Recently, my husband, Brent, and I went to Minneapolis to visit my brother and his family. My four-year-old nephew, Charlie, was happy to act as our tour guide. For the price of a frosted doughnut, he showed us around the local grocery store.

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Have you ever read Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak? Why, of course you have! It’s a classic! I always try to tuck classics into The Mailbox® magazine because you undoubtedly have them in your classroom. You know them well, and you have probably built units around these deservedly popular books. Of course, I also enjoy tucking more recent books into the magazine---ones that may, with time, become classics as well.

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When I was teaching, our district set aside one week in the fall and in early spring for parent-teacher conferences. During those weeks, we taught in the mornings and met with parents in the afternoons. Before each conference session, I set two chairs and a small table or desk outside my door. Despite careful scheduling, [...]

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Boo! I'm back with great seasonal ideas from the current grades 2-3 and intermediate editions of The Mailbox® magazine! Enjoy! Ready to Order To prepare this seasonal center, write each sentence of a step-by-step description on a different sentence strip...

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In high school, I was one of seven Jennifers in my physics class. That’s right---seven. Some of us went by Jen, others by Jenny, and a few, like me, were known by our first and last names. To this day, when I talk to a friend from high school or college, I’m addressed as "JenBragg," as if it’s one word. I guess I don’t really mind, though. There’s never a question which Jen or Jennifer a person means; I always know it’s me!

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This past summer I gathered a few teaching supplies for my friend, Beth, who was returning to teaching in the fall. Beth expected (and received) assorted publications from The Mailbox Books. What she didn’t expect was a jumbo pack of fine-tipped markers. The pack included a marker for every color of the rainbow, plus plenty of other pretty colors.

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I always look forward to fall; don't you? It's the relaxing time right before the busy holiday season kicks in. The weather is cooler but not too cool. The excitement of a new school year is still in the air. And, of course, Halloween is on its way! When I was a child, I spent the whole month of October planning my costume for the big day. I would change my mind three times a week until it was finally time to get dressed. What fun!

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Just recently I had the opportunity to recall the best teaching advice I’ve ever been given. And, surprisingly, it came while I was babysitting my godson. I have spent tons of time with him and his parents, but this was the first time I had him all to myself. I looked forward to it all week. I planned games, picked out books to read, and bought a new box of crayons. I was all set!

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Hollywood is at it again! This time they have chosen to make a screen adaptation of Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. I'll admit it: I cannot wait to see what the moviemakers do with this rollicking story. I have wonderful memories of Max and his wild pals. My mom read this story to me again and again. I read it to my younger brother and then, years later, shared it with my students. This is one you just can't keep to yourself!

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While I was watching TV last week, commercials for a community fair reminded me of the county fairs I grew up with. The county fair is a pretty big deal in my hometown. Everyone goes. As a kid, going to the county fair was the highlight of the fall.

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