Idiom Fashion Show Classroom Transformation

Classroom transformations are one my favorite ways to get students engaged with their learning. Not only do students not feel like they are actually working, but it creates memories for them that last a lifetime and increases their retention of the skills being taught. This year, I implemented an Idiom Fashion Show classroom transformation as an extension to our Idiom T-Shirt Activity. It was a very engaging way to have students present their idiom t-shirt projects in a non-traditional way, and the best part was that it was extremely "thrifty" and quick to set up.

Martin Luther King Jr. Read Alouds for Upper Elementary

Looking for some Martin Luther King Jr books for kids? Particularly, ones that you can share with your upper elementary students? Here is a list of books you can use as read alouds in your classroom to introduce them to the man who helped shape American culture.

You can find many of these Martin Luther King Jr books for kids at your local library, school library, as read alouds on YouTube, or you can purchase them online or at your local bookstore.

Fun Idiom T-Shirt Activity for Upper Elementary Students

Idioms are no piece of cake (pun totally intended 😆) for most students, especially those whose first language is not English. Exposing students to a variety of idiom activities can help them learn their meanings and help them understand how to use them correctly. This idiom t-shirt project is a fun way to have upper elementary students work with idioms and allows for some really great follow up activities.

Great Books for Teaching Idioms to Upper Elementary Students

Picture books are always a great way to introduce a lesson, and reading aloud a book to upper elementary students when teaching idioms is no exception. As a matter of fact, they absolutely LOVE interacting with these books. From trying to guess the idiom from the illustration provided in the book to inferring what the idiom means, it is such a fun and engaging way to start the lesson.

Below, I have provided a list of books that make great additions to the classroom either as read alouds or as reference materials for your upper elementary students. 


The first section lists funny read alouds that incorporate idioms throughout them. Students will get a kick out of the literal meanings of the idioms as they are portrayed throughout the book. The second section lists titles that include collections of idioms and directly explain the meaning of each of them. 

Activities for the First Day Back from Winter Break

Returning back to school from a long break can be tough for everyone (teachers included). After going to sleep at the wee hours of the night/morning, waking up later in the day, and being out of our routine, getting back into the swing of things can be tough. That's why starting off the week with a big smile and a gentle lead into the second half of the school year is a nice way to get everyone back on the same page when returning back to school from winter break.

To get us all off to a good start, I always implement these activities our first morning together when we get back from winter break.

Hosting a Book Tasting Beach Bash Style

Book tastings are an engaging and powerful way to introduce students to new books and authors that they may not otherwise experience on their own.

The beginning of the school year is a perfect time to have students participate in their first book tasting. This engaging activity gets students excited about reading and gives them the opportunity to experience books of various genres.

For these reasons, I started off this school year with our first book tasting, which we lovingly referred to as Book Bites, the "Beach Bash" edition.

Back to School Activities

The first day of school can be exciting, nerve-wracking, overwhelming, and magical all at the same time. (Can you relate?) This makes it the perfect opportunity for Getting to Know You activities and collaborative activities as well. It helps everyone get to know a little bit more about each other, and having an activity like this ready for students as they walk in keeps everyone calm and engaged on the first morning back.

Below are 5 EASY to implement, highly informative, and engaging back to school activities you can use with your students when you return to school.