For students making the transition from elementary to middle school, it can feel both exciting and scary. As they open this brand new chapter, they’ll face new challenges, responsibilities, and expectations, both academically and socially. Teachers (and parents) can play a pivotal role in helping make this move as smooth as possible. Keep reading for a few tips to help you prepare them for the transition to middle school. Ways to make the transition to middle school seamless The transition from elementary to middle school is one of the biggest a student will make during their years in school ..read more

As the end of the school year approaches, many middle school students are preparing for a really big change in their lives: the transition to high school. Because it’s one of the more significant milestones in their academic journey, students may be feeling a mixture of excitement and apprehension as they prepare to make the move to high school.  If you’re an educator, counselor, or parent, there are plenty of ways that you can support students during this period. Keep reading for strategies and resources that will help prepare rising freshmen for high school, and equip them with the conf ..read more

Understanding the diversity of your students — and finding ways to support their unique needs — is the foundation for building a positive learning environment where all students can thrive. While there’s no one-size-fits all approach for teaching any individual student or group of students, finding a wide variety of classroom resources to support autistic students can help you better accommodate neurodiverse students and ultimately build more inclusive classrooms. Here are activities you can use as a starting point to support autistic students in your class. Click the links below to scroll dow ..read more

One of the many advantages of homeschooling is the ability to customize and tailor the curriculum to your child’s interests, needs, and modes of learning. With millions of resources across multiple subjects and specialties, TPT makes it easy for you to do just that. Keep reading to learn how you can enhance your homeschooling curriculum with engaging resources and fresh ideas from experienced educators. 5 Ways to Use TPT Resources for Homeschooling Using TPT resources for homeschooling can be a valuable tool for supplementing your curriculum — or building one. Here are ways you can leverage TP ..read more

Earth Day is a global movement every April 22nd where we honor our planet and take action to protect it. It’s a chance to help students — our future changemakers — imagine a better future for our Earth. If you’re looking to celebrate Earth Day with your high school students in a meaningful way, these ideas will help you plant the seeds.  Meaningful Earth Day Ideas for High School Students Honor our planet with these Earth Day activities for students in high school.  Learn about young environmentalists who are changing the world. Global issues like climate change can feel like im ..read more

On Earth Day — which is celebrated every year on April 22nd — we honor our home planet, and reflect on how we can protect the Earth. This day can be a timely opportunity to introduce environmental science to students and discuss how they can be good stewards of the Earth through sustainable practices, such as recycling. From Earth Day science experiments to creative writing prompts, here are a few different activities you could add to your lesson plans to inspire your students. Earth Day Activities for Elementary Students and Middle School Students Honor our beautiful planet in your classroom ..read more

Physical education (also known as PE) is a vital part of a holistic education. In addition to helping promote physical fitness, PE can also support students’ mental health by reducing stress, and boosting their overall mood and self-esteem. With the temptation for kids (and adults) to always be on their mobile devices, it’s never been more important to get kids up and moving. The key, however, is to make sure that they’re having fun while developing these healthy habits. Keep reading to discover fun PE activities that teachers can use during gym class, recess, or throughout the day to keep stu ..read more

April is National Poetry Month in the U.S., a celebration of poetry and its profound effect on our society and cultures. It’s an opportunity to instill in your students the importance of poetry — both on our understanding of the world and as a tool for social and emotional development. If you teach literature, you know that students can often feel intimidated by poetry. So what better way to foster an appreciation for poetry than to engage students in fun poetry activities? These resources are an engaging addition to any poetry unit. From crafting original poems to playing poetry games, y ..read more

Spring is on the horizon, and with it, comes the arrival of sunnier days, flowers in bloom, and chirping birds. There are many ways to celebrate the arrival of spring with your students, like planting seedlings and reflecting on your students’ growth. But celebrating spring can also be an opportunity to build your students’ STEM and language art skills. Here are some spring-themed activities you can use to spring into learning with your elementary and middle school students. Inventive Spring-Themed STEM Activities Get into the spring of things — and integrate more STEM into your classroom — wi ..read more

Looking for STEM activities to support middle and high school students instead? Check out this post. STEM — are important cornerstones of modern-day society and careers. This makes learning about these subjects from an early age more important than ever! Using STEM projects as part of your lessons can be a fantastic way to build foundational STEM skills, encourage curiosity, and build critical thinking and problem-solving skills. The following activities can help spark your students’ passion for STEM and inspire them to become scientists, engineers, and innovators in the future. 9 Fun STEM Pro ..read more