All Blog Posts Other

The 1 Thing You Need to Do This Summer to Prepare for Next School Year

Whatever you want. Okay, I know this is a really simple tip – but I think it is so important. I’ve seen countless posts on Instagram, pins on Pinterest, and blog posts all outlining things like the “3 things you must do”, telling you that you have to do certain things to prepare yourself for …

All Blog Posts Elementary Enrichment Gifted and Talented

4 Ways to Build Intrinsic Motivation in Your Gifted Students

Are you proud of yourself? Great, I’m proud of you too. Encourage students to be proud of themselves, rather than always telling them that you are proud of them. When a student comes up to show me their work, I always ask “Are you proud of yourself?” When they respond with yes, I usually support …

All Blog Posts Elementary Enrichment Gifted and Talented

Acceleration, Enrichment, Pull-Out, Advanced Content Model, Cluster Grouping – What does it all mean??

There is so much variation in the way Gifted students are served. Not only does it vary state-to-state, but it usually varies district-to-district. Today I want to talk about some of the most popular models for Gifted education so you can gain a better understanding of what they all mean, and the benefits of each …

All Blog Posts Gifted and Talented

5 Tips for Interviewing for a Gifted Position

So, you got an interview for a Gifted position? Congratulations! You’re probably thinking to yourself, “now what do I do?!” especially if you are interviewing for your very first Gifted teaching position. Well, check out these 5 tips below to nail your interview! You got this! 1. Express Your Passion – Share Your “Why” I …

All Blog Posts Elementary Reading Writing

Pirate Room Transformation – Another Low Cost Classroom Transformation Idea Perfect for State Test Prep

After creating a really fun surgery room transformation (click here for details!) to prepare for our state writing exam, I knew I’d have to do something just as fun for our reading exam. I decided to go with a pirate theme for this transformation! Keep reading to see how I did it, and hopefully get …

All Blog Posts Elementary Reading Writing

Classroom Transformation Idea – Surgery Room Transformation

Check out the pictures below to see what this fun room transformation looked like. Then, I give you a list of things to prep so that you can easily implement this in your own classroom! Want to create this transformation in your classroom? Here’s a list of things to prep! Must Haves: The Content – …

Elementary Enrichment Gifted and Talented Reading Writing

How to Make Argumentative and Opinion Writing Fun, Engaging, and Meaningful

A major focus in my fourth grade writing class is to introduce students to the concept of a four-paragraph opinion essay, and have them master writing their very own by the end of the year! To get students from knowing very little about this type of writing all the way to mastering, it takes a …

All Blog Posts Elementary Reading Writing

How I Am Preparing My Students For STAAR – A Simple Room Transformation Idea | STAARbucks Mode | Starbucks Mode

Have you heard of Starbucks Mode? It’s a simple, low prep, room transformation you can do at any time throughout the school year! Basically, you project or share a slide with directions or a to-do list, play calm music, and let the student work quietly. They can use this time to catch up on unfinished …