Author page: Primary Paradise

New Teacher Tips

How to Nail Your Next Classroom Observation

Whether you’re a new teacher who just finished up student teaching, or a veteran teacher with many years under your belt, there’s one thing that likely sends you into a state of stress: teacher observations. Teaching is such a unique job. A million different things happen in your classroom each day, and it can be hard to show all of…

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Classroom Management, New Teacher Tips

How to Get the Most Out of Student Teaching (And 4 Things to Avoid)

Student teaching: you’ve taken a fair amount of education classes, and now it’s time to jump in and give it a try. The beauty of student teaching is that you are given a guide, a cooperating teacher, and it’s typically a gradual release model. However, student teaching is a short and important opportunity to get your feet wet as a…

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Reading

The First 3 Minutes of Guided Reading: Fluency Drills for the Win

Small group reading instruction is so important for our students’ growth as readers. Time is also so limited. Those first few minutes of guided reading can easily be wasted as students are getting to the table, but fluency drills are the perfect way to get students working and thinking right away. Please note: this post was written before I realized…

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Behavior Management, Classroom Management, Classroom Organization

Calm Down Kit Ideas for the Elementary Classroom

Help students to self regulate when they’re upset with a calm down kit. It provides students with a safe space to process emotions and feelings. It’s particularly helpful for students with sensory processing needs. It teaches students life long coping skills, cuts down on classroom management issues, and takes some of the burden off of you as a teacher. But,…

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