Firstieland Podcast For Elementary Teachers: Education Teaching Tips And Ideas For Kindergarten And First Grade

In this episode, Molly shows you how to teach without interruption by training students to work independently during centers. Welcome to Part 6 of the full masterclass on how to set up and manage centers in your classroom. You can listen to the entire series in order beginning with Episode 53. After 35 years of teaching, Molly learned that students working independently at centers don't happen by...

Word Work Centers For First Grade | 25+ Easy Phonics Activities In this episode, Molly shares more than 25 easy word work activities that help first grade students practice phonics skills while working independently. Welcome to Part 6 of the 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝘂𝗽 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺. You can find the entire series beginning with episode 53. Whether you're setting up yo...

What Every First Grade Word Work Center Needs In this episode, Molly shares exactly what every first grade word work center needs to help students practice phonics skills, build independence, and stay engaged while you meet with small groups. If you're setting up your literacy centers for back to school, this episode will show you how to create a simple word work center without spending a fortune...

Easy First Grade Writing Center Set Up And Ideas In this episode, Molly shares how to set up a writing center that helps students practice writing independently while keeping them engaged and productive. If you're getting ready for back to school or looking to improve your learning centers, the writing center is a great place for students to practice the writing skills you've been teaching through...

How To Set Up A Classroom Library Center In First Grade In this episode, Molly shares how to set up a classroom library that students will love using all year long. If you're getting ready for back to school and wondering which learning center to introduce first, the classroom library is a great place to start. It requires very little prep, helps students practice working independently, and gives...

In this episode, Molly shares five common literacy center mistakes that can make center time feel chaotic and frustrating for teachers. After 35 years of teaching, she learned that most center problems actually start long before students ever rotate to a center. From introducing centers too quickly and skipping important modeling to making centers too complicated, Molly shares simple strategies th...

In this episode, Molly shares simple classroom setup and organization ideas that can help make your next school year feel smoother and much less chaotic. After 35 years of teaching first grade, she learned that the way you arrange and organize your classroom can make a huge difference in your classroom management, student independence, and daily routines. From traffic flow and center placement to...

First Grade Teacher Must Haves For The Classroom In this episode, Molly shares her top 10 must-have items for every first grade classroom after 35 years of teaching. These are the classroom tools she reached for every single day to save time, stay organized, and make teaching easier. These teacher must haves will help you create a more organized, efficient, and student-friendly classroom. Whether...

In this episode, Molly shares simple and practical tips for how to clean and organize your classroom before summer break so you can leave school feeling less stressed and come back in August ready to go. These classroom organization ideas are designed to help elementary teachers pack up efficiently, stay organized, and make back to school setup so much easier. In this episode, you’ll learn: ✔️ How...

In this episode, Molly shares simple and fun ideas for what to do during the last week of school in your elementary classroom. These low prep end of year activities are designed to keep students engaged, help you manage those final busy days, and still create meaningful memories before summer break. If your class is feeling done and you're trying to keep things under control while wrapping up the...

In this episode, Molly shares how to plan a fun and simple end-of-the-year classroom carnival that keeps students engaged while still learning. These easy theme day ideas are perfect for first-grade teachers who want a memorable way to wrap up the school year without a lot of extra prep or expense. You’ll learn how to organize a carnival theme day with math and literacy stations that are fu and al...

Easy End Of The Year Activity: Teacher For The Day In this episode of The Firstieland Podcast for Elementary Teachers, host Molly Schwab shares a simple, low prep end of the year activity that keeps students engaged while giving teachers a little breathing room during one of the busiest times of the year. This “Teacher for the Day” activity is perfect for kindergarten, first grade or second grade...

It’s Spring and My Student’s Can’t Write!: How To Help Your Struggling Writers In this episode of The Firstieland Podcast for Elementary Teachers, host Molly Schwab shares simple and effective strategies to help struggling writers build confidence and improve their skills before the end of the school year. These practical writing tips and classroom ideas are designed specifically for kindergarten...

Easy Earth Day Activities For First Grade: Simple Ideas Your Students Will Love In this episode of The Firstieland Podcast for Elementary Teachers, your host Molly Schwab shares some of her favorite Earth Day activities that she used year after year with her first grade students. From simple writing ideas to hands-on science activities: these easy ideas will help you teach Earth Day in a way that...

Fun Easter Activities for Elementary Classrooms In this episode of The Firstieland Podcast for Elementary Teachers, your host Molly Schwab shares some of her favorite Easter classroom activities that she used year after year with her first grade students. From Easter writing activities to hands-on centers and fun read aloud extensions, these simple ideas will help you bring a little extra fun into...

The Cutest Easter Classroom Activity Ever - Adopt-A-Peep Writing Project In this episode of The Firstieland Podcast for Elementary Teachers, your host Molly Schwab shares one of her favorite Easter classroom activities that she did with her students every year, the Adopt-A-Peep writing project. This fun and engaging activity combines Easter writing activities and responsibility lessons into one me...

Spring Writing Prompts and Easy Center Ideas For First Grade In this episode of The Firstieland Podcast for Elementary Teachers, host Molly Schwab shares simple and creative spring writing prompts and writing center ideas for first grade that will help get students excited about writing. If your writing center activities are starting to feel a little stale after a long winter, this episode will gi...

Teaching Map Skills in First Grade: Fun, Hands-On Social Studies Activities In this episode of The Firstieland Podcast for Elementary Teachers, your host Molly Schwab shares simple, engaging strategies for teaching map skills in first grade using fun, hands-on social studies activities. If you’ve ever wondered how to make teaching map skills to elementary students feel fun while still learning, th...

6 Read Aloud Strategies Every First Grade Teacher Should Know In this episode of The Firstieland Podcast for Elementary Teachers, your host Molly Schwab shares six simple but powerful read aloud strategies that will completely change the way you read to your class. If you’ve ever felt like you’re just “reading the book” and not really maximizing that time, this episode is for you. Read aloud time...

Teaching Elementary Kids To Be Kind In this episode of The Firstieland Podcast for Elementary Teachers, your host Molly Schwab shares practical, real-life ways to teach elementary students about kindness in a way that actually sticks. If you’ve ever felt frustrated by unkind behavior in your classroom or wondered how to build a stronger classroom community, this episode is for you. You’ll learn ho...

Grading Papers In First Grade: How To Save Time And Be More Efficient In this episode of The Firstieland Podcast for Elementary Teachers, your host Molly Schwab shares simple, realistic ways to make grading papers in first grade faster and far less overwhelming. If grading feels like it’s taking over your evenings, weekends, or mental space, this episode is for you. Grading doesn’t have to mean st...

Fun and Easy Valentine’s Day Activities For First Grade In this episode of The Firstieland Podcast for Elementary Teachers, your host Molly Schwab shares fun and easy Valentine’s Day activities that fit naturally into your first grade classroom, without adding stress or extra prep to your day. February can feel long and Valentine’s Day excitement can quickly turn into distraction. Instead of tryin...

Literacy Center Strategies That Actually Work In First Grade In this episode of The Firstieland Podcast for Elementary Teachers , your host Molly Schwab shares literacy center strategies that actually work in a real first grade classroom. If you feel overwhelmed and exhausted from planning and organizing centers or if keeping kids on task is a struggle, this episode is for you. There are so many d...

Text Connections & Opinion Writing With Brave Irene - Book Bite #4 In this episode of The Firstieland Podcast for Elementary Teachers, Molly shares how to use Brave Irene to teach character traits, problem and solution, and opinion writing in a simple, meaningful way. This winter classic is perfect for discussing courage and perseverance while hitting key reading and writing skills. You’ll lea...

Surviving Indoor Recess: Simple Play Ideas That Won’t Drive You Crazy In this episode of The Firstieland Podcast for Elementary Teachers , your host Molly Schwab shares simple ways to survive indoor recess without losing your sanity. If indoor recess in your classroom feels loud, chaotic, or completely exhausting, this episode is for you. Whether it’s freezing temperatures, pouring rain, or just o...