I remember my first year of teaching. I also remember how the last 15 minutes of school would often ruin my whole day. Some fifth graders would help me clean, but most of the time, I would wind up staying after to tidy before the janitors came through. It was also complete chaos for 15 minutes. That was until I ran across a game-changer: Secret Piece of Trash .  Here's how it works:  Scan your classroom for a "secret" item or piece of trash on the floor. Tell your students they have 5 minutes to clean up, search for the secret item, and gather their things to go home. The goal is to have all students in their seats and ready by the end of the timer. Set a timer (I love Class Dojo 's timer). There are two rules. First, students can not bombard you asking if theirs is the secret piece. You'll keep a close eye out! Second, you will not reveal the secret item until the floor is spotless. When the timer ends, reveal the secret item and who picked it up! Reward with J...

"So, what's with the name? It doesn't seem educational. Do you really like flowers?" Well, not really. On Valentine's Day, my husband knows if he spends $75 on flowers, he's in trouble. Invest that cash in chocolate-covered strawberries if you really love me.  The Process Behind the Name: I wanted a name for my Teachers Pay Teachers store that was unique and fully captured my vision and purpose in creating educational products. In college, I discovered a quote that served as my educational philosophy: "Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire." -Walter B. Yeats This greatly shaped how I view my role as a teacher. My job isn't to cram for a test or fill a pail. Kids are not empty vessels. They have a vast amount of background knowledge and experience coming into my room. My job is to focus those experiences and inspire students to love learning. The job is to light the fire. What lights fire? Oh. Matches .  First part of ...

  My name is Whitney Randolph. I am a proud wife, momma, and teacher in rural Missouri. This is my 5th year of teaching in the upper elementary grades. My experience is in ELA and science instruction, and I have taught 4th-6th grade. I am a proud rural educator and member of the Ozark Teacher Corps. I served my hometown district for 4 years. This year, I took a leap to another local district, and it has been an amazing growing experience that has reignited my love of teaching.  In addition to teaching, I operate a branch of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library for the Eminence School District, nicknamed "Edibeth's Little Red Readers."  Last summer, I earned my Masters from MSU. Upon graduation, I decided it was time to launch a Teachers Pay Teachers store in July 2021. This store was way out of my comfort zone (hello again, imposter syndrome). I am continuing to grow my store in hopes of helping teachers and students around the globe. This blog is a space for inspiratio...