As spring blooms and the weather shifts, I’m sure many of us are itching to step outside. I can only imagine how restless students, confined indoors, must feel! Spring beckons us to venture out, experience the blossoming world—not merely observe it through a window. Nevertheless, school must go on. How do you engage students in learning when their attention drifts with the allure of the outdoors?
Head Outdoors:
• Allow students to earn additional free time outside. Join in! Play a class game of kickball and get in there and play with them!
• Take the class outside and find a quiet spot for silent or read-aloud time. Some of my favorite teaching memories are sitting under the giant tree on the front lawn of the school and reading with my students.
Add more “get up and move activities” to your day.
These could include review games that allow the children to move.
Have students choose and set a goal for themselves to meet by the end of the school year to give them something individual to focus on and achieve.
Bring a focus on science by creating a community garden for your school.
Based on the resources, especially over the summer, this could consist of spring annuals for beauty or possibly vegetables for nourishment if the resources allow for it.
Some great sites to help come up with outdoor class ideas can be found here:
A community space that they beautify gives the students a sense of pride that they are leaving a legacy behind at their school.
Before you know it, summer will arrive. In the meantime, take a moment to embrace the fragrance of spring flowers, revel in nature, and engage in playful activities with your class. It’s a great way to ease those restless spring fever symptoms for everyone.
In an ideal world, every classroom would have an abundance of time and resources to dedicate to social studies instruction, enabling educators to engage their students in immersive, hands-on learning experiences. However, the reality for many teachers is quite different. Limited time and tight budgets can pose significant challenges when it comes to delivering effective social studies instruction. Nevertheless, with creativity, strategic planning, and a commitment to student engagement, educators can still provide meaningful learning experiences in this crucial subject area.
Practical strategies to make the most of social studies instruction in a classroom with constraints on time and money:
Prioritize Key Concepts: To maximize social studies instruction in a time-constrained classroom, it’s essential to focus on the most critical concepts and skills. Start by identifying the key standards and learning objectives for your grade level or curriculum. By prioritizing these concepts, you can ensure that your students receive a solid foundation in social studies even with limited time. I have created units that touch on key concepts which you can find in my store HERE.
Integrate Social Studies Across Subjects: Consider integrating social studies into other subjects whenever possible. This cross-curricular approach not only saves time but also enriches students’ understanding by connecting social studies concepts to other areas of their education. For example, you can incorporate historical events into English language arts through literature, or explore geography through mathematics. I offer several novel studies that address historical themes such as Number the Stars, Esperanza Rising, Projekt 1065, One Crazy Summer, Al Capone Does My Shirts, Little House in the Big Woods, Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes, and Blood on the River.
Leverage Technology: Inexpensive or even free digital resources can provide students with access to a wealth of information and interactive learning experiences. Websites, apps, and online videos can supplement your classroom instruction, making it more engaging and informative. Look for resources aligned with your curriculum and objectives to make the most of your limited budget. I have created units that incorporate free resources which you can find in my store HERE.
Use Primary Sources: Primary sources, such as letters, diaries, photographs, and documents from historical periods, can provide valuable insights into social studies topics. These resources are often available online for free or at low cost. Incorporate primary sources into your lessons to give students a firsthand look at historical events and perspectives.
I have created units that link to primary sources which you can find in my store HERE.
Collaborate with Community Resources: Take advantage of local museums, historical societies, and community organizations that may offer educational programs or field trips at little to no cost. These experiences can enhance your curriculum and provide students with a deeper understanding of the world around them. Collaborate with these resources to make social studies come alive for your students.
Encourage Student Inquiry: Foster curiosity and critical thinking by incorporating inquiry-based learning into your social studies instruction. Pose open-ended questions and encourage students to explore topics independently. This approach can be particularly effective when time is limited, as it empowers students to take ownership of their learning.
I have created units that utilize these strategies which you can find in my store HERE.
Embrace Flexible Instructional Models: Adopt flexible instructional models. Each of my units provides an interactive notebook format, a Google Drive format, and a short-on-time IntelliNotes format which you can find in my store HERE.
Make the Most of Classroom Materials: Utilize the resources you already have in your classroom. Repurpose materials, textbooks, and educational tools to create engaging social studies activities. The units that I provide HERE can easily pair with textbooks that you may have available.
Each of my units contains an informational slideshow that goes along with the activities to help if you have limited resources. I also include links to free online resources that can be utilized while working through the units.
It is critical that you keep social studies instruction in your classroom to help students understand cultural identity, foster civic responsibility, recognize the impact of historical events, promote critical thinking, and encourage empathy and tolerance. Social studies instruction is a vital component of a well-rounded education. By providing students with a deep understanding of their nation’s history, we empower them to become responsible, informed, and engaged citizens.
My product line for the 4th-6th grade student contains units that take you from the early days of North America to the beginning of the 20th Century.
All of the units follow a similar format and contain both a printable and Google Drive format and include:
Contain a cover sheet in both color and black & white.
Informational slideshow presentation for instruction
Links to helpful online resources.
Guide with a link to a Google Drive file and instructions on how to use it.
IntelliNotes™ format to use when you are short on time.
A tutorial guide showing how to make all foldable activities.
Two different vocabulary activity versions (foldable or flash card). The file also contains blank editable pages so that you can add or change the vocabulary to best fit your needs. **This is the only editable portion of the products.
Interactive notebook activities to cover each topic within the section to help students pinpoint and highlight the main ideas and concepts.
An End of Unit Assessment.
Answer keys for all included activities
From the first unit, Early People of North America:
Teaching social studies in a classroom with limited time and money requires adaptability and creativity. By focusing on essential concepts, integrating subjects, leveraging technology, using primary sources, collaborating with community resources, encouraging student inquiry, embracing flexible instructional models, and making the most of existing materials, educators can provide meaningful social studies instruction that prepares students for a well-rounded understanding of the world around them. Despite the challenges, dedicated teachers can inspire a lifelong love of social studies and foster critical thinking skills that extend far beyond the classroom.
In our society, teachers play a crucial role in molding the minds of the future generation and readying them to thrive as capable adults and contributing members of the community. Nonetheless, a concerning pattern has emerged in recent times, marked by a rising number of teachers exiting the profession. Recent studies indicate a record-high rate of teachers resigning from their positions, often attributing their departure to factors such as job-related stress, inadequate salaries, and a dearth of support.
Why teachers are leaving the profession?
Job Stress: Teaching demands extensive time and effort. Teachers often endure long work hours, grade papers late into the night, handle challenging students and parents, and face situations like covering for classes with no teachers. They experience mounting pressure and stress without adequate breaks, which can exhaust even the most dedicated educators, prompting them to seek less demanding careers.
Low Salaries: Despite their critical societal role, many teachers receive significantly lower compensation compared to other professionals with similar education and experience levels. Moreover, rising expenses like healthcare and rapidly escalating living costs contribute to financial strain. The meager pay makes it challenging for teachers to sustain themselves and provide for their families, compelling them to consider leaving the profession.
Lack of Respect: Teachers, despite playing a pivotal role in shaping the future through education, often find themselves underappreciated and undervalued in society. Their contributions to nurturing young minds, instilling knowledge, and fostering critical thinking skills are crucial, yet they frequently encounter a lack of recognition for their efforts. This absence of respect manifests in various forms, from comparatively low salaries and minimal acknowledgment of their professional expertise to facing undue criticism and scapegoating amid societal challenges in education. Despite the profound impact teachers have on shaping generations, the broader societal regard for their dedication and expertise often falls short of the appreciation they rightfully deserve.
Lack of Support: Teachers often feel unsupported, undervalued, and occasionally targeted due to cultural conflicts involving administrators, policymakers, and the public. This lack of backing leaves teachers disheartened, hindering their ability to perform their duties effectively.
So, what can be done to address this issue and retain more teachers in the profession?
Enhance Teacher Salaries: A vital step in retaining teachers involves offering fair and competitive salaries. Elevating teacher pay demonstrates acknowledgment of their dedication and expertise, ensuring they feel adequately compensated for their training and commitment.
Offer Increased Support and Respect: Teachers require support from administrators, policymakers, and society to perform effectively. This support encompasses access to resources, streamlined workloads, essential tools for success, and the avoidance of cultural conflicts. Recognizing teachers as highly skilled professionals and granting them autonomy comparable to other industries with similar expertise and experience is crucial.
Reduce Job Stress: Reducing stress within the teaching profession is pivotal in retaining educators. This includes providing access to mental health resources, managing workloads, and fostering a healthy work-life balance to ensure teachers can thrive in their roles.
The escalating departure of teachers from the profession is a significant concern demanding immediate attention. To curb this trend, it’s imperative to elevate teacher salaries, bolster support and respect, and alleviate job-related stress. Implementing these measures is crucial in retaining more educators within the profession, thereby guaranteeing future generations receive the highest quality education available.
One of my favorite (and my students’) themes to explore every year was the Chocolate Theme. We would read The Chocolate Touch by Patrick Skene Catling:
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Throughout the theme unit, we incorporated geography by mapping the different countries where the different ingredients of candy bars originate. We worked on letter writing by writing to different chocolate and candy companies with questions. This activity was particularly exciting because many of the companies would respond back to the students with offerings of trial samples or coupons to get free candy! Students learned the power they had as a consumer who shares feedback!
I always started the unit out with The Chocolate Touch written by Patrick Skene Catling which was first published in 1952. The story of loving chocolate never ages! John Midas loves chocolate and sweets more than anything and a wish turns his wildest dreams into a reality. Like King Midas before him, his touch is magic! This book leads to some great comparison activities with the King Midas story. Like King Midas, John soon learns that having too much of a great thing might not be as wonderful as he thought it would be!
I offer a complete novel study to accompany The Chocolate Touch for use in the classroom or homeschool. The unit includes both a printable format and a Google Drive™ format for use in a paperless classroom or with Google Classroom.
Try a free sample of the novel study for The Chocolate Touch
You can purchase this novel study at the following locations:
Chocolate Fever written by Richard Kimmel Smith in 1972, is a more humorous and adventurous tale of young Henry Green whose dream of eating nothing but chocolate comes true. Henry soon discovers that his new ability can be dangerous so he escapes and goes on the run!
I offer a complete novel study to accompany Chocolate Fever for use in the classroom or homeschool. The unit includes both a printable format and a Google Drive™ format for use in a paperless classroom or with Google Classroom.
Try a free sample of the novel study for Chocolate Fever
You can purchase this novel study at the following locations:
In my opinion, the best is saved for last, Roald Dahl’s 1964 classic, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. This story has everything; a character to empathize with, several characters to learn from, humor, and imagination, it really has it all. Singing the Oompa Loompa songs together is always a fun time that ends in fits of giggles!
I offer a complete novel study to accompany Charlie and the Chocolate Factory for use in the classroom or homeschool. The unit includes both a printable format and a Google Drive™ format for use in a paperless classroom or with Google Classroom.
Try a free sample of the novel study for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
You can purchase this novel study at the following locations:
Tying different areas of the curriculum together, and enjoying three wonderful novels together, the Chocolate Theme is a fun learning experience for all. It was truly one of the most favorite times I had with my students and it was something past students brought up as a favorite of their 4th-grade year with me. I encourage you to give it a try!
Are you interested in reading about and sharing ideas with other educators on using children’s literature in your classroom? My goal is to bring together teachers and homeschoolers who teach grades 3-8 and use novels with their students. I’d love for you to join me to learn, share, and grow together!
Numerous stories highlight how much teachers personally invest in their classrooms. I’m sure this isn’t news to you! And let’s not forget about all the “off the clock” time teachers dedicate to preparing their classrooms!
During the 1995-96 school year, I embarked on my journey as a fourth-grade teacher. I vividly recall feeling incredibly overwhelmed by numerous aspects. Teaching in a low-income school was a significant culture shock—I had some foresight, but it still took me by surprise. What truly astonished me was the utter scarcity of supplies and the condition of the building and classroom I was assigned. College never prepared me for the complete lack of support I encountered when it came to classroom supplies!
During my initial year at the school, which dated back to 1912, it was clear that it was in dire need of maintenance. Between 1995 and 1999, the building showed its age. Stepping into my classroom for the first time, I encountered a collection of 20 older metal desks, a worn-out teacher’s desk with broken drawer locks, a single empty bookshelf, two smaller tables, and a dusty, antiquated overhead projector on a cart!
After a thorough cleaning, I took inventory of what I had. The supply room offered some giant rolls of colored paper for projects or bulletin boards, a few pencils, and that thin, brownish-tinted student paper. To acquire basic supplies like scissors, pens, and other essentials for my desk, I had to place an order. Unfortunately, our school lacked any form of a Parent/Teacher organization, leaving us without additional funding sources. Despite the limited inventory, I was excited to decorate and transform my classroom into a welcoming space for our community to gather and learn!
To create a reading area, I purchased a carpet remnant and scoured garage sales for an old chair and as many chapter books as I could find. With hardwood floors and lofty ceilings, the room lacked coziness and had terrible acoustics!
Given the income level of the area and district policies, we couldn’t request students to bring any school supplies. I took advantage of Target’s back-to-school sales to stock up on folders and necessary supplies for the students. Of course, I depleted my checking account at teacher resource stores, buying bulletin board supplies and classroom decor—the days before Teachers Pay Teachers, where creating and printing resources yourself wasn’t an option.
A computer wasn’t added to my classroom until about a year later. I found solace in using the laminator provided by the district at the Teachers Administration Building in another part of town.
I was immensely proud of how inviting my classroom looked, but my bank account definitely felt the strain of those initial school days!
Throughout the year, I made efforts to expand our class library with $1 books from Scholastic orders, desperately seeking chapter books. As our school only went up to the fourth grade, the school library had a limited selection, especially of chapter books. Unfortunately, many students didn’t have access to public libraries, making the school their primary source for books. It was crucial to me that they had access to age-appropriate books. Expecting fourth-grade reading levels without appropriate materials felt unfair when they had access only to second-grade and below books.
I continuously replaced folders and other supplies, ensuring a steady stock of tissues. Surprisingly, the district didn’t provide tissues, leaving us with coarse paper towels that were uncomfortable and not very hygienic!
Over that first year, I ended up spending around $1400—more than a month’s pay—on supplies to create a conducive learning environment in my classroom. I didn’t go for anything extravagant; I aimed to furnish the basics to transform the room into a proper learning space.
Reflecting on that room fills me with pride. However, there’s a lingering feeling that the school should have provided more. I don’t regret spending on those kids; they deserved a welcoming classroom. Yet, it shouldn’t have solely relied on someone earning a mere $10,000 per year*!
In the subsequent years, I didn’t have to invest as much since items like the carpet, chair, and bean bags were reusable. However, I continued contributing to various other supplies, and it all added up!
Seeing the media portray teaching as a cushy 9-month job and hearing disrespectful comments really frustrates me. The public often doesn’t realize that my experience is a common reality in classrooms across the country every year. How many other professions expect employees to contribute a month’s pay annually back to their employer or clientele?
I’m aware that teachers’ financial situations haven’t improved over the years; if anything, they’ve worsened due to legislation that harms or eradicates teacher unions.
Statistics reveal that 94% of teachers spend from their own pockets. Frankly, I find this number surprisingly low—I’ve never encountered a teacher who spends nothing, let alone just 6% of them! The national average spending by teachers out of pocket is $479. How does this compare to your experience? Do you receive adequate support for essentials or extras?
Where do you usually find the best deals for classroom items? Share your thoughts and any fantastic deals you’ve come across in the comments below!
*In my first-year contract, I received a stipend of $10,000 with my tuition for a Master’s Degree at UNO covered. Unfortunately, I didn’t receive any medical or other benefits.
As spring blooms and the weather shifts, I’m sure many of us are itching to step outside. I can only imagine how restless students, confined indoors, must feel! Spring beckons us to venture out, experience the blossoming world—not merely observe it through a window. Nevertheless, school must go on. How do you engage students in learning when their attention drifts with the allure of the outdoors?
Based on the resources, especially over the summer, this could consist of spring annuals for beauty or possibly vegetables for nourishment if the resources allow for it.
