The organization and planning/prepping that comes with math rotations can sometimes feel daunting, so today I'm going to share with you a few different ways I plan my math rotations every year. If you're just diving into math rotations for the first time, I suggest choosing starting with only three rotations (two centers and one for teacher table). I've found it easiest to split my class into three groups (low, medium, and high levels). I have done this in primary grades AND when I taught 6th grade math. I am all about keeping it simple. As you can see on my cart, I just label my centers ... read more
Math at the Teacher Table
I'm so excited to share with you all my favorite time of the day... Math at the Teacher Table! I'm not even kidding, it's the best 15-20 minutes of my guided math because this is where I truly get to know my students as mathematicians! So today I'm going to tell you all about how we spend those 15-20 minutes together and how I plan differentiated activities for our time together! FYI: While I meet with my small groups, my other students are completing different math stations and activities using a rotation I display in a pocket chart. The management of that is another post for another day. ... read more
Number Talks
I am thrilled to be sharing about my favorite subject to teach... MATH! If you're just beginning Guided Math, fully implementing Guided Math, or simply thinking about diving into it, this series is for you! This month, I wanted to share with you something I've implemented in my classroom that has been a total game-changer: NUMBER TALKS! First things first: After you finish reading my post, head over to Amazon and order yourself a copy of the book Number Talks by Sherry Parrish. You won't regret it! (Affiliate link) So, what is a Number Talk? A number talk is a way for students to talk and ... read more
February Favorites
I LOVE celebrating Valentine's Day in the classroom. Even though February is a short month, it can feel quite long! Today I want to show you some of my favorite ideas and goodies from Oriental Trading to make your February awesome! My kids are OBSESSED with our new Valentine Spinner! I set it up while my kiddos were at specials one day, and they came back and had all sorts of questions! I left them hanging for a few days before I finally one friend give it a big spin. A video posted by @simplycreativeteaching on Jan 18, 2017 at 4:17pm PST We have a jar of gems (drops in the bucket) ... read more
Transition Superstars
Do you ever feel like it takes your kids FIVE BILLION YEARS to clean up and transition to whatever is next on your agenda? This year, my class is having the hardest time! They've really been struggling with transitions when we're cleaning up math and literacy centers. Usually we have choice time during the last 15 minutes of our Fridays, but last week... NOPE. My class "cleaned up" math centers for their entire choice time. Natural consequences? I guess so. But I knew I HAD to implement something a bit more intensive for this little group. I always call my kids my SUPERSTARS whenever I catch ... read more
Easy Snowflake Ornaments
I always love getting creative with my students, and they LOVE making ornaments. This year, I wanted to make sure we made something that really showcased each child's unique, creative personality. I'm just not a fan of the foam/sticker cookie cutter ornaments that all look the same. This year I decided to pull out that giant box of popsicle sticks I had in my cabinet and make snowflakes. This was a pretty easy project, but we worked on them two separate days. On the first day we just glued the popsicle sticks together. I wanted to make sure they didn't fall apart! This also gave me time to ... read more
Math Essentials for Every Primary Classroom
When I was in undergrad, I was soooo nervous about teaching math. My oh my, how that’s changed. I would teach primary math all day if I could now. I absolutely LOVE it. There are a handful of tools that I’ve found super helpful when teaching math, so today I thought I’d share with you a few of my favorite MATH ESSENTIALS! Throughout this post you will find links to these math tools in my Amazon storefront. I earn a small commission from each purchase that helps keep Simply Creative Teaching up and running! #1 – Magnetic Base Ten Pieces from ... read more
Lazy Teacher Lunches
You know those adorable lunches you see all over Pinterest with the salad in the mason jars... yeah, that's not me. I'm sorry, but I just don't have the time for that. I can barely meal prep my own dinners, so planning ahead to take salad in a mason jar is just not in the cards for me. If it's ideal for you, then by all means, go for it! If you find yourself in the same boat as me though, keep reading... A few weeks ago I stopped at the grocery store for a few things on my way home from school. And then, I saw IT. This precious, tiny, ON SALE, little baby LUNCH CROCKPOT. Originally $25. ... read more
Substitute Plans Made Easy!
Substitute Plans for busy teachers Writing substitute plans is one of my least favorite things to do. I hate waking up at 2am, feeling sick, and thinking please don’t let me be sick. I can’t write sub plans right now. Anybody else? It’s the WORST! Substitute Plans: An Inside Look I’m dedicating this post to sharing how I write my substitute plans without losing my mind. I’m going to share with you the contents of my sub binder, as well as what I put in my sub tub. Plus, I have some freebies for you throughout this post! Putting together your sub binder For my sub ... read more
Strategies to Reduce Small Group Interruptions
Every year during back to school time I start to get a teensy bit nervous about all of the new little faces that will be coming and how all of their little personalities will play a part in our class family. And oh good gracious, I always stress about how in the world I'm going to make sure I've got my routines and procedures set. So today I thought I'd highlight a few routines and procedures that save my sanity. These are just a few of my favorite strategies so that I am not getting interrupted nearly as much during my small group time! Please remember that you need to ... read more
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