Last week, I experienced a new use for playing cards. I’ve been taking a weekly exercise class that’s actually very fun. (That’s sort of an oxymoron isn’t it?!) Anyway, here’s the fun part: what we do each week is a surprise! Last night, our instructor used playing cards. He assigned an exercise for each suit…
Student Activities
A Colorful Giveaway!
How many of you have lost track of which day of the week it is? 🙂 Isn’t the lack of a schedule one of the best perks of summer vacation? Oh, and no Sunday prep work—that runs a close second in my book! Well, I’m mixing things up a bit by having a giveaway today….
Giveaway Winner and More!
Drum roll please! This morning, I used the true number generator at Random.org to determine the winner of this month’s First Friday Giveaway. And the winning number is…18! Congratulations, Darlene! I’m still marveling over the fun assortment of facts that were collected at this blog post. Really great stuff! Tomorrow, April 22, is the 34th…
If It’s Free, It’s for Me!
I’ve been scooting around our website looking at all the free content available for you. There are so many cute activities and worksheets it makes me giddy! So here is a rundown of my current favorite free items. (My personal favorites change daily, because we have thousands of ideas, worksheets, and forms for you!) …
Make An Editor’s Day!
Are your ears burning? If they’re not, they should be! You know how the saying goes; if your ears burn someone is talkin’ about ya. And I’m here to report that you are being talked about in a really, really great way! You see the editors here at The Mailbox know you have the very…
Recharging Dead Batteries
The world is a strange place indeed. One person’s morning pick-me-up is made of hot water filtered through finely ground, roasted (i.e. burnt) beans. Another person prefers hot water filtered through dried leaves. Still others crack open a can of carbon dioxide–infused water and corn syrup for their morning pick-me-up. I always smile when I…
An Oscar to Your Students?
It’s that time of year when veteran teachers everywhere keep their eyes glued to their televisions and entertainment magazines. Why? To scan for the names of former students when the Oscar nominees are announced. Or am I the only one who does that? To be honest, I didn’t employ nearly as much dramatic play or…
Art From Pencil Shavings!
I’m sure you’re well acquainted with lots and lots of pencil shavings (unless you’ve gone to all mechanical-style pencils). In fact, nothing says elementary school quite like the smell of pencil shavings. That was the smell of work for me for many years. Now the smell of work has a lot of variety. I sit…
A Frosty “Mathcraft”
No time for arts and crafts? Then plan a “mathcraft”! For each student, cut a circle and a hexagon from white paper; then cut each circle in half and each hexagon into a rectangle and two triangles. Choose a Common Core skill from below to incorporate during the formation of Frosty. Look at Frosty now!…
Amazing Rudolph
I always knew Rudolph was an amazing reindeer; however, not until today did I fully realize just how remarkable he is! Yes, Rudolph has a shiny red nose. And yes, Rudolph can fly at greased lightning speeds. Yet Rudolph has kept a teeny-tiny secret from us all these years. Rudolph’s other remarkable trait is contained…