April is National Volunteer Month. Who knew, right? Even if you’re not prepared to formally recognize your school’s volunteers (which often occurs as the school year is wrapping up), it’s a great opportunity to give a shout-out to the folks who offer their gifts of time. Verbal acknowledgments and handwritten notes are quick and easy….
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…
You know how students often think a substitute teacher is fair game for some silliness. Not long ago a teacher bud of mine arranged for a sub to cover his class while he attended a local math conference. In preparation for the sub, he put desk tags on the students’ desks so the sub could…
April is National Humor Month and National Frog Month so it seems appropriate that April’s First Friday Giveaway should feature frogs and silliness! If you’d like to enter for a chance to win the hilarious The Riot Brothers book series; a handful of Mailbox sticky notepads; a six-pack of scented washable markers; 14 colorful gel…
Did you know that The Mailbox® has been around since the early 1970’s? We have a long history of providing sound, educational, and fun activities. And our activities are all of these things because they are purchased and edited by people with teaching experience. That’s where you come in! Do you have activities you think…
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….
Will you have a glass eye? Will you have amnesia? Can you see me now? These are a few of the questions students asked my best friend, who teaches fourth grade, when she told the group she would be having eye surgery. As teachers, we know children’s questions can range from absurd to thought-provoking. Check…
Have you heard of New York City’s Comfort Dog Program? The program, launched in 2016 by the Department of Education, pairs carefully screened rescue dogs with participating New York City Schools. The dogs are welcomed into the schools to work with students and staff to improve school climate and facilitate social-emotional learning. Seven schools participated…
Every year the PDK (Phi Delta Kappa—a professional organization for educators) polls Americans to capture their current views about public education. The most recent poll is the 49th. Check out these results: Only 42% of the respondents feel performance on standardized tests is a highly important indicator of school quality. A whopping 82% of the…
Whether your students are writing, drawing, or both you’re sure to agree that this easy-to-prepare St. Patrick’s Day activity is golden! After all, what could be more fun than imagining how a leprechaun will use his black pot after its gold is gone. CLICK HERE for a pot pattern. Reduce the pattern size as needed…