The Classroom Commute
Activity Overview
Episode publication activity over the past year
Episodes
5 Minute Fillers To Keep Students Engaged
13 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Let me set the scene:It’s almost time for lunch, you’ve just finished up your math lesson. Your students miraculously put away all their materials...
How to Teach Visualizing in the Upper Elementary Classroom
06 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
As adults, it’s so hard to imagine NOT visualizing while reading. Visualizing is what makes the characters, settings, and events pop off the page. ...
How to Not Just SURVIVE But THRIVE in the Classroom This Holiday Season!
29 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It’s that crazy time of year! Holiday crazed kids, trying to keep your students focused, and a million things to do inside AND outside the classroo...
How to Effectively Use Rubrics for Assessment AND Instruction
22 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Assessment drives instruction. As teachers, we’ve heard that over and over. Teachers need to make sure that the tools they are using to assess th...
Engaging Ways to Start a Lesson
15 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We’ve all been there.We all have started teaching a new lesson, only to notice the students staring at you with glazed over eyes…probably thinking...
3 Ways to Use Bulletin Boards With Students
08 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Who doesn't love a good bulletin board display?But - I just might love a good bulletin board set a little too much. I’ve been guilty more than...
Reading Comprehension Instruction: How to Teach Making Connections
01 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Wouldn’t it be nice if reading comprehension just magically happened?Spoiler Alert: It doesn’t!Although as adult readers we use these reading st...
Reading Comprehension Strategy Instruction That WORKS!
25 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What makes someone a great reader?Ask any elementary student and you’d likely hear responses like:“Great readers can read fast.”“Great readers...
Tips FROM Teachers FOR Teachers: Teaching During a Pandemic
18 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Teaching during a pandemic is something we have never done before. There’s no book we can read written by expert teachers to prepare us for what t...
How to Deal with Overwhelm in Teaching
11 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What happens to you when you get overwhelmed? For me, my head goes into a tailspin as I think about everything that has to get done.Teaching is hard ...
Tips & Best Practices for Technology in the Classroom
04 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Technology is like ice cream. Uh, Wait! What? Using technology can make learning super sweet, just like ice cream! Technology in the classroom is h...
Setting Up a Simple Student Data Binder
27 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Tired of all the loose paperwork floating around your classroom, on your desk, or at home? Let’s tackle the paperwork trail once and for all. If yo...
Why RIGHT NOW is the BEST Time to Be a Teacher
20 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Being a teacher is a lot of work, but in the middle of a pandemic…it’s even harder. I’m here today to focus on the positive and point out some ...
Tips & Tools for Successful Co-Teaching or Job Sharing in the Elementary Classroom
13 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Whether you co-teach or just work closely with your grade-level team members, successful co-teaching requires you to be specific and intentional.The y...
Routines and Procedures Every TEACHER Needs
06 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We know it’s important for our students to have routines and procedures to provide predictability, order, and peace in your classroom. Well, I’m h...
4 Things to Stop Doing in Your Classroom...and What to Do Instead
30 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We all look back on our first few years of teaching and cringe at some of the things we have done with our students. Sometimes, we just don't ...
Planning an Amazing In-Person or Virtual Open House
23 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Hosting an open house or "Meet the Teacher" night is YOUR time to shine!It’s your time to meet your students’ families whether in-person...
How to Use a Reader’s and Writer’s Notebook in the Upper Elementary Classroom
16 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
If you’ve ever needed a simple, yet effective way to organize your students' reading & writing materials - then, it’s time to start using...
How to Launch Writer's Workshop in the Upper Elementary Classroom
09 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Want to get more out of your writing time with your students this school year?Then, take your time at the beginning of the school year to build your w...
How to Launch Reader's Workshop in Your Classroom
02 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn how to intentionally and thoughtfully launch reader's workshop in your upper elementary classroom in this podcast episode. Rachael walks ...
8 Tips for Having the Best First Day of School...EVER!
26 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The first day of school is typically filled with all kinds of emotions. You're excited to meet your new students, show off your fresh classroom...
Developing a Strong Classroom Management System
19 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It may be one of your least favorite things to spend time and energy on, but many would argue that it is THE MOST IMPORTANT thing you will do all year...
Building Stronger Classroom Communities
12 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Positive classroom communities can make or break your school year.It’s that simple.Inventing time in building a strong community in your classroom w...
It’s time to Fine-Tuning Your Instruction with New Teaching Strategies and Best Practices
05 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We all need a tune-up now and then.Whether you’ve been teaching for 1 year or 20 years, teachers are life-long learners.Not only that, education is ...
Curriculum Mapping & Planning For a New School Year
28 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What makes the crock-pot one of the best kitchen inventions?It’s the fact that you can prep ahead of time, set it, and then forget it. You do the ...
CCP: Episode 23 // Mastering Classroom Organization
21 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to week 2 of the "Getting Your Year in Gear" summer teacher challenge! Set the foundation for a successful school year by spending...
Classroom Decor and Design Made Easy
14 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to week one of the "Getting Your Year in Gear" teacher summer challenge! This week we are discussing how to design the perfect cla...
CCP: Episode 21 // It's time to Get Your Year in Gear (FREE Teacher Summer Challenge!)
08 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Join me this summer for the 2020 “Getting Your Year in Gear” FREE teacher summer challenge as we prep and plan for the new school year with intent...
CCP: Episode 20 // Getting Started With Reading Partnerships in the Classroom
01 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, you'll learn how to build a stronger classroom community through establishing reading partnerships with your students. Reading...
BONUS Episode // Heading Into Summer After Distance Learning
18 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Raise your hand if you just want to drop your things and run away from this school year! If you’re like me, you are SO ready to close the book on t...
BONUS Episode: Ending the School Year While Distance Learning
11 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We may be ending the school year unlike any other school year - virtually - but that doesn't mean you have to cancel all the fun! In this episo...
BONUS Episode: 10 Activities to Do With Students Over Zoom or Google Meet
04 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Looking for some inspiration to spice up your daily or weekly online class meetings? Check out these 10 fun teacher-tested, student approved activit...
BONUS EPISODE: 5 Things to KEEP Doing During Distance Learning
27 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
As we think about where we are now in our school year with distance learning, there are many things that we CAN'T do.We can’t physically be wit...
BONUS Episode: Distance Learning Made Simple
20 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
There's a new kid in class.And his name is “Distance Learning.”And we’re all not so sure how we feel about him. He’s been a little disr...
Kindness in the Classroom (9 Tips for Teaching Students to be Kind)
13 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Simply stated: Kindness needs to be a priority in your classroom.You can't do math or literacy centers if your students don't know how to ...
Poetry Activities to Use in Your Elementary Classroom
06 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
I loved teaching poetry, and for the most part, my students always loved our poetry unit. And -although I'm sharing this post with you in April...
3 Steps to Organizing Your Teacher Computer Files Once and For All!
30 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
How many times do you waste minutes, hours, or even days searching for the perfect activity or lesson for students that you know you already have save...
Create Your Own Author Study: Activities For Your Students
23 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Wow - we are coming to a close on this mini-series all about author studies! If you've been following along from the beginning, get ready to hi...
Create Your Own Author Study: Formatting & Differentiating Your Instruction
16 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The beauty of an author study is the ability to mold it and craft the instruction to your current classroom set-up and teaching style.Author studies w...
Create Your Own Author Study (Selecting Books)
09 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Author studies are a powerful way to help students fall in love with reading. After you've made the careful decision on what author you and you...
Create Your Own Author Study! (How to Choose an Author)
02 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
There are a lot of things that we do as teachers to help turn our students on to reading. We hope that the books we read aloud to them or expose th...
Help Your Students Learn Their Math Facts...FOR GOOD!
24 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Let's face it. There are some things that students learn in school, take a test on, and then don't reeeeally need to remember ever again. ...
Ways to Use Audio Books in the Classroom
17 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Audio books are great for more than just a listening center. Although they are likely a staple in your reader's workshop instruction, they have...
The 7 Habits of Effective Teachers
10 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Do you have a beautiful and organized looking classroom? Are all your lessons plans prepped and ready for the rest of the week/month/year? Does ev...
9 Ways to Use Music in the Classroom
03 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Music can be so influential in the way we feel or think. Music has always played a huge part in my life growing up and even today. And - when it c...
How to Survive a Difficult School Year
27 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It was the first day of school.I had *some* idea about the kinds of students that would enter in my classroom that year, but I had NO idea that the st...
How to Make Social Studies More Engaging in Your Upper Elementary Classroom
19 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It's no secret - teaching history in the elementary classroom can be a struggle. Teachers are faced with the challenge of making people and eve...
Creating A Classroom Community of Readers
20 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Teachers often put a lot of their focus on monitoring and tracking their students' reading abilities and often forget to provide opportunities fo...
Welcome to The Classroom Commute Podcast
20 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to The Classroom Commute Podcast! If you have a classroom and a commute, then you're in the right place! The Classroom Commute Podcas...