Labor Day has a lot of associations. It celebrates fair working conditions, but to a lot of people it also means the end of summertime and the beginning of the back-to-school season. And let’s not forget that Labor Day also means picnics and a day at the pool to a lot of us. Whatever your…
Tomorrow is the first day of September. How did this happen!? Time is certainly a strange thing in the world we inhabit right now. I feel like spring lasted for two years, but summer has gone by in a blink. Even so, I’m ready to embrace September—and embracing September means embracing all things apple related!…
When we go back to school in the fall, there will no doubt be changes. I’m guessing that one of the changes we encounter will be an emphasis on social distancing. I can’t even wrap my brain around how that’s going to be accomplished. But let’s say that the six foot social distance rule is…
Did I hear a “Me! Me! Me!” Well then, I’ll tell you how you can enter for a chance to win 20 free books for your classroom library. You may or may not know that The Mailbox is on Instagram. Just like on The Mailbox Blog, we have started doing giveaways for teachers on Instagram. You…
This month’s First Friday Giveaway is definitely something to ROAR about! It started with a pack of 18 colorful Expo dry erase markers. Then I went looking for a couple of fun books for back to school. Two dinosaur books would do nicely. Then I found an adorable plush T-Rex—and well, you know what happened…
Which type of student seating is better—traditional or flexible? The way I see it, there’s nothing wrong with traditional seating. For years students have learned well when sitting in desks and chairs. On the flip side, there are certainly plenty of children who could learn better if they were in more comfortable seating. You want…
A new school year always brings change: new students, new curriculum, new goals, staff changes, new district-wide policies and the list goes on. We all know that change is difficult. Yet, there is one change in our local school district of 69 elementary schools that has baffled teachers and ruffled quite a few feathers. In…
It’s that time, isn’t it? My guess is you’re either teaching students, preparing for the first days of school, thinking about the first days of school, or making the most of your last few days of summer. This morning I pinned an adorable bee craft to our Arts and Crafts Pinterest board. Before I knew…
Here’s hoping your students will have recess this year. Maybe even recesses! I think brain breaks are a super idea, however should brain breaks replace outdoor recess? My vote is no, they should not. Brain breaks are fun and active, however most are structured. Recess allows for unstructured play time which encourages creativity and fosters…
What’s 92% water, classified as both a fruit and a vegetable, and is available in roughly 1,200 different varieties? That would be watermelon! In case you’re wondering, the heaviest watermelon on record to date is a 350.5 pound whopper grown in Tennessee by Chris…