Teaching With Haley O'Connor

Let's build a better world together-one classroom at a time!

Nonfiction Books for Your Caribou Unit

Nonfiction Books for Your Caribou Unit

Are you getting ready to teach about caribou and reindeer in your classroom? I love doing a quick thematic unit about caribou in December, as well as other arctic animals! I wanted to share a few of my favorite non-fiction books to use for your Caribou unit. If you need activity ideas, be sure to check out my Caribou unit…. Read More

Caribou Activities

Caribou Activities

Hi! Today I wanted to share a few of my favorite activities for learning about caribou. All of these activities can be found in my Caribou unit. I love studying arctic animals during the winter! Because we live in Dallas, most of my students don’t have much schema (background knowledge) about winter animals (or even winter, hah!) It’s so important… Read More

Picture Books about Mindfulness

Picture Books about Mindfulness

Today I wanted to share some of my favorite books about mindfulness to pair with my lessons and activities. Mindfulness is such an important strategy for us to teach our students, but it’s equally important that we practice it ourselves. Mindfulness means the ability to connect with our body and be aware of sensations and feelings. It’s often tied to… Read More

What’s Inside My Teacher Binders?

What’s Inside My Teacher Binders?

There are so many reasons to keep a teacher binder. If you’re like me, I keep most things on my computer. I utilize Google Drive as much as I can, and I LOVE my Google Calendar. BUT…there is something about writing things down that’s soothing and helps me remember them so much better. I also like to keep school and… Read More

Books for Teaching Self-Control

Books for Teaching Self-Control

Today I wanted to share some of my favorite read-alouds for teaching self-control. When we teach our students to have self-control, they are more able to handle big emotions. An overly excited student might run around the room or yell. An excited student who’s showing self-control might feel the same emotions, but be able to tell their friend how excited… Read More

Non-Verbal Reminders for Students

Today I wanted to share some ideas for students who need frequent reminds to stay on task, complete their work, and use safe hands and feet. During my first few years of teaching, I focused a LOT on positive relationships with my kids. That meant I really focused on the way I talked to my students. Instead of “sit down,”… Read More

Latest on Pinterest

  • Are you trying to encourage student independence in the classroom? A great way to do this is with behavior puzzles. This blog talks about how to use behavior management puzzles to help set goals and increase positive classroom behavior. After your students meet a behavior goal like following directions or solving a problem they receive a piece of the puzzle. Once the puzzle is complete they receive a classroom reward. I like to use student rewards that help with classroom relationship building.
  • Looking for sensory toys for your elementary classroom? I am sharing some of my favorite sensory input toys that are great for students that need help staying on task. For sensory needs in the classroom, I love to let students use these at their desk, during morning meeting, or mini-lessons. You can use them in a calm down corner. I share sensory bracelets and pop it fidget toys which are great classroom management tools. Weighted stuffed animals are also great for students with anxiety.
  • Are you looking for ways to teach honesty in the classroom? Teaching honesty to kids is so important. It is easy for our elementary students to want to follow their peers or to not tell the truth in fear of getting in trouble but it is so important to teach kids all about honesty. Today, I am sharing 5 honesty activities you can use in the classroom. These activities are great for social emotional learning time or to use during classroom meetings or morning meetings.
  • Are you looking for digital activities for vowel teams and diphthongs that you can use during literacy centers, guided reading groups, or word work? This post walks you through the typical phonics progression and how students learn their letters and letter sounds and then I share several phonics activities for vowel teams and diphthongs. These are great activities for beginning readers. Use these digital word work activities for morning work or early finishers as well.
  • Are you looking to add building toys into your elementary classroom? They strengthen fine motor and gross motor skills, support problem solving skills, and encourage creativity and innovation. Today, I am sharing other benefits of learning through play with building toys along with 5 of my favorite building toys for kids. You will find magnetic clocks which are great for STEM, wooden blocks which are great for identifying shapes, and stacking blocks which are great for learning colors.
  • Have you read Ruby Finds a Worry by Tom Percival to your early elementary classroom? This is a great read aloud book to teach your students about big emotions. This book also hits two important topics: kids dealing with worry and teaching kids about diversity. Read about why I love using this book about emotions and how to use this children’s book for social emotional learning. I even have classroom activities and printable handouts that you can use along with this children’s book.
  • Are you trying to find a way to talk about big emotions in the classroom? This blog talks about how to use Ruby Finds a Worry by Tom Percival to talk about feelings with kids. Using books to teach about emotions is a fun and easy way to introduce social emotional learning into the classroom. Most SEL books talk about positive emotions but you can use this read aloud book for teaching kids about sadness. You can even check out my classroom activities and printables to use with this kids book.
  • I am very passionate about including intrinsic motivation in the classroom. This blog post talks all about using behavior management puzzles and how they can be used to help kids set goals and have positive classroom behavior. This positive reward system for students will also have them work towards more student independence. Once your students complete the behavior puzzles they can have a classroom reward. Read my list of classroom reward ideas that encourage classroom relationship building.
  • Building toys offer so many benefits. They strengthen fine motor skills and gross motor skills, support problem solving skills, and encourage creativity and innovation. In today’s post, I am sharing other benefits of learning through play with building toys along with 5 of my favorite building toys for kids. You will find magnetic clocks which are great for STEM, wooden blocks which are great for identifying shapes, & stacking blocks which are great for learning colors. Use for indoor recess!
Follow Me on Pinterest