Blog - The Owl Teacher

Reading Month Fun!

March is reading month and we have so many fun activities going on at our school to engage our students into reading! Our school

Wilma Unlimited can be used as a nonfiction mentor text for teaching about biographies in reading, along with perseverance, theme, sequencing, and reading strategies.

MTM: Wilma Unlimited

Wilma Unlimited. What can I say?! I know when I do my mentor text posts each week, I talk about how powerful this book and

If you are looking for a mentor text to create a touching mood while teaching about treating others kindly, look no further! This book can be used to teach making connections in reading and to bring discussion in the classroom.

MTM: Each Kindness

My mentor text this week is Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson. The author of this story explores the importance of being kind to others.

This fun activity is a great way to get students thinking about word knowledge, including the idea of synonyms and antonyms, along with increasing student engagement.

High Flying Words | Teaching Word Knowledge

I’m really tired of snow (welcome to Michigan — snow almost year-round!) and I was dying for a way to liven up my classroom a

Are you looking for an engaging St. Patrick's Day activity for your elementary classroom? Check out this idea where students create a shamrock craft and add poetry- limericks- to it!

Shamrock Limericks | A St. Patrick’s Day Activity

On the hunt for a cute St. Patrick’s Day activity? Why not have your students write a limerick, then attach it to an adorable lucky

Across the Alley is a historical fiction text that can be used as a mentor text for teaching about point of view and theme in the reading classroom. Further students can learn about character change and the literary device of mood.

MTM: Across the Alley

I love any text that gives us a glimpse into the past of what life was like then. My mentor text this week does just

Teach shades of meaning in your elementary classroom with these engaging ideas and activities. Help your students understand the various degrees of synonyms.

Shades of WHAT?! | Shades of Meaning

Shades of what?!?! Oh, right, shades of meaning… Hmmm. What is that? I mean, is that like the various ways we can say “no” and

Are you looking for a way to connect fiction and nonfiction text together while teaching about comparing and contrasting? This mentor text teaches about Hurricanes all while utilizing figurative language!

MTM: Hurricane!

This week for my Mentor Text Monday, I want to tell you about a book called Hurricane! I’m not referring to the nonfiction text by

Spaghetti in a Hot Dog Bun is a perfect mentor text for teaching children about bullying! It's also great for teaching about point of view, plot, author's purpose, and story elements!

MTM: Spaghetti in a Hot Dog Bun

For this week, my mentor text is Spaghetti in a Hot Dog Bun by Maria Dismondy. This book is about a girl who is

$Make teaching number line fractions hands-on and fun with this elementary activity idea! It also makes for a great display of hands-on fractions!$

Hands-On Fractions Fun!

One of the things I try really hard to do in math is make it hands-on and engaging. That’s why when it was time

Faithful Elephants is a historical fiction book that can be used as a mentor text to teach a variety of reading genres and Vocabulary. It can also be used to teach comprehension strategies.

MTM: Faithful Elephants

This week my mentor text is Faithful Elephants by Yukio Tsuchiya. While certainly a popular book, it is not to be overlooked in its value.

This humorous post offers up a fun idea for teaching writing for Valentine's Day activities in the elementary classroom!

The Horror of Conversation Hearts!

As adults Valentine’s Day has many different meanings… But as a kid in the elementary classroom, it has just one – candy (well, and Valentine’s

If you want a powerful book to teach about strong words and vocabulary- look no further. Come On, Rain makes for a great mentor text for teaching writing and reading! And this post has a freebie for teaching visualization with it!

MTM: Come On, Rain!

This week, my mentor text is a picture book from Karen Hesse called Come on, Rain! (This post contains affiliate links.) I have utilized

Explore force and motion with these hands-on engaging activities that are sure to get your students' motor running. While you're here, grab a free activity!

Zoooooming with Force and Motion!

One of my favorite things about being a teacher is watching how excited kids get when something just “clicks” in their heads. I love

Engage your students in critical thinking with this Jeopardy review cooperative poster learning activity for any content area!

Jeopardy Review Posters Using Bloom’s Taxonomy

Our school district studies the regions of the United States as part of our social studies curriculum. It takes us all year to study the