Are you a pet owner? My husband and I have five cats—and I suspect we’re owned by them instead of the other way around. They’re all boys, most are very large, and four of them are orange. Pets are so enriching and we love the craziness of our household. Here are the top 5 things…
In case you missed the news, Merriam-Webster added 530 new words to the dictionary in September. These words range from serious to playful to technical to informal. More than 4,000 revisions to definitions, pronunciations, and such were also added. Vacay, sesh, and inspo are fun and informal. If you don’t have the energy to say…
If you give a teacher a muffin tin, will that teacher make a moose some muffins? Maybe. The tin might inspire a reading of If You Give a Moose a Muffin by Laura Numeroff too. However chances are the teacher will find plenty of other ways to use the muffin tin in the classroom. After…
Yes, this blog is cat themed. This doesn’t mean you need to be a cat person. It just means I have some super cute cat-themed activities for you! You see, September is Happy Cat Month. I almost let this feline celebration slip through the cracks. The good news is that cat-themed activities are appropriate for…
April is National Poetry Month. Please don’t require every student to write a poem this month. Please, please, please. Okay, I take that back. Maybe writing poetry is part of your curriculum and this is a necessary assignment. If you have the flexibility, and I hope you do, I suggest you celebrate National Poetry Month…
April is National Frog Month. I’m not ribbiting you—it’s true! Check out these lesser-known frog facts and then leap into learning with a sampling of free frog-related activities found at themailbox.com. Last, but certainly not least, tell us if you’ll be investigating frogs this April! Five Frog Facts Each frog species has a unique croak….
Sure, Mr. Popper is an inquisitive fellow with a great passion for penguins. Sure, he’s the main character in the popular children’s book Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater. And yes, Jim Carey did play the character in the movie version of the book. However, just for today, I’m asking Mr. Popper to…
Plug can mean a few different things. For some reason, I immediately think of a hair plug. No, I don’t have any—it’s just my slightly off-center sense of humor! The big ole plug I’m making today is filled with fantastic opportunities for teachers. For example, $750 worth of classroom cash (yes, you read that right!)…
There are plenty of things you don’t want to get caught doing. Driving over the speed limit is certainly one of those things. Eating a candy bar for breakfast might be another. I’m just sayin’; not that I’ve ever done either of those! ;+) Today, I’m actually challenging you and your students to get caught…
You know how I like to do this—put an unusual name in a title so you’ll think “Whaaaat?” Well, this is a real dude and his birth date is today, April 13. I’ve never met the man. He was born in 1899, so I’m pretty sure he’s no longer with us. So who is Mr….