Brain Ninjas

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5 Field Trip Problems and How to Prevent Them

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Field trips can be a great way to enhance student learning and for many students it is their only chance to see and do things in the community. While they are so valuable, field trips can come with some challenges when it comes to getting volunteers to help with the supervision. Come read about five common problems on field trips and how to deal with them proactively.

Field trips can be so much fun when they run smoothly. However, there can also be those field trips where you want to pull your hair out or vow never to do it again. We’ve gone on hundreds of field trips over our careers. Some of these trips are cherished memories of special classes. Others are permanent scars and trauma (ok, that might be pushing it). Come learn from our mistakes so you can avoid these field trip problems.

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How to Have Snow Much Fun With These Snow Activities

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Have snow much fun with all these winter themed snow activities for your upper elementary classroom. There are snow activities for writing, reading, art and classroom community building. Come check out the big list of winter themed activities.

When you live in a winter climate like northern Canada, the opportunities to do activities related to snow are endless. We try to build weather-related snow activities into our classes wherever possible. We teach in upper elementary, but we’ve used some of these activities with our younger buddies and some we’ve challenged ourselves. Come check out these snow activities that will keep you busy all winter.

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7 Inexpensive Ways to Decorate Your Classroom

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Are you looking for ways to decorate your classroom that don't break the bank? We've put together some tried and true ideas that you can use for any age. You don't need to spend all your own money to fund your classroom, so come learn how to save and still have an engaging deor scheme.

The pressure of social media to have the “Pinterest Perfect” classroom can be a little overwhelming for any teacher, especially those on a budget. We are very fortunate in our classroom that we have a small budget for items needed, and we have full discretion on how we use it, but the last place we want to spend it is on decor. We prefer to spend any money we have on quality resources and learning materials. Check out this list of ways to decorate your classroom that don’t break the bank.

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9 Things To Do During the First Month of School

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Getting back into the school year is an exciting time, but there is can be so much to do that it can be difficult to prioritize what needs to be done first. Come read through our must-do list during the first month of school in your upper elementary classroom and we'll help you out.

As a student, I never appreciated the first month of school. It always seemed like we didn’t get too deep into the content and spent a lot of time playing games and doing art projects. It wasn’t until I became a teacher that I recognized how much work teachers do during the first month of school. While we created a list with nine of the most important, there really are so many more that could be added.

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9 Spectacular Art Projects For a Pen and Paper

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If you are looking for some very simple art projects you can do in your upper elementary classroom with just a pen and paper. We've included all the instructions so you can create these beautiful but very simple art projects for elementary students. Come take a look and find the one you'll save when you need something in a pinch.

Quick art projects using only pen and paper are essential for busy elementary teachers. This post is especially for those who don’t consider themselves “art people” or who face budget constraints, classroom size limits or material shortages. Unlike complex art lessons requiring setup time and specialty supplies, these 9 projects can be done in 15–30 minutes with just a black Sharpie and printer paper. They’re classroom-tested, prep-free, and guaranteed to work in any upper elementary (grades 3–6) setting. Continue reading to learn more.

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15 Ways to Use Sticky Notes in the Classroom

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Are you looking for ways to use sticky notes in your classroom? We put together a list of some of the ways we use sticky notes because we love to use them. They are so easy to use, kids love them and there are endless possibilities. Come read!

Sticky notes are a versatile tool that can be used in a variety of ways to enhance classroom learning. It’s no secret that most teachers love sticky notes because they come in a variety of styles, sizes and colours. There are so many different ways to use them whether they have lines or are blank. We’ve collected our favourite ways to use sticky notes in the classroom and felt we had to share them with you.

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