly, identify & explain the error, then solve it correctly. Even though the concept is the same, sometimes the … Continue reading Mission (IM)possible: Error Analysis

It all started with T-ball, Jr. Jazz Basketball, & Jr. Blitz Soccer.  Growing up, being involved in extracurricular activities was normal for me. If I wasn't at school, I was probably at an organized practice, practicing in my backyard, or competing. From Kindergarten until the day I graduated high school, I was constantly busy with … Continue reading #InviteYoTeacher: Building Relationships

My students absolutely love PE! They usually come back excited about a game they played & full of energy. About a month ago, my students came back in the classroom unusually quiet & found their seats. While it was unusual, I didn't think much of it & we got ready for lunch. After checking my … Continue reading Circle Up!

I am the teacher who is constantly thinking of ways to shake up the lessons in my classroom. I don't walk down the game aisle or through the Target Dollar Spot thinking about practical life purchases, but instead, I ask myself, "How could I use this in the classroom?" (let's be honest, any classroom purchase … Continue reading Differentiation Through Games

I don't know many people who wake up in the morning with a plan to fail. Failure is not comfortable & watching someone we love fail isn't the most enjoyable experience. But failure is inevitable. Everyone is going to fail at some point in their life & I strongly believe we need to prepare our … Continue reading Fail Forward