DoubleDutyTeachers

                                                            You mean it’s possible to make a scripted math lesson…. Fun?!?! YES!!! When Rock Your School day falls on the day of your formal observation, magic can still happen! I took a big risk and completed a room transformation during my form observation. My students were on a mission to find our missing school mascot! We used the exact same math lesson that we would have been doing anyway, from a "scripted curriculum," but my coworkers and I put our heads together to add in a few key components: 🔍 Build suspense. I put "Missing Eagle" signs around the school the week leading up to our lesson. Even students in other classes were engaged and interested in finding out what was going on. On the day of the lesson, I put caution tape on my door.  🔍 Decorate the room: black lights, white string (to look like lasers), and some Mission Impossible music from YouTube on loop go a long way!! Here are some links I used for i

 Class Jobs- Saving Teacher's Time Every Year      One of the best kept secrets to classroom management (and teacher sanity) is student jobs. Something taking you too much time? Make it a student job. Don't have the patience to do something trivial? Make it a student job. Can't ever remember to do something? Make it a student job. The best part is... students LOVE it! They feel a sense of ownership over the classroom and gain experience with real life situations. Logistics     We have students fill out job applications at the beginning of every quarter. Check out the job applications we use by clicking here! We go over all of the jobs and job descriptions so students know what they're applying for. They apply for three jobs at a time, in order of preference, and give reasons why they'd be good at those jobs. They are allowed to put down one job that they absolutely DO NOT want as well.      We try our best to fulfill everyone's wants, and take their reasons and

Becoming parents is exciting, but also... stressful! How are you supposed to know what to register for when you have NO experience with kids of your own? How do you know what you'll want, or need?! We're here to help. We both had baby girls a month apart and now have some personal experience we can share with you to help you navigate these waters on your own. Check out our list of everything you may not have thought about... from packing your hospital bag to feeding your baby solids! We've got your back! Baby 101 Help Document

Finding clothes that are cute, appropriate, and affordable for teachers can be tricky! Here are some of our favorite items we've gotten recently. We also reviewed each clothing item in a short video on our Instagram highlight. We'll continue to add to this post as we find new clothes we love!  Skater Dress This dress is so comfortable! It also comes in so many different colors!  Swing Dress This is a simple dress to throw on and head to work. The sleeveless option makes it great for those hot recess duty days!  Flower Dress This dress is right up my alley! I love the fit and flare style. I don't have to worry that it's too short- the length is great. It also has pockets!! Comes in many different colors and patterns.  Khaki Pants Try Stitch Fix! These khaki pants are from Amazon. I loved the color and length. The shirt is one of my recent favorites from Stitch Fix. We are HUGE fans of this company. Their customer service is great and the quality of their clothes is amazi

            So you're a new teacher- congratulations! Get ready for the most rewarding, and maybe most difficult thing you've ever done. But, to make it a little easier, we've come up with a list of essentials you'll want to start your career on the right foot!  Picture Books     Check out our blog post on picture books every classroom needs! No matter the grade you teach, picture books are great for teaching social-emotional lessons as well as mini ELA lessons.  Rug     A rug is the heart of the classroom- whether you teach kindergarten or 5th grade. But, the kind of rug could make a difference. If you're teaching K-2, you'll probably want a rug that has separate spaces for each students. For example, squares, numbers, or circles you can assign to each student. My first year of teaching 2nd grade, my students would argue every time they went to the rug because they wanted to sit in the front. Eventually, I bought a rug with squares and assigned them spots- this

               Starting a classroom library can be an overwhelming feat. There is lots to consider- What grade will you be teaching? What will your students be interested in? How will you get your hands on all these books without spending an arm and a leg?!        There are lots of ways to snag books. Our favorites include yard sales, used book sales, and our favorite: getting them from a retired teacher. Books for your classroom are a great addition to any wish list and can even be purchased for graduation or Christmas. There's also Donor's Choose ! An awesome website that lets people donate to your classroom. We're also able to snag discounted books using reward programs from sites like Scholastic Book Clubs (let us know if you're a new teacher and we can get you a code for free bonus points for signing up!). This is a best kept secret when you have your own classroom!        No matter what grade you teach, there are some picture books that span the test of time and a

                      A few years ago, I saw Miss 5th's idea for a March Madness book tournament and LOVED it! I decided to adapt her idea and use it in my 4th grade classroom as well! It has become a hit every year and one of our favorite things to look back on! In this post, I'll detail how I incorporate it in my classroom and I'll also link Miss 5th's pack about the tournament on Teachers Pay Teachers.           On the first day of March when students walk into my classroom, they'll hear "Are You Ready For This?!" playing with the lights off (Double Teamed vibes anyone?!). I'll have some fancy lights on and sometimes I'll bring in a basketball to dribble. We have to set the mood! This is what gets them bought in from the very beginning! Once their curiosity is peaked, and they're wondering what is going on, I introduce them to the March Madness Book Tournament!  The Sweet 16          Each student picks a book to enter into the tournament. Th