Teacher guides

Practical, no-fluff ideas for the classroom: games, routines and activities that work tomorrow morning, each with free tools to run them.

• 3 min read25 Christmas Classroom Activities (No-Prep and Printable)December is wonderful and exhausting. Attention is short, excitement is high, and you still have lessons to teach. These activities keep the learning going while letting students enjoy the season.Read the guide →
• 4 min read30 Brain Break Ideas for the Classroom (Quick, Free, No Prep)A good brain break takes two to five minutes, needs nothing you have to prepare, and ends with students ready to work again. Here are 30 that teachers actually use, sorted by the kind of energy your class needs.Read the guide →
• 3 min readHow to Play Bingo in the Classroom: Rules, Variations and TipsBingo is one of the easiest review games to run: every student plays at once, nobody sits out, and it works for vocabulary, math facts, sight words or any topic with a list. Here's how to run it well.Read the guide →
• 3 min readFair Ways to Call on Students (Without the Same Hands Every Time)In most classrooms a handful of students answer most of the questions. Random, predictable calling changes that: everyone has to be ready, and nobody feels picked on. Here's how to do it kindly.Read the guide →
• 3 min readClassroom Reward System Ideas That Actually WorkA good reward system is simple enough to run every day, fair enough that every student can win, and cheap enough that you never have to buy prizes. Here are the systems teachers stick with, and how to make them last.Read the guide →
• 3 min read15 Vocabulary Review Games for the ClassroomStudents need to meet a new word many times before it sticks. These games give them those repetitions without the boredom of copying definitions, and most take less than five minutes to set up.Read the guide →
• 3 min readHow to Help Students Learn Their Times TablesFast, confident multiplication facts free students' attention for the harder parts of math. The good news: it doesn't take long drills. A sensible order, a few strategies and five minutes of daily practice get most students there.Read the guide →
• 3 min read20 Indoor Recess Games for Rainy DaysIndoor recess can be the hardest 20 minutes of the day: lots of energy, no space to run. Having a few go-to games ready turns it from chaos into something students actually look forward to.Read the guide →