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Thrifty in Third Grade by Cassie Smith

I'm a teacher blogger and resource creator for all things grades 2-5! I love to make FUN activities aligned to the standards you have to teach!

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Cause: You open this email. Effect: Happier students! 😍

Cause and effect is everywhere. ➡️ You forgot your coffee this morning. Now you’re running on fumes. ☕😵➡️ You finally sat down to lesson plan… and poof! The fire drill. 🚨➡️ You gave your students a cause and effect worksheet… and got 25 blank stares. 😅 Just because cause and effect is everywhere in life, doesn't mean your students will get it...or that you'll enjoy teaching it. Instead of just another worksheet, imagine students sorting and matching cause and effect pairs, actually engaging...

Hi teacher friend, Spring weather is doing its thing again...warm and sunny one day, freezing the next. (Kind of like how students understand figurative language one day…and forget it the next. 😆) Figurative language can be tricky for students. Similes, metaphors, idioms, hyperbole, personification...it’s a lot to master! But it can also be SO.MUCH.FUN! 🌼 In this blog post, I’m sharing some easy, engaging lesson ideas to help your students master figurative language. 👉 Check out the blog post...

You’re sitting at your small group table, ready to dig into a reading passage with your students. Have you ever started to wonder… how do I make sure we hit that standard today? They're reading and you're discussing it with them. But then, you're not sure you really hitting the standard. Been there? Same. Try making a Reading Question Stems binder. Instead of scrambling to phrase the perfect question, just flip to the section you need. ✅ Working on main idea? Boom—questions ready to go.✅ Need...

You sit down at the teacher table, ready to work with your small group, and before you even get started… One student forgot their pencil. Another is looking at their friend across the room instead of working. Someone else just guessed an answer and moved on. 😩 Meanwhile, your independent groups? Chaos. Some kids finish early. Others are stuck. And a few? Well, they’re playing in their desks. This is where these versatile math centers can be a game-changer. 💡 At the teacher table – Use these...

Once upon a time, you introduced opinion writing, expecting your students to have plenty to say. You’d ask a simple question like, “Should students have homework?”—only to be met with: ➡️ One kid writing forever without actually making a point. 😵💫➡️ Another writing two words: “No homework.” ✏️ (And thinking that’s enough.)➡️ A handful of kids staring at the paper, not even sure how to start. 🫠 Because of that, writing lessons turned into a headache...students either had too much to say...

Well, it's getting to be the third quarter of the school year now... Are your 3rd, 4th, or 5th graders still struggling with certain reading standards? Try some targeted practice! Instead of: 🫠passages that test many standards 🫠long, intimidating texts (that make some students shut down immediately) Try these reading lessons! ✅Focus on one standard at a time to 🎯target certain skills ✅Short, to-the-point paragraphs that don't overwhelm! Get Your Grade Level: 3rd Grade Reading Comprehension...

Getting students to engage with math shouldn’t be this hard! ➡️ Shy students staring at their papers...waiting for someone else to answer first. 🫣➡️ That one kid confidently shouting out an answer… that’s not even close.🤪✋➡️ Hands shooting up—not to answer, but to ask, “Can I use the restroom?”🚽 Just because you’ve taught your math lesson doesn’t mean they *get* it...or...paid attention... Instead of reteaching the same concept over and over, hoping it finally sticks, (or rushing along to...