School and the City

You may already know how and why to use choice boards in your classroom, but let’s talk specifically about math.  3rd grade math choice boards Math is my favorite subject to teach, but I absolutely hated it as a student. Why? In elementary school, it was all skill and drill. Think: multiplication facts and timed tests. In middle school, I had to complete math packets for homework each week. In high school, I took notes during lectures and struggled to get my homework finished before the late bell rang each morning. (Evens only though, because the odd answers were in the back of the book, right?) I think my disdain for math as a student is what has motivated me to make it an entirely different experience for my own students. I also had wonderful teacher education professors in college and even grad school that taught me how to truly explore mathematics and to improve my practice as a math teacher.  4th grade math choice boards In order to increase intrinsic mot...

Choice boards are a staple in my classroom. I’ve explained  why and how to use choice boards  and even  how to get started with choice boards . Maybe at this point I've convinced you how amazing choice boards are. They are truly a MUST-HAVE in my classroom - but I'll spare you the lecture! Have you been thinking about dipping your toes in by trying one of my choice boards? I created a short video just for you so you can see just what you'll get when you purchase one of my many choice boards on TPT . Watch it here: You can explore all of my editable choice boards  here : Holiday Choice Boards Math Choice Boards Science Choice Boards Social Studies Choice Boards BUNDLE TO SAVE $$$: Math Choice Boards Bundles Science Choice Boards Bundle Social Studies Choice Boards Bundle Have any lingering questions about choice boards? I'm happy to help. Just leave a comment below, or email me at schoolandthecityblo...

Y'all know how much a love a good choice board. (Not familiar? Read all about it here .) I'm using choice boards while teaching remotely, too! While we teach remotely, it's even harder than it is in the classroom to empower students with choice and voice while also providing relevant, engaging, and rigorous activities. However, my choice boards are designed to be completed independently. In the classroom, choice board time is typically reserved for early finishers. But now, I'm assigning students the task of choosing an activity from the choice board to complete as the assignment for the day. This won't work for every day, of course, but I'm attempting to incorporate it at least once a week as the day's "assignment." It's also a "May Do" option for students to choose to work on! magnets choice board Here's how I'm Getting My Choice Boards to Students: First, I edit the choice board to...

Are you looking for an engaging resource to make the instructional days before Thanksgiving meaningful, academic, yet super-engaging? Want a simple, no-prep resource that you can use ALL DAY long as you near a crazy holiday? Are you hoping to cater to varying learning styles and free up time for yourself to enrich or remediate as needed? Look no further! I am thrilled to introduce my newest product to you: Thanksgiving choice boards!  No need to dread those instructional  days before Thanksgiving  break... gobble up a super-engaging, easy day of fun!  ⁣ I’ve created two choice boards - math and literacy - to help you make teaching on on those long days before Thanksgiving simple yet meaningful. ⁣ ⁣ ✅  standards-based skills⁣ ✅  editable to fit your needs ⁣ ✅  low prep (just make copies!)⁣ ✅  cross-curricular connections ⁣ ✅  real world connections ⁣ ✅  high-interest topics and tasks⁣ ✅  review of previously-learned skill...

Choice boards are a staple in my classroom. I've explained why and how to use choice boards and even how to easily create your own choice boards , but what if you're just getting started, and you aren't sure how to begin? Trying something new in your classroom can be daunting, but I'm here to help you answer this question: How do I get started with choice boards? When your students see a choice board for the first time, they will likely be overwhelmed by the unfamiliar layout and amount of print. Combat this by explaining how much you love choice boards - remember that your excitement is contagious! Explain that choice boards allow the students to choose how they learn and how to show what they learn. It's intended for students to choose tasks that interest them in order to deepen their understandings. In order for students to be successful, you'll need to set expectations. The higher your expectations are, the more your students will achieve! At...

I've already written all about HOW and WHY you should use choice boards in your classroom. Are you convinced yet? (If not, revisit that blog post here .) I've made tons of choice boards for my own classroom (13, to be exact!) and many others for YOUR classroom based on requests. View all of my choice boards here .  So are you ready to try choice boards, and maybe even wanting to make one personalized to your own classroom? THIS is the blog post for you!  Recently, I was featured on the Edverything Podcast reiterating why I love choice boards and telling teachers step by step how to make their own. (Listen here ).  Want a quick recap of the design segment of the podcast? Here are the basic steps I go through when making my choice boards: 1. Choose your topic and zoom in. 2. Review your standards BEFORE designing tasks... I learned this the hard way!  3. If needed, pull up a visual aid for Bloom's Taxonomy to get your...

WHY You Should Use Choice Boards: There are so many research-based reasons to use choice boards in your classroom. Here are just a few reasons why I've found choice boards to be a valuable resource in my own classroom:  1. intrinsic motivation Choice boards provide students the opportunity to make their own choices, which increases intrinsic motivation and therefore increases meaningful learning. Students are more likely to internalize content if a learning activity is interesting to them or if they can make a connection to their own life.  2. learning styles Choice boards also cater to multiple learning styles, allowing students to explore content in ways that are exciting for them. That’s empowerment! Students will naturally 3. differentiation I always encourage my students to choose activities that are beneficial to them. I try to make my classroom an environment where students are comfortable taking risks and challenging themselves. In order t...