Category Archives: Joyful Classroom

3 Halloween Activities Your Primary Grade Students Will Love

I happen to love teaching in the month of October…Well, I actually am stressed in October because of all the outside teaching responsibilities…progress reports, conferences…you know the drill. But, I love including Halloween themed activities for my students. If you also love adding some seasonal resources to your schedule AND you teach a primary grade,Continue reading “3 Halloween Activities Your Primary Grade Students Will Love”

3 Types of Brain Breaks To Improve Focus

In my classroom, we work hard, we play hard. Everyone needs brain breaks, even adults! Students cannot be expected to focus and remain silent for hours. In order to get them to focus during the moments that matter most (i.e. direct instruction), they must have breaks where they can play and simply enjoy being kids.Continue reading “3 Types of Brain Breaks To Improve Focus”

Morning Work: A Time for Play Not Just Practice

Ahh…morning work…a classic way to start the day. This is a tried-and-true strategy, and in my humble opinion, it is a solid way to get the kids in school mode as soon as they walk in the door. Now, often that morning work consists of a worksheet or spiral review. Although that is a goodContinue reading “Morning Work: A Time for Play Not Just Practice”

Classroom Games: Bringing Joy and Play Back into the Classroom

Listen to the podcast episode! Classroom games do more than fill time! They boost engagement, reinforce learning, and build classroom community. In my last blog post, I discussed the importance of incorporating play into the classroom routine. In today’s post, we will take it a step further and discuss how to make that happen withoutContinue reading “Classroom Games: Bringing Joy and Play Back into the Classroom”