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These are my FIVE favorite activities to do with m

These are my FIVE favorite activities to do with my students in December! 🎁

1. Holiday Doodles ✏️
These help students practice mindfulness and also make a pretty cute classroom decorate or parent gift!

2. Reindeer Math 🦌
Students can review math skills cooperatively, while also make a fun decorated reindeer.

3. VanAllsburg Author Study 📖
Take students through the works of Chris VanAllsburg and end it with a fun Polar Express day!

4. Christmas Tree Math 🎄
Review more math skills and create a large group Christmas tree that shows the group’s thinking and mathematical mindset.

5. Ugly Sweater🧣
Who doesn’t love ugly sweaters? This time, students can make their own based on book characters and settings.

Comment DECEMBER and I’ll DM you the link for all five of these!

#teachersfollowteachers #teachersofinstagram #iteachtoo #teacherlife #teachersofig #tpt #teacherspayteachers #iteachfourth #education #teaching #iteachfirst #iteachthird #teacherproblems #iteach4th #iteach3rd #teachergram #teachersoftpt #thirdgrade #secondgrade #teacherfriends #iteach345 #lifeofateacher #classroomsetup #elementaryteachers #teachersofinsta

This is my #1 pet peeve. LOL 🤪 I don’t know if it

This is my #1 pet peeve. LOL 🤪

I don’t know if it’s because #onceateacheralwaysateacher or if it’s my high school advanced composition teacher’s voice in the back of my mind.

🚨Don’t sign your holiday cards with an ‘s. An apostrophe shows possession. It does not make it plural.🚨

Here are some examples:
YES: ✅
With love, The Freibruns

NO: ❌
With love, The Freibrun’s

Even if your last name ends in S or Z, do not put an apostrophe! That rhymes! LOL

More examples:

YES: ✅
With love,
The DeArmases

NO: ❌
With love, The DeArmas’s

If you don’t like the way that looks, you can always go with a phrase like this:

With love,
The DeArmas Family

Thank you for reading this far and for sharing this PSA.

Happy Holidays! 🎄

#teachersofinstagram #iteachtoo #teacherlife #teachersofig #tpt #teacherspayteachers #education #teaching #iteachfirst #iteachthird #teacherproblems #iteach4th #iteach3rd #teachergram #teachersoftpt #thirdgrade #secondgrade #teacherfriends #iteach345 #lifeofateacher #classroomsetup #elementaryteachers #teachersofinsta #alwaysateacher

Here’s a simple way to incorporate success criteri

Here’s a simple way to incorporate success criteria into your teaching: create target responses and language frames for your students.

These give students a clear picture of the end goal, what strong work actually looks like, and what is expected of them.

The target response helps them see the quality we were aiming for, and the language frames give them the support to write with confidence, clarity, and depth.

When I did this while I was teaching, my students consistently exceeded grade-level expectations and they were able to use these frames across different content areas.

It’s such a simple strategy, but it makes success criteria visible, accessible, and doable for every student.

Want to learn more about how to create these?

Comment TARGET and I’ll DM you the link to my blog post with all the detail details!

#iteachtoo #teachingtips #successcriteria #teachergoals

Byeeeee! 🍽️🍗💤 #teachersofig #iteachtoo #teachergo

Byeeeee! 🍽️🍗💤

#teachersofig #iteachtoo #teachergoals #upperelementary #teachersonbreak #teacherprobs

Posting learning goals isn’t about compliance for

Posting learning goals isn’t about compliance for your admin.
It’s clarity for your students.

When kids know what they’re aiming for, they engage deeper, reflect better, and learn more.

Clarity wins every time. ✨📘

Do you agree? Tell me here!👇🏻
#teacherprobs #iteachtoo #teachinglife #teachertips #upperelementary

If you want independent learners, model the skill

If you want independent learners, model the skill first. Clarity beats guesswork every time.

One of the biggest reasons students get stuck isn’t ability. It’s uncertainty.

When students don’t know what they’re learning, why it matters, or what the steps look like, they spend all their energy trying to figure out the task instead of actually learning the skill.

This is where clarity changes everything.

Before you check for understanding, make sure students can actually see the target:

✨ Share the learning goal so students know exactly what they’re working toward
✨ Model the skill out loud, showing the thinking process, not just the final product
✨ Use metacognition while modeling, naming the decisions, strategies, and moves you’re making
✨ Provide steps or success criteria so students can follow the process on their own
✨ Anchor it visually with an anchor chart so the learning stays accessible long after the mini-lesson

When students have a clear model, a clear path, and a clear purpose, independence isn’t something they “eventually” develop.
It’s something they can do today.

Clarity isn’t an extra step. It’s the step that makes every other part of your lesson work.

#teacherclarity #learninggoals #successcriteria #formativeassessment #elementaryteacher #teachertips #literacyinstruction #visiblelearning #educationtips

It’s basically time to get ready for December. 🤪 H

It’s basically time to get ready for December. 🤪 Here’s a look at some lesson ideas to help get you through the next few weeks:

🦌Reindeer Math
🎅🏻Santa Writing
🎄Holiday Doodles
🥰Daily Check-ins
🎁Desk Wrapping
🗒️Sticky Note Prize Reveal
✏️Success Criteria
💫Direct Instruction Lessons
💭Self Assessment Bins
🦃Turkey Doodles
🎉Student of the Day Notes
🧣Ugly Sweater Lesson
🐒Chris Van Allsburg Lesson Study

Use the comments to let me know if you have any questions about these resources. You can also comment DEC and I’ll DM you the links to these resources.

#teachersforteachers #iteachtoo #teachingtips #teachergoals #lessonideas #upperelementary

An easy and simple way to build positive teacher-s

An easy and simple way to build positive teacher-student relationships. ❤️ Comment NOTES and I’ll DM you the link to my “Student of the Day” note templates. #teachingideas #iteachtoo #upperelementary #teachergoals

Get into the holiday spirit with my holiday ugly s

Get into the holiday spirit with my holiday ugly sweater resource! 🎅🏻🎄

Unleash creativity and boost literacy skills by having your students connect story details through the art of creating ugly sweaters!

The resource includes a step-by-step guide and handouts to support your students’ thinking and ideas.

This activity isn’t just about crafting; it’s a fun way to practice essential skills like describing characters, determining quotes, and exploring themes!

Comment SWEATER and I’ll DM you the link to find it in my shop.💫

#teachersfollowteachers #teachersofinstagram #iteachtoo #teacherspayteachers #teaching #teacherproblems #teacher #teacherlife #teachertips #teachersofinsta #teachersofig #teachersofinstagram #elementaryteacher #elementaryschool

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These are my FIVE favorite activities to do with m

These are my FIVE favorite activities to do with my students in December! 🎁

1. Holiday Doodles ✏️
These help students practice mindfulness and also make a pretty cute classroom decorate or parent gift!

2. Reindeer Math 🦌
Students can review math skills cooperatively, while also make a fun decorated reindeer.

3. VanAllsburg Author Study 📖
Take students through the works of Chris VanAllsburg and end it with a fun Polar Express day!

4. Christmas Tree Math 🎄
Review more math skills and create a large group Christmas tree that shows the group’s thinking and mathematical mindset.

5. Ugly Sweater🧣
Who doesn’t love ugly sweaters? This time, students can make their own based on book characters and settings.

Comment DECEMBER and I’ll DM you the link for all five of these!

#teachersfollowteachers #teachersofinstagram #iteachtoo #teacherlife #teachersofig #tpt #teacherspayteachers #iteachfourth #education #teaching #iteachfirst #iteachthird #teacherproblems #iteach4th #iteach3rd #teachergram #teachersoftpt #thirdgrade #secondgrade #teacherfriends #iteach345 #lifeofateacher #classroomsetup #elementaryteachers #teachersofinsta

This is my #1 pet peeve. LOL 🤪 I don’t know if it

This is my #1 pet peeve. LOL 🤪

I don’t know if it’s because #onceateacheralwaysateacher or if it’s my high school advanced composition teacher’s voice in the back of my mind.

🚨Don’t sign your holiday cards with an ‘s. An apostrophe shows possession. It does not make it plural.🚨

Here are some examples:
YES: ✅
With love, The Freibruns

NO: ❌
With love, The Freibrun’s

Even if your last name ends in S or Z, do not put an apostrophe! That rhymes! LOL

More examples:

YES: ✅
With love,
The DeArmases

NO: ❌
With love, The DeArmas’s

If you don’t like the way that looks, you can always go with a phrase like this:

With love,
The DeArmas Family

Thank you for reading this far and for sharing this PSA.

Happy Holidays! 🎄

#teachersofinstagram #iteachtoo #teacherlife #teachersofig #tpt #teacherspayteachers #education #teaching #iteachfirst #iteachthird #teacherproblems #iteach4th #iteach3rd #teachergram #teachersoftpt #thirdgrade #secondgrade #teacherfriends #iteach345 #lifeofateacher #classroomsetup #elementaryteachers #teachersofinsta #alwaysateacher

Here’s a simple way to incorporate success criteri

Here’s a simple way to incorporate success criteria into your teaching: create target responses and language frames for your students.

These give students a clear picture of the end goal, what strong work actually looks like, and what is expected of them.

The target response helps them see the quality we were aiming for, and the language frames give them the support to write with confidence, clarity, and depth.

When I did this while I was teaching, my students consistently exceeded grade-level expectations and they were able to use these frames across different content areas.

It’s such a simple strategy, but it makes success criteria visible, accessible, and doable for every student.

Want to learn more about how to create these?

Comment TARGET and I’ll DM you the link to my blog post with all the detail details!

#iteachtoo #teachingtips #successcriteria #teachergoals

Byeeeee! 🍽️🍗💤 #teachersofig #iteachtoo #teachergo

Byeeeee! 🍽️🍗💤

#teachersofig #iteachtoo #teachergoals #upperelementary #teachersonbreak #teacherprobs

Posting learning goals isn’t about compliance for

Posting learning goals isn’t about compliance for your admin.
It’s clarity for your students.

When kids know what they’re aiming for, they engage deeper, reflect better, and learn more.

Clarity wins every time. ✨📘

Do you agree? Tell me here!👇🏻
#teacherprobs #iteachtoo #teachinglife #teachertips #upperelementary

If you want independent learners, model the skill

If you want independent learners, model the skill first. Clarity beats guesswork every time.

One of the biggest reasons students get stuck isn’t ability. It’s uncertainty.

When students don’t know what they’re learning, why it matters, or what the steps look like, they spend all their energy trying to figure out the task instead of actually learning the skill.

This is where clarity changes everything.

Before you check for understanding, make sure students can actually see the target:

✨ Share the learning goal so students know exactly what they’re working toward
✨ Model the skill out loud, showing the thinking process, not just the final product
✨ Use metacognition while modeling, naming the decisions, strategies, and moves you’re making
✨ Provide steps or success criteria so students can follow the process on their own
✨ Anchor it visually with an anchor chart so the learning stays accessible long after the mini-lesson

When students have a clear model, a clear path, and a clear purpose, independence isn’t something they “eventually” develop.
It’s something they can do today.

Clarity isn’t an extra step. It’s the step that makes every other part of your lesson work.

#teacherclarity #learninggoals #successcriteria #formativeassessment #elementaryteacher #teachertips #literacyinstruction #visiblelearning #educationtips

It’s basically time to get ready for December. 🤪 H

It’s basically time to get ready for December. 🤪 Here’s a look at some lesson ideas to help get you through the next few weeks:

🦌Reindeer Math
🎅🏻Santa Writing
🎄Holiday Doodles
🥰Daily Check-ins
🎁Desk Wrapping
🗒️Sticky Note Prize Reveal
✏️Success Criteria
💫Direct Instruction Lessons
💭Self Assessment Bins
🦃Turkey Doodles
🎉Student of the Day Notes
🧣Ugly Sweater Lesson
🐒Chris Van Allsburg Lesson Study

Use the comments to let me know if you have any questions about these resources. You can also comment DEC and I’ll DM you the links to these resources.

#teachersforteachers #iteachtoo #teachingtips #teachergoals #lessonideas #upperelementary

An easy and simple way to build positive teacher-s

An easy and simple way to build positive teacher-student relationships. ❤️ Comment NOTES and I’ll DM you the link to my “Student of the Day” note templates. #teachingideas #iteachtoo #upperelementary #teachergoals

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