Danielle M.

Today, my father in law, who served in Vietnam, came to speak with our 5th graders about the draft and how it changed the course of his life. He shared real stories from his time overseas and talked openly about what it was like to be so young, drafted just as he had earned a swimming scholarship to Michigan State, and having to give it up with no choice. One day he was a college bound athlete, and the next he was fighting in a war. He also showed the students the Purple Hearts he was awarded.

Our students got to learn history from someone who lived it, not from a textbook. They asked thoughtful questions and showed so much respect. It was one of those moments that you know will stay with them.

It was meaningful for him too. At 80 years old, he had the chance to pass his experiences on to a younger generation. You could see how much it meant to him to share, and to be received with kindness and appreciation. The kids walked away with a true sense of the meaning behind Veterans Day.

First day of school for the NYCDOE! 5th grade, here we come!

Back-to-school alarm schedule brought to you by ✨anxiety✨. Who’s afraid to oversleep on the first day back tomorrow?

Sharpie really said “Let’s step our color game!” 😍 I think I’m a little late to this game but I’m ready to highlight my whole world and teacher planner with these babies!

🍎 Year 19!! 🍎 I’m not sure how that’s possible since I’m only 29 🤣🤣. I feel like I’ve lived 1,000 teaching lives in these 19 years. So many triumphs and accomplishments and still more to go. I’m looking forward to a successful year with my students, growing more in other avenues of my career. Here’s to a fabulous 2024-2025 school year, my fellow teachers! We’ve got this! ❤️

📚🌟 Exploring the Science of Reading!

Hey teachers! If you've noticed that the "Science of Reading" has been the talk of the teaching world lately, you're not alone.

Understanding the Science of Reading is key to helping our students become confident readers and spellers. But here's the exciting part: we're introducing a resource that simplifies one essential aspect of it – Orthographic Word Mapping.

My resource makes orthographic word mapping a breeze for your students. 📖✨

🔍 Dive into Word Families
🔤 Decode with Confidence
📝 Spark Word Exploration

Empower your students with the magic of orthographic word mapping. Check out my resource and let's make reading and spelling fun for our students! 📚💪

If you are looking for an effective way to help your students master short vowel sounds and improve their orthographic word mapping skills, My Science of Readin-Aligned Short Vowel Sounds CVC Orthographic Word Mapping Practice can help support your students’ literacy development in a fun and meaningful way.

My bundle is currently on sale for $20!
-95 pages
-Includes short vowel CVC words for A, E, I, O, and U
-Answer keys included!
*if you do not need all of the vowels at once, each short vowel is sold separately in my own store. 😊

CVC Orthographic Word Mapping Short Vowel Sounds- The Science of Reading Aligned by Clever Apples on Teachers Pay Teachers
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/CVC-Orthographic-Word-Mapping-Short-Vowel-Sounds-The-Science-of-Reading-Aligned-10068646

My students are LOVING independent reading with their flexible seating options. Some of us still need a few reminders to not be little bunnies and hop around on the stability balls, but other than that, it’s been amazing! Always remember: STUDENT CHOICE IS A CLASSROOM GAME CHANGER!

Table caddies! Let’s see how long it stays looking like this!

Year 13 of teaching has commenced! Hard to believe I began my teaching career at 21 years old! So much has happened in the last 13 years...moving to the city to work for the NYC public schools, becoming a part of the Literacy Teachers Initiative at Columbia University, traveling across the county to speak about my research, becoming a lead teacher and coach to taking a new job in a school in Queens...what a ride it has been! Looking forward to see what the next 13 years ahead has in store for me in my career! Here’s to year 13!

What a beautiful weekend we had in Montauk! This is something we do always do with friends and we look forward to it every single year. I could’ve spent a forever summer with my baby girl, but unfortunately that is not reality. I am so incredibly grateful for the amazing and fun-filled summer we had together. Remember...you get with them. Back to school is this week for us New Yorkers!



.liny @ Montauk, New York