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Life Between Summers

Elementary Teaching Blog

latest from the blog

diving into problem solving snorkeling theme math craft and writing activity

Diving Into Problem Solving: Beach Themed Math Activity & Snorkeler Craft

Mother's Day

Mother’s Day Gift Idea: Book & Photo Frames for Mom, Stepmom, Grandma, or Aunt

tips and ideas for student collaborative talks

Best Practices for Accountable Talk & Student Collaboration

Easter Egg Hunt

Classroom Egg Hunt Ideas for Math and Language Arts

screen rime reading and writing activity

Screen Time: A Relevant Opinion Writing Topic for Kids

hot air balloon writing

Hot Air Balloon Writing Craftivity

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Spring math center to practice making arrays! ☔️🐣🌸

Kids love using these workmats with mini erasers, or any math manipulatives will work! 

You can find them (along with more ideas for practice with arrays) by hopping over to the link in my profile 🐰💕 or just comment below if you’d like me to DM you the link! 

#iteach2nd #iteachsecond #secondgrademath #arrays #makingarrays #mathcenter #mathcenters
These plurals activities and ALL resources in my T These plurals activities and ALL resources in my TPT store are 25% off today (3/29)! Just make sure to use the code FORYOU23 at checkout 💛

Everything’s linked in my profile, or just comment below if you’d like me to DM you the direct link! ☔️☀️

#plurals #iteachgrammar #teachinggrammar #grammaractivities #spellingactivities #springcraftsforkids #iteach2nd
I was so happy to hear that many of you & your stu I was so happy to hear that many of you & your students enjoyed my Call & Responses back in December & February! Some of you reached out asking if I have any ones for spring too…I do, and here they are!! 🐰🐣☔️🌷

Call and responses are a fun (and effective!) way to quickly grab your kids’ attention when you need it, and adding new ones during seasonal times of year can help freshen things up 💞

Whenever it comes to anything classroom management related, a little novelty can go a long way! 😉

3 tips/suggestions:

•Teach the kids to know that right after they say the response, everyone freezes. To immediately stop whatever they were doing- voices off, and eyes on you. 

•Have them practice a few times before putting it into action. 

•It’s usually more effective to not teach multiple chants all at once. Pick one, and once the kids have that one down, then throw in another if you’d like. 

Do you have any favorite call & responses you use with your class (in the spring, or any time of year)? Feel free to share them with other teachers in the comments! 🥰

#classroommanagement #classroommanagementstrategies #teachertips #teachingtips #teachingideas #springfever
If you already have Our Class is a Family, I hope If you already have Our Class is a Family, I hope you’ll love this new book to go with it! 📚💕

It JUST came out on Amazon this week, and I’ve been so incredibly grateful for all the support and wonderful feedback from the #teachergram community in such a short time already ❤️

All of you who grabbed your copy early even helped make it a #1 New Release! 🙀🎉 I’d hug you all if I could, sending lots of love and the biggest THANK YOU your way! 💞

The link with all the book details (direct links for where to get it, classroom activities to go with it, & a video book trailer) are in my profile & story highlights, or just let me know in the comments if you’d like me to message you the link! 📖 

And now for 2 more things that are better together…weekends and REST 🙌🏼 Hope you’re having a happy Friday, and that you get some time to relax this weekend! 💛

#ourclassisafamily #ourschoolisafamily #classlibrary #diversepicturebooks #schoolcommunity #teacherfavorites #elementaryprincipal #elementaryteachers
Earth Day is coming up next month! 🌎 This writi Earth Day is coming up next month! 🌎 This writing craft can be as simple or as artsy/craftsy as you want it to be 🎨 

One option is to teach students a new painting technique with liquid glue, food coloring, wax paper, & a Q-tip. The kids think it’s “SO COOL!” (direct quote from many a 2nd grader) 😉 

But if you prefer something as super easy and low prep as possible…I get you, my friend! This activity also comes out great by just having the kids use crayons to color in the earth template 👍🏼

For the hands, it’s great to provide lots of different skin-tone shades/colors of paper for students to choose from to trace onto. 

Or, have them trace onto white paper and then color in the hands with whichever color they choose. My favorite supplies for that are “People Colors” crayons from Lakeshore Learning and “Colors of the World” from Crayola ❤️

There’s a link in my profile with all the details about this Earth Day Craft, or I’m happy to message you the link directly- just comment below to let me know! 🌎💕

#earthdayactivity #earthdayforkids #writingcrafts #iteachelementary #earthdaywriting #earthdayart
Sooo many ways to incorporate egg hunts in the cla Sooo many ways to incorporate egg hunts in the classroom this spring! 🐣 

And what’s super EGGciting 🤓 is that the first one you see pictured here is a freebie! 👏🏼 It works great for P.E., or any time your class just needs a brain break to get their wiggles out. 

The link to all these egg hunts (including an editable template to create your own) is in my profile, or comment below if you’d like me to directly message you the link. 

That same link contains more egg hunt ideas for the classroom too 🐰 Happy hunting! 🥚💕

#classroomegghunt #mathegghunt #iteach2nd #iteachsecond #elementaryteachers #makelearningfun
Today is the DAY!!! 🎉 Our School is a Family is Today is the DAY!!! 🎉 Our School is a Family is officially available on Amazon! 🥳🙌🏼

I still remember very vividly how I felt when publishing Our Class is a Family, almost 3 years ago. These books are like my babies…and I’ve got all those very same feels of nervousness & excitement right now as I did with the “first born,” haha! 😅💗

This new book with @sandiesonke really builds upon Our Class is a Family- extending classroom community to the wider school community 🏫 

It’s a book that can be read to kids by teachers, parents, administrators, school librarians, school counselors, speech pathologists, etc. Essentially, any caring grownup who wants students to feel safe, loved, and supported at school! ❤️

I've shared more details about it in my stories (which I’ll save for you in my highlights) and in a brand new blog post ✏️ 

The blog post includes a video book trailer, ideas for extension activities, and the direct links to where you can order the book now. 
 
If you’d like the link to the blog post, I’ve shared it in my stories and in the link in my profile, or just leave me a comment below and I’m happy to DM it to you! 
 
P.S. I’d LOVE seeing any of your photos/videos with the book or how you plan to use it with your class (I often re-share these!) so please tag me @lifebetweensummers & @sandiesonke if you happen to share! 😍
 
Thanks for reading this far, I truly hope that you & your school family love it!! 🥰

P.S. Paperbacks can be ordered on Amazon now, and hardcovers are coming soon. And for my international teacher friends, I’ll make sure to let you know when this new book becomes available outside of the U.S. (it’ll most likely be in April)! Thanks so much for your patience, I can’t wait to share it with you! 📖💕

#ourschoolisafamily #ourclassisafamily #shannonolsen #schoolcommunity #teachersofinstagram #classroomlibrary #readalouds
Happy first day of spring! 🌷 The quote above is Happy first day of spring! 🌷 The quote above is from Oprah Winfrey 💗

It’s getting to be that time of year when students can really, really start to bloom in so many ways 🌸 And you yourself too, of course…blossom away, my friend! 💐

Enjoy this new season!! 

#teacherlife #teachermindset #teacherpositivity #teachinginspring #teacherquotes
Happy St. Patrick’s Day to you! 🍀🌈 I feel Happy St. Patrick’s Day to you! 🍀🌈

I feel so ✨lucky✨ that I was invited to do an author visit with all the 1st grade classes at my daughter’s school today! A special memory for both of us 🥰 

Any St. Paddy’s Day festivities for you at school (or after school!) today? Hope you’re enjoying your Friday, and that you enjoy your weekend!! 💚

P.S. If you’d still like an advance reading of the new book, “Our School is a Family,” this weekend’s the best time…eBook price will be going up next week. The link is in my profile, or you can search just the title on Amazon! 🥰

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Life Between Summers

1 week ago

Life Between Summers
Today is the DAY!!! 🎉 Our School is a Family is officially available on Amazon! 👏🏼This new book really builds upon Our Class is a Family- extending classroom community to the wider school community 🏫 It’s a book that can be read to kids by teachers, administrators, school librarians, school counselors, speech pathologists, parents, etc. Essentially, any caring grownup who wants students to feel safe, loved, and supported at school! ❤️I've shared more details about the book (including a video book trailer, extension activities, & where you can order your copy) right here: lifebetweensummers.com/2023/03/20/our-school-is-a-family-a-school-community-book/ ... See MoreSee Less

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Life Between Summers

2 weeks ago

Life Between Summers
Our School is a Family will be available to order on Amazon very soon!! 📖💕 Want to see this brand new book before it’s officially released??You can get the eBook and read it right now! 👏🏼OR just get a little sneaky peek at the first few pages by going to Amazon & clicking where it says “Look Inside” 👀See it here: www.amazon.com/dp/B0BY81F194/ ... See MoreSee Less

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Life Between Summers

3 weeks ago

Life Between Summers
Our Class is a Family bracelets for the end of the year are officially available for preorder!!! 🥳👏🏼The EOY is still quite a ways away, but preordering is open early so that there’s plenty of time to get these handmade for you!These can be given to your students as a special keepsake on the last day of school- especially if you plan on reading aloud “Our Class is a Family” to them that day! 📖 They come fully assembled with the tag, packaging, and beaded bracelets for your specific grade level...nothing you have to take time to put together yourself! 🙌🏼There will only be a limited quantity of these- if you’re interested in reserving a class set of bracelets to be shipped to you by May, it’s recommended to preorder sooner rather than later, just in case. Hope you & your class family love them!! 🥰lifebetweensummers.com/product/our-class-is-a-family-bracelets-farewell-bracelets-for-end-of-the-... ... See MoreSee Less

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Life Between Summers

7 months ago

Life Between Summers
SURPRISE!!! 🎉 Sandie Sonke Illustration & I just finished up the cover for our 4th book together, coming in 2023! 📙🥳In the past, I haven’t shared new book titles/covers until closer to the release date, but this time around I’d like to try and share more with you throughout the actual book-creating journey (sketches, sneak peeks, etc.) so here ya have it! 💞As you probably guessed by the title, this new one will be a follow up to Our Class is a Family! 🥰The premise:Kids have their immediate family that they live with, but extended relatives (grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.) make up a special part of a family too! You can see where this is going- it’s similar at school! Students have their teacher & each other within their classroom walls, but they also have an extended family there to support them ❤️Specifically, all of the amazing people who are a big piece of the heart of a school:Librarians, speech pathologists, school counselors, administrators, custodians, school secretaries, reading specialists, cafeteria workers, and parent volunteers, just to name a few 🏫 And you’ll find them all represented in this new book! 🙌🏼 My hope for “Our School is a Family” is that it will help students feel extra safe, loved, & supported, and encourage kids to form positive relationships with (and show appreciation toward) the helpers at their school!I am so excited to share more about this book with you in the months to come!! 📖 P.S. Speaking of “months,” my very warmest congrats to Sandie, who is Society of Children's Book Writers & IllustratorsIllustrator of the Month! So very well-deserved!!! 🥂💗#ourschoolisafamily #ourclassisafamily #aletterfromyourteacher #shannonolsen #shannonolsenauthor #backtoschoolbooks #teacherreadaloud #schoollibrarian #schoolcounselor #speechpathologist #schoolcommunity ... See MoreSee Less

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Life Between Summers

11 months ago

Life Between Summers
New book companion to go with Our Class is a Family! Class Family Memory Books for the end of the school year 📖💕This is a nice & simple writing activity for students to work on during those final weeks/days leading up to summer break 👌🏼 It’s a meaningful way to reflect on all their memories from the year, and they can take it home as a special keepsake on the last day of school! If you’re thinking you might want these memory books for your students, the timing couldn’t be better because they’re 25% off today & tomorrow (along with all other resources in my TPT store!) with the code THANKYOU22 💛 This comes available on its own, or in a discounted bundle with more extension activities for all 3 of my books 📚 I will share the link in the comments! 💕 ... See MoreSee Less

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  • Are you looking for end of the year activities to do with your elementary students? One of my all time favorite activities to add to my end of the year lesson plans is an end of the year memory book. This year I created a memory book to go with my book Our Class is a Family. In this post, I share my end of the year memory book along with other end of the year activities that go with this best seller. Find all of my Our Class is a Family activities for the end of the year here!
  • Are you looking for some fun Father's Day activities to use with your first and second graders? These sports themed Father’s Day gifts are a major hit with dads! These easy prep Father's day crafts are great for the sports loving day. Student's love this writing activitiy: All About My Dad where they get to talk about their dads favorites. Students also get to make a Father's Day picture frame. This is a great Father's Day idea that's simple and easy to do in any elementary classroom.
  • With the end of the school year just around the corner, have you decided what you are going to give as student gifts? If you are struggling with an idea, check out this post for 5 student gifts from the teacher. All of the student gift ideas are inspired by a picture book, so you can do a classroom read aloud before handing out the end of the year gifts. Your students will love everything from the classroom bracelets to end of the year letters. Don’t miss these end of the year ideas.
  • Are you looking for hands-on geometry activities to spice up your math lessons? These geometry games and activities are a hit for K-3 students. You can use these math activities during math workshop, small groups, and math centers. Help students to learn about 2D shapes and 3D shapes with a shape scavenger hunts. This blog post also includes shape building activities. Geometry Jenga is one of the most engaging and exciting math games for young learners. What geometry activity will you pick?
  • Are you looking for a Father's Day gift idea you can do with your elementary students? This football themed Father's Day book and craft is the perfect student gift for dads. Who doesn't love handmade gifts from their kids?! Students write and illustrate a Father's Day book all about their dads. Students can also make their own football-themed picture frame. This Father's Day craft is low prep and easy to make.
  • This memory book is an end of the year activity that can be used as an extension for the book Our Class is a Family by Shannon Olsen. It’s a fun way for students to reflect on their favorite memories from the year, and they can take it home with them on the last day of school. Incorporate this into your end of year lesson plans. This makes a great end of year gift. Celebrate your strong classroom community one more time with this last day of school activity.
  • Are you looking for end of the year activities to do with your elementary students? One of my all time favorite activities to add to my end of the year lesson plans is an end of the year memory book. This year I created a memory book to go with my book Our Class is a Family. In this post, I share my end of the year memory book along with other end of the year activities that go with this best seller. Find all of my Our Class is a Family activities for the end of the year here!
  • With the end of the school year just around the corner, have you decided what you are going to give as student gifts? If you are struggling with an idea, check out this post for 5 student gifts from the teacher. All of the student gift ideas are inspired by a picture book, so you can do a classroom read aloud before handing out the end of the year gifts. Your students will love everything from the classroom bracelets to end of the year letters. Don’t miss these end of the year ideas.
  • This memory book is an end of the year activity that can be used as an extension for the book Our Class is a Family by Shannon Olsen. It’s a fun way for students to reflect on their favorite memories from the year, and they can take it home with them on the last day of school. Incorporate this into your end of year lesson plans. This makes a great end of year gift. Celebrate your strong classroom community one more time with this last day of school activity.
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