Why Morning Tubs Will Be Your Favorite Routine This Year

Why Morning Tubs Will Be Your Favorite Routine This Year

I used to start my school day with a worksheet.

You know the kind—meant to keep kids busy while I took attendance and got things settled. But more often than not, it led to a chorus of “I need help!” and papers half-finished (or scribbled on and crumpled like a fast-food napkin).

So I tried something different. I swapped those worksheets for hands-on tubs filled with simple, engaging activities… and I’ve never looked back.

Psst—new to Morning Tubs?
I’ve got a free Morning Tub Starter Kit you can grab to see what they’re all about.
🎁 Click here to get your freebie!

Here’s why I think Morning Tubs might just become your favorite routine this year, too:

✨ They give your morning a calm, focused start.
You’re trying to do all the things—take attendance, respond to an email, tie a shoelace, and smile at parents hovering in the doorway. Morning tubs let your students dive right in independently, giving you time to breathe (and sip your coffee while it’s still hot).

🧠 They build skills without feeling like “work.”
My tubs are filled with math, literacy, critical thinking, and fine motor tasks—disguised as games, puzzles, and challenges. The best part? Your students won’t even realize how much learning they’re doing.

🎯 They’re easy to prep and reuse.
Print, laminate, and pop them in bins. Done. I even include editable direction cards to make your life easier. (Because heaven knows you already have enough on your plate.)

📚 They grow with your students.
I’ve created a set for each grade—2nd, 3rd, and 4th—so the content hits that just-right sweet spot. The August tubs are perfect for Back-to-School, with a balance of review and confidence-boosting tasks.

If you’ve never tried Morning Tubs before, August is the perfect time to start. They’ll help you and your students settle into a routine that feels manageable and meaningful from Day One.

👉 Check out my August Morning Tubs here (available for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade)

Or if you’re all-in and want to make mornings easier all year long…
💡 Peek at the full Morning Tub Bundles here

Whatever you choose, just know this:
A smooth morning routine isn’t just possible—it’s just a tub away. 💛

Simplify Your First Week of School in 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Grades

Make Your First Week of School Relaxing and Stress Free!

The first week of school can be a whirlwind for both new and veteran teachers. The excitement of meeting new students is often paired with the challenge of setting the tone for the year and ensuring everything runs smoothly from day one. 

Those can be some pretty big challenges.

I understand these challenges, and that's why I created a solution to help you start the school year with ease: theFirst Week of School Survival Kit.

This comprehensive First Week of School Survival Kit is designed for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th-grade teachers. This differentiated unit includes everything you need to kick off the school year without the stress and hassle. 

Differentiated for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Grades

Each grade level has its unique needs and challenges. The survival kit is tailored to meet these needs, ensuring that every student is engaged and learning right from the start. Whether you're teaching 2nd, 3rd, or 4th grade, you'll find materials that are just right for your classroom.

No Prep Required

Say goodbye to hours of preparation! This kit is designed to be print-and-go, saving you valuable time. With everything ready at your fingertips, you can focus on what truly matters – connecting with your students and creating a positive learning environment.

Comprehensive Lesson Plans

Detailed and easy-to-follow lesson plans will guide your teaching throughout the first week. These plans cover all academic subjects. With clear instructions, you can confidently navigate each day without feeling overwhelmed.

Engaging Activities

Captivate your students with fun and interactive activities included in the survival kit. These activities are designed to be both educational and enjoyable, helping you establish a positive classroom atmosphere from day one.

Valuable Tips

Benefit from expert advice that will help you manage your classroom effectively.The survival kit includes tips and tricks for a successful first week, ensuring you’re well-prepared for any situation that might arise.

All Subjects Included

This survival kit covers all academic areas, from math and reading to science and social studies. You can rest assured that you’re providing a well-rounded education to your students right from the start.

Grab a few tips and a no prep bulletin board for FREE.

A stress-free and relaxing first week of school can be yours for less than the cost of your favorite latte and will be, oh, SO worth it!

Helping you to be on top of your game before the school year even begins is just...

My Kind of Teaching!

Ten Ideas for Early Finishers who ask "I'm Done. Now What?"

There’s a fine line between giving students enough practice and giving too much work (even worse…“busy” work). This is stressful for you and the students.

The more you give them to do, the more work you have to do.

No matter what you do, your higher students will probably be finished early. Don’t punish these students for being finished by handing out more worksheets!

1)  Consider using these early finishers' task cards instead of copying more worksheets and making more plans. Students will be able to be creative and stretch their brains more than just simply doing another worksheet.

2)  Some students will thrive on free time to read books. This is a good solution also.

3)  Give your early finishers activities rather than another worksheet (which makes things harder for you).

Let them play digital math and literacy games, even if it’s a different subject. Digital games that include science or social studies, math, and reading all in one interactive game is a plus. Click here to see more.

4) Assign high-interest research activities via Google Slides that cover science or social studies topics, reading, and writing. Click here to see some high-interest topics.

5) Use task cards that stretch your students’ brains by having them make lists, create, etc. Try out this FREEBIE.

6) Consider using some good “old-fashioned” fun by setting up a place in your classroom with a challenging jigsaw puzzle.

7) Let a couple of students pair up and play a game in the hallway. This is particularly effective if you have a student in need of intervention. The student will gain knowledge and understanding while playing with a friend by playing a game that covers the subject (consider adding task cards to a game board for the questions).

8) Use morning tub activities again for your early finishers.

9) Use math manipulatives as STEM activities.

10) Let students draw. A blank piece of paper, writing utensils, and imagination can be just the outlet that some students need. Plus, drawing helps with those fine motor skills!

The list goes on and on. Think about the things you already have in your classroom.

Rather than printing more worksheets (which you then have to grade), consider ways to use fun learning activities.

What is your favorite activity to use with early finishers? I would love to hear about it! Comment below to tell me!

Filling the needs of your students without making extra work for you. That’s just…

My Kind of Teaching

Fall in Love with Math and Literacy Center Time

Do you struggle with center time? Using centers can be the most rewarding time of the day... but not when you have to spend precious hours each week prepping and getting ready for the centers. 

Planning and preparing for math or literacy stations can sometimes consume more time than the actual execution of the centers.

Choosing five centers and KEEPING those five centers all year long will be a huge time-saver. Using NO PREP and LOW PREP activities will save you even more time.

Read this blog post about how to keep literacy centers fun, simple, and easy with just five centers all year long.

This same idea can be used in math centers, no matter what skill or concept you teach.

Click here to read a blog post about math centers.

In the blog posts, I share how I found that five centers in math and five centers in language arts worked best for me. (Believe me; I tried several methods and strategies before I realized I was just making things too hard!)

In addition to using my no-prep centers, I tried to use things already in my classroom. This saved me both time and money.

Read this blog post about things you probably already have in your classroom to use in math and literacy centers.

You can find these forever freebies in my TpT store.

FREE Math Center Activity

FREE Literacy Center Activity

Use these FREE Center Labels to designate your centers in your classroom.

Click here to sign up for my emails and get a set of FREE no-prep math and literacy centers to try out in your classroom.

Helping you love center time is just...

My Kind of Teaching

Organization and Storage Ideas for the Elementary Classroom

Let’s talk about organization and storage today.

There are so many areas in a classroom. They all have different functions, and they all need to have a plan for storage and organization.

Seasonal Storage

Choose a location in your classroom to store items for your centers. I found it most accessible in my classroom to have ten large clear plastic boxes with lids. Each box was for one month of the school year. Inside the box, I placed items I only used during that month, such as seasonal items, decorations, classroom décor, seasonal books, etc. You can even include a file folder and a master copy of any worksheets and activities you might use during the month. Download these free seasonal labels to use in your own classroom.

Literacy Centers, Math Centers, & Morning Tubs

For literacy centers, math centers, morning tubs, and anything else you might use again during other times of the year, use smaller clear plastic boxes from the Dollar Tree and Ziploc baggies. Keep these more easily accessible than the monthly boxes. Label each with the month and type of center. Keep a master list of what is included each month so that the activities can be used at any time during the year. (I’m a huge believer in using things more than once.)

Related Post: Getting the Most Out of Task Cards

Teacher Desk

It’s also important to be organized at your teacher's desk, small-group/guided teacher table, and other teacher spaces. Here are some ideas.

Teacher Desk – Keeping your desk from becoming cluttered during the busy day is hard! Think about what things you need on your desk. Answering these questions will help you decide what you need in each location.

• What do I do at my desk?
• Do I need notepads, pens/pencils, a coaster, a list of passwords, etc.?
• What activities will I be working on when I am in this area?

Knowing what you will be using an area for will help you decide what kinds of supplies you need.

Ask yourself the same questions for any other areas of the room where you spend the most time. Make a list of supplies you need to accomplish those needs.

Some other places in your room for organization:

1. Ticket out the Door – If you plan to use something like this, have an area out of the way of traffic for your students to place their answers as they are ending the subject or leaving your classroom. See ideas for using this strategy along with a freebie in this blog post.

2. Important Reminders – I needed an area next to my door to hang important reminders for handing out as the students were leaving the room. These easy-peasy bulletin board dots I made were just perfect (and cheap!) for this area. Click here to read how to make your own bulletin board dots.

3. Small-Group/Teacher-Guided Area – A small bookshelf that can store baskets filled with commonly used items works great for this area. Keep things like dry-erase boards, markers, erasers, etc. that are used often and baskets for other activities you might choose for a smaller amount of time.

Read how to use small groups as an effective teaching strategy.

See more information at these links:

Morning Tubs

No Prep Literacy Centers

No Prep Math Centers

Having a place for everything in your classroom will help when you are lesson planning, preparing for the next day or week, and so much more.

Having everything organized and ready to go will help you get out the door on time each afternoon and isn't that one of your main goals?

What organization ideas do you have for your own classroom? Comment below to share. I would love to hear them!

Helping you with ideas for organizing your classroom is...

My Kind of Teaching