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What is an Interactive Math Notebook?

September 20, 2022 by Sara Leave a Comment

An interactive math notebook is essential in my 3rd grade math class. Continue reading to learn more about using an interactive math notebook in your classroom.

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Filed Under: BLOG, Math Notebook

5 Tips for a Great School Year

September 6, 2022 by Sara Leave a Comment

Looking to start the year off right? Check out my 5 tried and true favorite tips for a great school year. 

Save Extras for a Great School Year

Create extra folders for the new students that show up at your classroom door at 10 am on a Tuesday. Pick a cabinet or dedicate a shelf in your closet to make room. Try to secure at least 1-2 copies of each textbook. Label the journals and folders. I even suggest using a little zip lock bag with pencils and scissors to help new students get through the day. Lastly put ALL the back-to-school forms, welcome letters, and permission slips in a special folder to give new parents when they drop their child off or to send home the first day. Having it all prepared makes the new student feel welcomed while making it easier for you to play a fun ice breaker game for them instead of feeling stressed and printing and looking for supplies. 

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Filed Under: BLOG, Math Classroom Organization

Things I Wish I Knew as a New Teacher

July 28, 2022 by Sara Leave a Comment

I still fondly remember the excitement and uncertainty I felt as a new teacher. I started teaching mid-year in a classroom with a co-teacher and 36 students. It was such a blessing, almost like a second internship where I had time to learn the school and curriculum with the support of a veteran teacher. The following year I moved to my own classroom and taught all subjects. Imposter syndrome led to me thinking, talking, and working on school “stuff” nonstop. My relationships, budget and health suffered. If you are a new teacher or find yourself in this teacher trap, then check out my 3 tips below.

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Filed Under: BLOG, Math Classroom Organization

Addition and Subtraction Math Project for Back to School

July 3, 2022 by Sara Leave a Comment

The first few weeks of school are long but a fun time of developing relationships with your new class. If you are looking for a real-world math project to use in your classroom, then continue reading to learn more about this fun and engaging addition and subtraction activity. 

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Filed Under: BLOG, Upper Elementary Math Resources

Tips for Using Eureka Math in your Classroom

June 20, 2022 by Sara Leave a Comment

eureka math tips

Are you using Eureka Math/ Engage NY in your upper elementary math classroom? Continue reading to learn 5 helpful tips for successfully using this curriculum.

eureka math cover
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Filed Under: BLOG, Math Classroom Organization

Setting Up Math Centers That Work

March 8, 2022 by Sara Leave a Comment

Math centers were daunting and stressful for me as a new teacher. It would take me hours to shift students around trying to make it where every student went to every station. I often stopped mid plan and was unprepared for the week ahead. Continue reading to learn how fluid groups, abundant and standard based resources and consistency will help you when setting up math centers in the future.

math center freebie

Fluid groups are best

Don’t assign kids based on their overall levels or assign them a color group. I suggest planning based on the standard you need to remediate. Focus on 1 or 2 days at a time. 

Planning math centers a week or month at a time wastes time in the long run. Let’s say you miss a day, or a few students are out then your plan for the rest of the week becomes outdated and irrelevant. I think planning for just a few days at a time allows you to stay current with the needs of your students. If a few students fail a quiz, you can remediate it within a few days instead of several weeks later when students don’t even remember taking it. 

setting up math centers template

A PowerPoint graphic organizer or even a handwritten chart makes it easy to switch students for the following day. Before leaving school, I would make the next day’s plan. If I needed to meet with my small group another day it was no big deal. I wasn’t forced to ignore the needs of my students to stay with the lesson plan. If a student struggled focusing with their partner, I could switch up their placement for the next day and not stress about it messing up the rotation. 

I preferred keeping a binder with blank copies of my daily plan. I made notes on it during my small group and often started on the following day’s plan while my small group worked on their exit ticket. Teacher life means always multitasking. 

completed math center plan

Abundant standards-based resources

To make your life easier, start collecting tons of standards based resources. I liked having 5 to 10 activities per standard so I didn’t feel limited. I got multiple bins from Walmart and filled them with hanging folders. 1 folder per standard.

Over the summer I laminated and prepped a ton of centers to start the year off but I continued to add to it as I found new resources I liked. I didn’t worry about laminating or cutting out at this point, I just made copies and filed them under the correct standard. 

As I planned the following day’s centers, I was able to find the bin, standard, and locate a standards-based activity to use for the following day without needing to print or make copies of anything.

Being prepared with these resources before I actually needed them made planning one to two days at a time possible. 

If you are a third grade teacher and need more standard based centers then check out my Math Centers Game Bundle that includes 2 activities per standard to start building your collection. 

You can download 2 free rounding centers here.

small group template

Consistency is better than perfection

I prefer a small group of struggling students over whole group instruction but the act of transitioning to centers can be daunting. 

Let’s say your lesson went long and instead of the 30 minutes you planned for centers you now only have 15. It can be easy to think, “oh, well! Let’s skip centers today.” 

But 15 minutes is better than nothing and since you are following a plan that is flexible day to day you don’t have to worry about getting off schedule with your plan for the week. 

Didn’t finish centers in the 15 minutes, awesome! Erase the date and you have centers already completed for tomorrow. Better yet, students will already know which group they are in and picking it back up will be easier.

Where can I download the free Math Centers Lesson Plan Template?

This math center template is available for FREE in my TeachersPayTeachers store. Click on the link below and you will go straight to my store to download the resource.

Math Centers Lesson Plan Template

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Filed Under: BLOG, Math Classroom Organization

Free Upper Elementary Word Problem Printable

February 22, 2022 by Sara Leave a Comment

Do your elementary math students look at a word problem and immediately say “I don’t get it” or randomly add all the numbers in the problem because they saw the word “all” in the question. Continue reading to learn more about my favorite upper elementary word problem printable for tackling word problems.

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Filed Under: BLOG, Test Prep

Three 3rd Grade Math Freebies

February 9, 2022 by Sara Leave a Comment

3 free third grade math activities

Sharing the love this Valentine’s day with three 3rd Grade math freebies. Check out the rounding center, weekly math homework and mystery mindset review game below. All three resources are common core standard based and can be found in my free resource library.

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Filed Under: BLOG, Test Prep, Upper Elementary Math Resources

Elementary Math Test Prep Ideas

February 1, 2022 by Sara Leave a Comment

Testing season is quickly approaching. It’s time to find the elementary math test prep resources and games that are needed to move our students towards mastery. Continue reading to find a few small group, whole group and tutoring test prep tips you can use in your classroom.

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Filed Under: BLOG, Test Prep

FREEBIE + Why Assign Weekly Math Homework?

January 25, 2022 by Sara


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Filed Under: BLOG, Test Prep

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Hi, I’m Sara, 3rd-grade math and science teacher, lover of cold brew and Mr. Sketch markers. Follow along for resources to use in your classroom.  Read more about me here.

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