Don't Stress the Last Few Months of School!
It is so hard NOT to get overwhelmed, especially the last month or so of school!  Tutoring, Test Prep, Review, Reteaching, Lesson Planning, Grading....the list goes on and on!  I always feel overwhelmed the last few months of school trying to "fit everything in" and with assessments.  It is so hard not to feel overwhelmed especially with students taking standardized tests.  I always want my students to do their best and remember everything I've taught them. This year, I'm doing my best to follow my own tips and ones shared with me over the years. Read below on some tips and resources I always try to remember.

Are pencils driving you crazy?
Students not having a pencil?
Losing them? Breaking the tip?
The pencil craze got to me too!  It doesn't need to!  During my student teaching we had cups with pencils at each group that we sharpened every morning and ensured there were plenty in each cup, which was great!  That was in first grade. Over the years, I became use to about 2-3 students per class not having a pencil, therefore, I always purchased a box or two at a time and handed pencils out to those students.   This year was a little different for me and the pencil craze got me!  So many lost pencils, broken pencil tips, or students just didn't have a pencil.  I felt pencil crazed!  A solution must be found!!!  After much thought I came up with my "Pencil Station"!

Enjoy a great activity I've completed with First Graders & Middle Schoolers! Every year prior to spring break I've enjoyed executing this wonderful fun egg math activity with my students.  There's minimal prep time and materials for this activity - you will only need plastic eggs, paper for math problems or task cards already printed with answer key, a shoe box, and of course, candy or treats for students.  The students only need paper and a pencil.  Every year all students became very, very involved with this lesson!  Read below on how I executed this Eggstravagant Math Activity with my students!

I love cementing students' learning of terms and concepts with simple visuals as much as possible!  For students who may struggle with reading, learning the English Language, or the subject being taught, I enjoy bringing in my visual arts background and cementing the concept with a simple visual if possible.  It's like the saying 'A picture is worth a thousand words'.  Maybe not always in education, a thousand words, that's a lot.... however, a picture or visual to assist students in learning a skill, term, or just the vocabulary needed in the subject they are learning is so beneficial.

If you've read my previous post about '4 Ways to Engage Learners' or have some of my products from TpT, I am sure you are aware by now, I try to incorporate visuals as much as possible.  The below example of rise demonstrates how I use visuals with math vocabulary to assist students learning math concepts and terms.

 ALL IN ONE:  Statistics, Probability, Classroom Management, Scatter Plots, Student Engagement, & Graphing!

The first year I taught scatter plots, statistics, and probability, I kept wondering how I could engage my students fully into the lesson and assist them in getting back into the routine of school after long holiday breaks.  After much thought, I came up with my 'Time to Get Ready' Lesson for all four of my classes.  I was nervous and unsure how the students would respond to the lesson, yet, at the end of that school year, this was one of my favorite project lessons the students accomplished that year.