About

Welcome to My Tech Classroom!

My name is Emily Ross, and I am an elementary school teacher and mother of two. I have been a teacher for 8 wonderful years and I can’t, at this point in time, imagine doing anything else. I love everything about my job: the curriculum, the content, and most of all, the kids!

I am passionate about creating lessons for my students that get them excited about learning. I believe that learning should be full of engaging activities and entertaining content. Yes, it can and should be instructional and fun at the same time!

I’m an advocate for technology and a huge fan of cool teaching tools that didn’t exist when I went to school. Digital possibilities help me enrich my students’ understanding and create memorable experiences. And I’m happy to share my best practices with you!

When I’m not in the classroom, I’m busy being a mom to my little daughter and son who pretty much keep me laughing non-stop! I am inspired every day by my lovely kids, and I am incredibly thankful for every moment in my life. In my spare time, I also enjoy cooking, reading, and exercising.

I hope you enjoy browsing around my blog, and I love hearing from fellow teachers about all things teaching. So feel free to contact me here or leave a comment!

You can also reach me by email at Emily@MyTechClassroom.com.

Additionally, here are my social media accounts:

Fun Fact: Most of the materials presented are available at your favorite bookstore and school materials shop. Or if you are like me doing most of my shopping online, Amazon and other popular online stores will do as well.

My Tech Classroom’s Mission

My Tech Classroom was started in 2019 with the mission to provide tools and resources for teachers based on my own experience of what actually works the best in the classroom. I noticed many fellow teachers at my school struggling to stay up to date with the latest technology and how to properly implement it in their classroom.

From laptops and tablets to smartboards, you’ll find effective strategies and resources here for utilizing each of them in your classroom. While using the latest technology is exciting, let’s not forget the power of books to educate the next generation as well!

About My Classroom

Using Organization & Colors Properly

I like to keep things open and de-cluttered for the front of my classroom because this is where I do most of my teaching. I want to make sure all students have a clear view, so I organize the desks to be in “windows.” When kids can easily see and hear what is happening at the front of the class, they are more likely to stay focused and engaged in the lessons.

While I do try to keep everything up at the front clear, I also add a touch of color to liven up the space. On the floor, I have a rainbow-colored rug. it creates a more welcoming environment, and something like this can be used to practice colors with young kids.

For me, crafting and creativity are important aspects of learning. I like to keep art supplies easily accessible in the classroom. For paint, I store the colors in corresponding bins (red paint in a red bin, for example) to help my students easily identify where each color is.

I keep the messy things, like paint and glue, near the sink so that if kids make a mess, which they tend to do, clean-up is easy. If you haven’t noticed, most things in my class have a rainbow theme, which I think makes everything bright and cheery!

I always try to have a kind of friendly decoration for the doorway. When kids see something fun and cute on their way into the class, they start the day off with a more positive attitude. You can even make it into an activity for younger kids by putting animals (birds, bunnies, mice, etc.) up and having the class work together to name them. It helps them practice working together toward a common goal and it’s also an easy way to relax and have fun.

Jump In: I’m just as excited as you are to start teaching kids and enjoying a wonderful time doing this. To help you out, you may click on any of the links below to know more about handling a class, preparing teaching materials, engaging with students, and others:

Using Technology in the Classroom

Technology is another important part of teaching. It seems to get a bad rap these days, but it can often be helpful in the classroom. I have a projector up above the white board that I can use to display things I want to show my students. It can actually be a great tool for reading because it allows every kid to see the words and pictures easily, even if they’re sitting at the back of the room.

The projector is nice to connect to the computer as well. That way, you can show pictures, videos, diagrams, or whatever else you may need for a lesson. I’ve noticed that when kids have something they can easily see and interact with, they’re much more likely to stay interested in what’s being taught instead of losing focus.

Jump In: I find it wonderful that technology nowadays is a part of the teacher-student interaction because it improves a lot on the traditional methods of teaching. Check out some of these by looking at the list below:

Classroom Decoration Ideas

Another great part about an elementary classroom is getting to be creative with decorations. I have pictures and stuffed animals around the room, which keeps students feeling welcome and excited to discover all of the treasures in the classroom.

I also hang up photos of the covers of good children’s books. For example, I have Skippyjon Jones, Pete the Cat, and Fox in Socks, along with several of my other favorites held up with small clothespins along the window. Students are often intrigued when they see this, and they get excited about reading the books.

The stuffed animals are not necessarily beneficial for learning purposes, but it makes the classroom feel cozier and more welcoming. For some kids, having lots of toys at home might not always be an option, so coming to see the cute and friendly faces at school makes learning a more positive experience.

Jump In: I do love decorating my classroom because it encourages interest, initiative, and most important of all, positivism in students to remain well engaged during their classes. These are some of the decorations I use as my teacher guide to learners: