Author: daenag

As a teacher, I’m always on the lookout for ways to add value to my classroom without breaking the bank—who doesn’t love a good deal, right? 🤔 Well, I’ve discovered a little gem that’s not only inexpensive but also packs a big punch when it comes to developing fine motor skills: rubber bands! At first glance, rubber bands might seem like a simple classroom supply. But trust me, they’re a total game-changer. When students stretch and place rubber bands on geoboards, it requires precision and control. These small, intentional movements are key for developing fine motor skills. And here’s the bonus: those tiny hand muscles that are working so hard to manipulate the rubber bands are the same muscles that help with writing and cutting! So while the kids are having fun creating designs, they’re also strengthening their hands for those all-important tasks that will set them up for success…

🌟 Sometimes, it’s the quiet moments of exploration that reveal so much! 🌟 The other day, I decided to set out some new number blocks in my classroom and let my students have at it—no instructions, no guidelines, just the freedom to explore. What unfolded was nothing short of amazing. One student dove right into sorting, carefully grouping blocks by their numbers. Another sat down and arranged the blocks in order, confidently counting up and down. And one curious kiddo began experimenting with the concept of “equal,” lining up blocks and explaining how two rows could match perfectly. These moments of unstructured exploration gave me insights into each child’s understanding and unique approach to learning. It was incredible to see their personalities and thought processes throughout. What Makes Open-Ended Exploration So Powerful? 1️⃣ Fosters Confidence: When students are given the freedom to explore without fear of “doing it wrong,” they…

I’m so excited to introduce you to today’s guest on the blog: Brittany, also known as The Minimal Hive Teacher! 🐝 In today’s post, Brittany will share some great tips on how to add play to your school day! Hi, I’m Brittany also known as Minimal Hive Teacher! I’m a 2nd grade teacher in a small town in Kansas. I’m excited to share some easy ways to add play into your classroom. I’ve always had a passion for play in the classroom. According to The American Academy of Pediatrics, “Play is essential to development because it contributes to the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being of children and youth. Play is an essential part of the early childhood classroom. As academic pressure goes up, play time drops off dramatically.  There are so many benefits to including play in all early childhood classrooms. So even though I currently teach 2nd grade…

Truth and Reconciliation Day holds profound meaning, but for young children, it can feel like a heavy topic. However, this day gives us a valuable opportunity to begin teaching our students the foundations of respect, kindness, and understanding differences. At the heart of this message is the idea that every child matters and that every child deserves love, safety, and family. Why It Matters for Young Learners In the classroom, Truth and Reconciliation Day is a time for reflection, but it’s also a time to start important conversations about how we can learn from the past and build a kinder future. While young students may not grasp the full weight of history, they can certainly understand concepts like fairness, love, and the importance of treating others with kindness. By planting these seeds early, we help create a future where everyone feels valued, heard, and cared for. How We Can Approach…

October brings all kinds of excitement to the classroom, but not everyone celebrates Halloween. That’s why I’ve created a fun, inclusive way to mark the end of the month—a Pumpkin Party!  A Fun, Inclusive Celebration Rather than focusing on Halloween, we celebrate the end of October with pumpkins! It’s an engaging way to bring seasonal fun to the classroom while ensuring that all students feel included. Everyone loves pumpkins, right? Hands-On Pumpkin-Themed Activities At our Pumpkin Party, every activity is hands-on and skill-building! Here are some favorites from past years: Pumpkin Bowling for gross motor skills Exploring the Inside of a Pumpkin for sensory play and curiosity-driven learning Drawing on pumpkins with whiteboard markers (they wipe off!) for fine motor skills Pumpkin Geoboards to develop fine motor control Pumpkin Letter Matching for literacy practice Weighing and Measuring Pumpkins to explore math concepts And of course, Pumpkin Art for a creative…

If you’ve ever taught two languages in the same classroom, you know the STRUGGLE IS REAL.  Teaching two sets of students in two different languages is already challenging enough, but doing it in the same classroom on alternating days adds a whole new level of crazy! Switching between French and English can make it difficult to stay organized and keep lessons cohesive, and I was feeling overwhelmed by the constant shift in focus. Although it can feel like too much at times, over the last 2 years, I have learned the key that has made all the difference. The Key: Streamlining To overcome this, I realized the importance of streamlining my resources. That’s why I started creating materials that work in both French and English. Having resources that seamlessly transition between languages has been a game-changer for me! This approach not only saves me time but also ensures that my…

Keeping little ones engaged throughout the school day can be a challenge, but one thing I’ve found that has saved my sanity is integrating movement into our daily routine. Movement helps students burn off energy, refocus, and stay engaged with what they’re learning. Here are my top 5 ways to incorporate more movement into your classroom: 1. Incorporate Simple Exercises Between Lessons A quick burst of movement between lessons can do wonders for resetting student focus. Seriously, almost every 10-15 minutes we are up and moving, exercising or dancing our wiggles out, before continuing our work! 2. Use Movement-Based Games to Teach Concepts Turn your lessons into movement-based games! Whether it’s hopping from one letter to another in a literacy lesson or jumping to the correct number during a math activity, physical involvement in the learning process helps students retain information better. Plus, they love it! (It does get a…

When I was first exploring my new classroom space (and purging all the things) and saw these bright plastic chain link clips, I remember thinking, What am I going to do with these? They seemed like such a random item and I couldn’t figure out how to make them useful in my classroom. I almost tossed them out of my room, but something told me to hang onto them.  There were a few items I told myself I’d keep in the classroom for a year – and if I didn’t use them within that time, then I’d pass them onto someone else. Little did I know, these chain link clips would soon become one of my go-to resources! Hands-On Fine Motor Play at Its Best Now, after seeing them in action, I can’t imagine my classroom without them. Chain link clips are an amazing tool for hands-on fine motor play,…

As a Kindergarten teacher, I’ve always believed in the power of hands-on learning, but I’ll admit—when I first started introducing these activities in my classroom, I definitely made a few missteps. But my fumbles are your gains, so, I’m sharing the three biggest mistakes I made when introducing hands-on activities and what I learned from them, so you can skip the headaches and jump straight into effective, engaging learning for your students! #1 Not Prepping Enough My first mistake? Not preparing enough in advance. Hands-on activities are amazing, but they can quickly become chaotic if you’re not ready with all the materials. I remember a time when I underestimated how much prep time was needed, thinking I could just hand out materials and let the kids go. Spoiler alert: I couldn’t and if you know the patience of Kindergarteners you will know it is pretty much non-existent! Now, I make…

As a Kindergarten teacher, I’ve heard all sorts of opinions about classroom supplies, but one comment from a coworker really surprised me: “Playdough is a waste of classroom budget.” I mean, I couldn’t disagree more! I think that playdough is an important tool that we can offer our students and I’ll tell you why! Playdough is a POWERHOUSE for fine motor development! Seriously!  When it comes to building fine motor skills, playdough is a superstar, making it such an important tool in the classroom! Squishing, rolling, flattening, and pinching all work to strengthen the small muscles in students’ hands, fingers, and wrists—those same muscles they’ll use for writing, cutting, and daily tasks.    Playdough also gives kids a chance to feel different textures, which helps them calm their bodies and stay focused. It’s a fun, hands-on way for students to build motor skills while also sparking their creativity and imagination. Win-win…