Simple, nature-aligned ideas for predetermined themes If you’re using Creative Curriculum (or any other boxed curriculum) in your classroom, you’ve probably noticed: The themes are rich. The pacing is fast. And the expectations? A little overwhelming. But here’s the truth: you don’t have to recreate Pinterest-perfect centers or buy every
How Inquiry-Based Learning Supports Curiosity, Connection, and Real-World Thinking in TK. I’ll be the first to say it: I used to teach from a theme binder. I actually moved 7 filing cabinets from one school to another over my 26 years of teaching (but that’s a story for another day).
Puzzles in the Primary Years: Why These Single-Outcome Activities Deserve a Spot in Your Play-Based Day In a space built around loose parts, sensory invitations, and open-ended exploration, puzzles might seem a little too neat. A little too “one right answer.” Too much like the structure we’ve worked so hard
Practical classroom management without behavior charts. Strategies rooted in rhythm, connection, and clarity—because this isn’t about managing the children. It’s about building spaces that support the child and the teacher. We hear it everywhere—“classroom management.” The charts, the clips, the color-coded systems. The behavior plans taped to the wall. But
Why We Nurture Literacy in the Early Years- (And how it supports every part of your students’ development) Developmentally Appropriate Literacy in TK and Kindergarten isn’t just about reading and writing books and memorizing a letter of the week. It’s woven into everything we do—from storytelling under a tree to
When I began the journey to find a nature based education curriculum to calm my classroom I stumbled upon magic- even if I didn’t know it at first! While searching I found a more inclusive classroom design, I came across many ideas that seemed more feasible for homeschools and small
When I began changing up my classroom environment to support literacy, I got pushback from colleagues. Instead of only pulling out our writing journals weekly, I designated the entire space (and most of the day) specifically for journal writing. I included writing implements; crayons, markers, golf pencils, and glitter gel
During the back to school season, one of the biggest concerns or questions I continue to see pop up in FB groups and across the internet is “I was moved to TK from (insert another grade level here) now what!!” And first I want to say, welcome to the world’s
In the beginning, I was all about the letter of the week! All of our songs, snacks, and activities revolved around a single letter. I made sure that the activities were engaging and focused on the sound the letter of the week made. Then I decided I was going to
Behavior management is the single most asked question on pretty much any teacher blog, website or forum. Behavior management for PreK, behavior management strategies for teachers, and behavior management systems and plans are terms teachers search, every day. Everyone wants to know the magic recipe for behavior management, keeping challenging
Nature-loving educator, early childhood mentor, and self-proclaimed creepy crawlie enthusiast.
For nearly two decades, I’ve helped early educators reimagine what’s possible inside traditional classrooms, supporting play, nature, and calm in environments that often feel anything but.
But that isn’t where my journey started…
There are a lot of programs that teach play.
Some that teach nature.
And plenty that promise to help you “hack” your schedule.
But Teach the TK Way is the only method that does all three;
with full support for traditional classrooms, district expectations, shared spaces, and real-life teachers.
Here, you don’t have to choose between worksheets and wonder.
You don’t have to burn out trying to fit someone else’s vision.
We work with what you have, and grow something beautiful from there.
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