✨ Put a Little Magic in the First Day of School (Right After Lunch!)

The first day of school can feel like a whirlwind. By the time lunch is over, everyone’s minds and bodies have been working hard. That’s why I love to build in a little magic moment after lunch to re-energize my students without overwhelming them.

Enter… Magic Play Clay or Play-Doh.  (Download for FREE!)

Make Your Own

How It Works

Before students return from lunch, place a small ball of white clay (can be store-bought but I make my own) on each desk. Tell them this is no ordinary clay. It’s magic clay that will change color when they make a First Grade Wish once they squish, roll, and stretch it.(In the baggie at first until mixed!)

As they begin working the clay in their baggie, the hidden color inside will start to appear. The transformation is quick, fun, and totally mesmerizing! (The secret: hide a little food coloring in the middle of each clay ball before class.)

Keep in baggie UNTIL all mixed well.  This way, won't stain anything. They must get my verbal OK before they can take out of bag.

Why It’s Perfect for After Lunch

• Calms the energy after recess and the bustle of the cafeteria.

• Gives students a shared, fun and giggly experience in the middle of a big day.

• Sparks conversation without the pressure of a formal activity.

Add a Creative Twist

Once the color has fully appeared, I let them take it our of the baggie and challenge students to shape their clay into something:

• Spell their name or initials with it

• An object that starts with the first letter of their name

• Make an animal out of it

• Free play! Let them do what they want with it

Let them share with a partner or small group. It’s a fun way to build community and get everyone talking again.

It’s simple. It’s magical. And it gives your first day the perfect dose of wonder… right when your students need it most.

Full directions, poems and a class book you can use as well linked above.  Enjoy! 

10 September Essentials Every First & Second Grade Teacher Needs (and They’re on SALE!)

September is almost here and if you’re anything like me, you’re looking for easy, ready-to-go resources to keep your days smooth and your students engaged.

So I’ve rounded up my 10 September Essentials...the things I reach for year after year.

And here’s the best part…

💸 They’re all going to be an extra 25% off during the TpT sitewide sale!
Grab them now, and you’re set for the whole month (and beyond). All of these for only 17.63 today! That's saving $24!

🍎 My Top 10 September Must-Haves

1. Morning Meeting Slides – Start the day calm, connected, building community and ready to learn.

2. Fall-Themed Math Number Sense Centers – Hands-on and no-prep for instant engagement. Use any time of the year.

3. Writing Pick-a-Prompt – Perfect for early finishers or writing stations. After I model a few for them, they can do these early on! Trust the process.  (I allow pictures only if they want and then they orally share.)

4. September Goals and Craft – SIMPLE craft, instant Bulletin Board. Can you or not use goal. Up to you!

5. The Power of Yet Bulletin Board – Mine stays up all year. Read about it here.

6. September Class Books – Several books included. Differentiated. They go in class library and we divide them up at the end of the year.

7. September Open-Ended Math Questions – I LOVE these! Perfect easier ones to start the year off right with deep thinking skills.

8. September Crowns – I've included so many options! Fun! 

9. Which One Doesn't Belong? – A favorite class activity! 

10. Editable Slideshow – For Back-to-School Night, Open House...ANY slideshow you need!

and although free, I've included my 20 September Poems and Songs so they are all in one place. 

💡 Why These Work

• They save time – Less planning, more teaching.

• They keep kids engaged – Seasonal themes = instant buy-in.

• They’re flexible – Use whole group, small group, or independently.

✨ Don’t Miss the Sale

If you’ve had any of these on your wishlist, now’s the time. During the sale, you’ll save big plus they’re already budget-friendly to start with!

I'm off to buy some clip art at the TpT sale...

The Only Way to Learn Math? Do the Math!

There’s a quote I recently turned into a poster for our classroom:

“Math is not a spectator sport. The only way to learn math is to do math.”

And let me tell you, it’s so true in first grade.

You can have the cutest anchor charts, the brightest manipulatives, and the cleverest chants and songs...But until kids are actually solving problems by thinking, trying, struggling, doing, they're not really learning math.

Math is often messy! That's a good thing!

Click pic to download. 

🎯 What “Doing Math” Looks Like in First Grade

“Doing math” doesn’t mean sitting quietly and getting everything right. It looks like:

• Kids talking through a strategy with a partner

• Hands-on manipulatives: using counters, fingers, ten frames, etc., and then talking through strategies

• Getting an answer wrong, but being able to explain their thinking

• Drawing several different versions of the same story problem until it clicks

• Hearing “This is hard!” followed by “Ohhh wait, I got it!”

• Working with partners via "games" and learning how to be an ENGAGED partner

• reworking problems over and over again until success

• GRIT

These moments matter more than a perfect worksheet.

My Real-Life Math Moments

Highs:

• When a student who’s been unsure suddenly explains a strategy to a classmate and lights up like a firework

• When math journals are messy—but FULL of thinking

• When they make up their own word problems and giggle at their wild scenarios (I’ve had unicorns eating 7 cupcakes and flying away with 2...)

Lows (but still learning):

• When kids erase their work because it “looks wrong”

• When they give up too quickly and say “I don’t get it!” without even trying

• When a fast finisher calls out the answer and others stop thinking

That’s where I come back to:

“The only way to learn math is to do math.”

I remind my class: Mistakes are part of the process. We don’t watch math. We do math.

 Ideas to Get Kids Doing the Math

Here are some easy, go-to strategies I love:

• Math Journals with open-ended prompts: “Show me 3 ways to make 10.” I'm all about the open-ended questions!

• Partner problem-solving with mini-whiteboards

• Story-based word problems with drawings and labels

• Math talks where kids explain “how they know” even if their answer is wrong. 

• Hands-on games that require thinking, not just speed

• Infusing math into Morning Meeting (I use Which One Doesn't Belong as my activity once a week.)

• Providing kids with "Math Refresher Baggies" so they have other options besides "read a book" when they have a few extra minutes here and there.

None of these are fancy. But they work because kids are engaged.

🪄 Final Thoughts

First grade math shouldn’t feel like a race to get the “right” answer. It should feel like a puzzle to figure out.

If we want our students to truly understand numbers, patterns, and problem-solving… we have to let them wrestle with it, play with it, do it.

So here’s your reminder (and mine!):
Math is not a spectator sport. Let’s give them the time and space to get in the game.

Make Morning Meetings the Best Part of Your Day (And Save Tons of Time!)

LET'S BE REAL: There’s a lot on your plate at the start of a new school year. Between prepping supplies, organizing your classroom, and learning a whole new batch of personalities, it’s easy to let routines like Morning Meeting slide to the bottom of the to-do list. This is especially true if YOU need to come up with your own components. All. Year. Long.

But what if I told you that Morning Meeting could actually make your days smoother, your classroom community stronger, and your lesson planning easier?

Let me show you how easier your Back-to-School season can be! 

🌟 What is Morning Meeting and Why Does It Matter?

Morning Meeting is a simple but powerful daily routine that sets the tone for learning. It helps students feel seen, safe, and connected and when kids feel connected and part of a community, everything runs more smoothly.

Each Morning Meeting lasts around 15 minutes and includes:

• A Greeting to build connections

• A Share to build confidence and communication skills

• An Activity to promote teamwork and laughter

• A Message to set expectations and/or spark conversation

I’ve written in-depth posts on each of the four components, so if you're looking for ideas or inspiration, you can dive deeper here:

• All About Morning Meeting Greetings

• Meaningful Share Prompts for Morning Meeting

• Quick & Easy Morning Meeting Activities

• How to Write a Morning Message That Matters

⏱️ Save HOURS with These Ready-to-Use Slides

You don’t need to reinvent the wheel every morning! 

My Monthly Morning Meeting resources give you 25 complete days of slides you can project or print. All are aligned with social-emotional learning and perfect for Kindergarten, First and Second Grade. (Each month is DIFFERENT with about 5 repeat activities/greetings that are favorites. When they pop up, the kids get very excited!)

So no more scrambling ten minutes before school starts each day. Just click and project.  Here is a closer look at some of my September Slides.

🗓️ Use It How YOU Want

Teachers have told me they use these slides:

• As part of a Responsive Classroom model (But if not RC, they still are perfect for MM!)

• During Afternoon Meeting/Closing Circle, Circle Time, or SEL blocks

• For sub plans (They’re that easy! I print out one of each and leave for Sub.)

• As a reference tool. Some display only the message but still use everything else in the meeting...just not projected.)

And because there are some slides that are editable, you can add a greeting, share or activity to fit your class needs.

💸 HUGE Back-to-School Discount Coming!

Next week during the sitewide sale, this BUNDLED resource will be an additional 25% off! The bundle is already discounted everyday from $60 to $48 and next week, the bundle will be on sale for $36.

The sale will start on Tuesday, August 5, at 12:01am ET and end on Wednesday, August 6. Use the promo code BTS25.

👉Still not convinced this can make your life easier?  Want to Try Before You Buy? Grab the Free Week of Morning Meetings to see how simple and powerful these can be! 

Whether you’re new to Morning Meeting or just want to start fresh this year, this is the best time to jump in.

✨ Final Thought

Morning Meeting doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, when it’s simple, consistent, and meaningful, it becomes one of the best parts of the day.

Let this be the year you jump in and take the plunge. Less planning. More connecting. That’s a win-win!

Happy teaching,

New Directed Drawing: If You Give a Mouse a Cookie

Looking for a fun and easy If You Give a Mouse a Cookie activity for your primary students? This directed drawing lesson is the perfect companion to the popular read-aloud! It helps kids build listening, sequencing, and fine motor skills all while having fun.

I just added this mouse-themed directed drawing to my TPT store, and it’s now included in my Growing Bundle of Directed Drawings for K–2. If you already own the bundle, it’s ready for you to download!

The One Phrase That Turns Students Into Problem Solvers

As elementary teachers, we’re constantly asked to solve problems whether they are big or small. But for the past few years, I’ve been using one simple phrase that has transformed my classroom culture:

“I can’t wait to see how you handle that.”

When a student comes to me with a minor issue like a broken pencil, a missing crayon, or a table partner who is disturbing them, I pause before stepping in. Instead of solving it for them, I hand it back to them with, "I can't wait to see how you handle that."

And guess what? It works. It’s not dismissive. It’s empowering.

This simple line encourages independence, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills which are all essential parts of a growth mindset classroom.

By giving students ownership of small challenges, I’m helping them (my Fabo Firsties!) build confidence and resilience. They start to see that they can handle things on their own and and that their solutions often work. It sends the message: “You’ve got this.” And more often than not, they really do

And over time, I’ve seen real growth. Students start thinking through solutions on their own. They take ownership. They become problem-solvers.

Of course, I’m always there for the big stuff. But for the day-to-day bumps? This one phrase shifts the power back to the kids.

If you’re looking for simple ways to build student independence, promote critical thinking, and strengthen problem-solving skills in your elementary classroom, give this phrase a try. (With lots and lots of modeling/role-playing at first.) It’s a small shift that leads to big growth.

Why I Keep the Same Bulletin Board Up Every Year (And I’m So Glad I Do)

Confession: I used to stress about bulletin boards. I'd spend way too much time trying to make the layout work, only to realize the board was in a weird, hard-to-reach spot where nothing ever looked quite right. I’d try to divide it. Make it “seasonal.” Rotate displays. It never really worked.

Then I stopped.

A few years ago, I created a board with one simple, powerful message: "The Power of Yet." Bright colors. Big, bold letters. It looked great, and more importantly, it meant something.

At the start of the year, I use it to teach a lesson about growth mindset and the “magical yet.” You can’t read… yet. You don't know how to use a number line… yet. We talk about how our brains grow, and the board becomes a visual reminder of that all year long. I use this book before introducing the board:

And here’s the best part: I leave it up all year. I even leave it up over the summer. (I didn't ask...just did it!)

No more climbing on chairs to staple borders. No more second-guessing a theme. No more back-to-school panic about decorations.

It’s become one of the best classroom decisions I’ve made. Time-saving? Yes. Meaningful? Absolutely. And honestly, the message never gets old.

So if you’ve been thinking about simplifying your bulletin boards, this is your sign. Pick a message that matters—and let it shine all year long.

My New Favorite PD Hack: EdWeb

If you need PD hours and haven’t checked out EdWeb yet… do it! I just discovered it and I’m honestly impressed. It’s completely free, super easy to navigate, and packed with informative sessions on everything from classroom management to tech tips.

You can watch live or catch the replays, and it even tracks your certificates for you. No stress. Just solid professional learning from the comfort of your couch. 🙌

Here is a screenshot of just a few of the offerings so you get a sense of what they are all about.

I just finished the Webinar Top 3 Techniques for Engaging Math Lessons with High-Quality Instruction.

I did come away with some new ideas to implement and a different perspective on my how I implement my Math Warm-Up session. Nothing crazy earth-shattering but helpful. Reminders. I enjoyed it. Felt like I was listening in on my friends sharing some teaching ideas. Best of all? I felt relaxed. No stress whatsoever. My district requires a lot of PD and I am thrilled to have discovered these high quality Webinars. No more scouring for PD...problem solved!

Go peek at edweb.net if you need some hours (or just want fresh ideas). You're welcome! 😉

Charleston, I’m Coming for You!

I’m heading to Charleston, South Carolina this November, and I’d love your help! I’m looking for all the can’t-miss eats, treats and sights. Especially anything unique or a little off the beaten path. Got a favorite rooftop bar? A must-try restaurant? A quirky tour or hidden gem? Drop it in the comments or email me. 

I’ll be there for 4 days and want to make the most of it. Going with college friends which is the BEST part for sure!