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Reading test prep strategies for elementary students

Powerful Reading Test Prep Strategies That Work for Elementary Students

2 Comments / test prep, anchor charts, reading, reading comprehension / Teacher Trap

Updated 11/20/2023 In the elementary classroom, reading test prep can feel like a long, torturous journey of practice tests and skill review that both students and teachers dread. But, by teaching students powerful test-taking strategies that support reading comprehension and critical thinking, students can build strong reading habits AND perform better on tests. Here, you’ll […]

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Multiplication Madness

1 Comment / anchor charts, math / Teacher Trap

I love, love, love teaching multiplication! There are so many fun ways to make real-world connections and use hands-on exploration. In this post, I’d like to share a few of my favorite activities, some great resources, and my key multiplication anchor charts! Introducing Multiplication I like launching our multiplication unit by brainstorming ideas of things

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Taming the Teacher Work Week

2 Comments / organization, soapbox, teacher tips / Teacher Trap

How are you feeling, teacher? Overworked? Tired? Behind? I’m here to share with you how I tamed my teacher work week and how you can easily do the same. There is hope! For years, I was that teacher up at school until the sun went down and even on weekends. I thought that if I

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Classroom Management Makeover

12 Comments / classroom, back to school, behavior, management, routines / Teacher Trap

When you’re having a tough school year, classroom management can easily regress into a negative mess of doling out punishments. That’s 5 minutes off your recess! You owe me a lap! Move your clip! You owe me a dollar! You just lost a ticket! That’s a folder mark! We use these phrases and punishments to coerce students

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Daily Math Review: How to FAIL BIG

4 Comments / math, routines / Teacher Trap

So you want to FAIL BIG at Daily Math Review? I can help! I know from personal experience some tried and true ways to make daily math review tedious, ineffective, and time-consuming. Luckily, I’ve included some ideas that will allow YOU to learn from MY mistakes! 🙂 FAIL BIG Strategy #1: Practice different skills every single day. Problem:

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End Team Drama Today

6 Comments / classroom, teacher tips / Teacher Trap

Team drama is the worst. Teachers work so hard already, and to do that hard work without the trust and support of an awesome team is a shame. And a pain. Hopefully, these five steps will help you avoid or end any teacher drama in your life. Step 1: Lighten Up Easier said than done, I

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Read Aloud Round Up: Chapter Books

6 Comments / reading, class library, classroom, literacy, reading comprehension / Teacher Trap

A teacher I deeply admire once told me that children should be read aloud to at least 6 times a day while at school. She made a point to read aloud a picture book (or two or three), some nonfiction texts, some poetry, and a few pages of a chapter book every single day in her

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Outlaw “I’m Done!”

36 Comments / classroom, anchor charts, behavior, management, routines / Teacher Trap

Every teacher has heard the inevitable chorus of I’m Done’s! that follows an assignment or activity in an elementary classroom. We all have those so called “fast-finishers.” There are tons of ideas for filling that gap of time between the “I’m Done!” and the class transitioning to the next lesson or activity, but what if

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Standardized Test Prep Tips

7 Comments / reading, literacy, math, reading comprehension, test prep / Teacher Trap

Today’s elementary students face standardized testing stress that most of us never experienced as children. The tests aren’t simply harder, they require critical thinking and test-taking skills that I didn’t need until high school or beyond! Because of this massive increase in rigor, teachers must develop new and creative ways of helping our kids prepare. The

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How to Not Get Sick as a Teacher: 10 Tricks to Avoid Getting Sick This School Year

3 Comments / miscellaneous, teacher tips / Teacher Trap

Being sick as a teacher is the worst! You either teach through your misery or spend hours working on sub plans. Today, I’m offering ten (mostly) simple tricks to help you avoid getting sick, even in a classroom full of coughing students. During my first few years of teaching, I was sick all the time!

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Personal Financial Literacy

3 Comments / anchor charts, math / Teacher Trap

The standards around Personal Financial Literacy are complex and detailed. These five tools will make teaching the economic concepts easier for teachers and fun for kids! You’ll find ideas, books, videos, and activities to help students make sense of the standards. TOOL #1: Personal Connections For most young children, personal finance is a pretty foreign

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A New Kind of Class Party

6 Comments / classroom, soapbox, teacher tips / Teacher Trap

This past May, I went to my son’s end-of-year class party and it’s been on my mind ever since. I’m not sure why this one stands out so much, because it’s similar to every other class party I’ve attended or held in my own classroom, but something about it just didn’t sit well. Class Party

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