Carolyn Martin

As a first grade teacher, I have spent 25+ years opening the world of reading to young children. While I enjoy all of the early elementary content, reading is my favorite subject to teach. I have spent most of my teaching years in one school, watching it grow from a small 30 student school in a chicken house (its temporary 40 year home) to a new facility with over 130 students. I now enjoy teaching with former students and seeing their development from a six year-old to an adult. I also do a few sideline jobs for CLP. Other interests outside of school include books, photography, and design.

37 Contributions

From Learning to Read to Reading to Learn
Publication Date: 2023-02-02 | File type: Blog Post

A first-grade teacher in a classroom somewhere in the world is approaching the middle of February. Her beginning students are Read More...

The Second Graders Who Come to You
Publication Date: 2022-09-14 | File type: Blog Post

The first day of second grade arrives. The eager students appear at your door with confidence. They know what school Read More...

In-Class Time-Out
Publication Date: 2022-09-08 | File type: Blog Post

As a teacher, I’ve always struggled to find suitable consequences for classroom misbehavior and have usually resorted to time off Read More...

Charge
Publication Date: 2022-08-04 | File type: Blog Post

Crimea – Battle of Balaclava Lord Raglan, British cavalry commander, sat high on a hill and watched the Russian soldiers Read More...

Prayer for the End of the Term
Publication Date: 2022-05-04 | File type: Blog Post

I’m tired, Lord. As our year winds down, we are all tired and weary. I’m weary of drilling math facts. Read More...

Creating Enthusiasm for Writing
Publication Date: 2022-02-25 | File type: Blog Post

“Is today journaling?” eagerly asks my little student, a non-native English speaker. “Yes!” Their cheers greet the announcement of journal Read More...

Beating the Mid-Winter Blahs
Publication Date: 2022-02-11 | File type: Blog Post

The cold wind persistently blowing makes being outdoors miserable. The gray skies cover up the sun for days at a Read More...

To the Teacher of the Difficult Student
Publication Date: 2021-10-21 | File type: Blog Post

RAD, ODD, FAS are letters that may be attached to students in some of our classrooms…letters that mean extra stress Read More...

Setting the Tone: Clarity, Consistency, Composure
Publication Date: 2021-09-09 | File type: Blog Post

Over the years I’ve read various classroom management books. Many of them had excellent tips. I’ve also noticed that some Read More...

Setting the Tone: Routines for the Classroom
Publication Date: 2021-08-20 | File type: Blog Post

Before the students enter on the first day you will want to know what routines and procedures you want to Read More...

Setting the Tone:  Classroom Walls
Publication Date: 2021-08-12 | File type: Blog Post

  In this mid-summer moment, my classroom looks like a disorganized storage room. Opening the door is a chore, not Read More...

Ready for the First Day
Publication Date: 2021-07-27 | File type: Blog Post

“I can’t wait for the first day of school,” commented my ready-for-second-grade niece one day at the end of June. Read More...

How to Make a Book
Publication Date: 2021-04-23 | File type: Blog Post

“I can’t wait ‘til journaling time. We get to start our books!” The class they’ve been anticipating for the past Read More...

Behind the Mask
Publication Date: 2021-02-03 | File type: Blog Post

“Good morning…uh…uh…uh,” I said to the girl coming down the hall. Her mask was over her nose. Her hood covered Read More...

Gratefulness
Publication Date: 2020-12-04 | File type: Blog Post

“Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.” Psalm 100:1 Psalms 100 is our current Bible memory selection. Read More...

First-Grade Journals
Publication Date: 2020-10-09 | File type: Blog Post

At the moment the first-grade journal period is filled with stories of train “drivers,” swinging with friends, playing doll, fishing, Read More...

Habits
Publication Date: 2020-09-11 | File type: Blog Post

During the summer the 25-mph speed limit sign was moved up the hill a few hundred yards. This morning on Read More...

Dear Second-Year Teacher
Publication Date: 2020-08-06 | File type: Blog Post

Dear Second-Year Teacher, Welcome back for another year in the classroom! It’s good to see that you stuck around, that Read More...

Return
Publication Date: 2020-07-16 | File type: Blog Post

Today was our first day of kindergarten. In a normal school year, we hold a two-week kindergarten in April. This Read More...

June, July, August, and the Teacher
Publication Date: 2020-06-04 | File type: Blog Post

Every teacher has seen the sentiment that the best months of the school year are June, July, and August. Every Read More...

June, July, August, and the Student
Publication Date: 2020-06-02 | File type: Blog Post

School is out. The students have closed their books and taken the last tests. The books have all been sent Read More...

Enjoying Oral Reading
Publication Date: 2020-05-12 | File type: Blog Post

School prepares our students for life in the adult world. So why bother with oral reading beyond first or second Read More...

Effective Oral Reading
Publication Date: 2020-05-06 | File type: Blog Post

“Ok, class, open your reading books to ‘Candy Pills for the Stomach.’ Kay, you may start reading. Each of you Read More...

Black Death and the Coronavirus
Publication Date: 2020-03-27 | File type: Blog Post

Let all the earth fear the Lord; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. For Read More...

Suggested Resources for Teaching Science in Grades 1 and 2
Publication Date: 2017-11-15 | File type: Curricular

Title: Science Enrichment Grades 1-2 Author: Daryl Vriesenga Publisher: Instructional Fair ISBN: 0-88012-913-1 Title: Berenstain Bears’ Big Book of Nature Read More...

Life Cycle Of A Butterfly
Publication Date: 2017-10-15 | File type: Teaching Material

A lesson plan for grades 1 & 2 about observering and identifying the various stages of a butterfly: the egg, Read More...

Moon Wheel Blackline
Publication Date: 2017-10-15 | File type: Teaching Material

A project for students showing the moon phases. This was created to be used with Carolyn Martin’s lesson plan about Read More...

Our Wonderful Machine
Publication Date: 2017-10-15 | File type: Teaching Material

Seven lesson plans to teach students about their bodies. Students make a model of their body and add brain, muscles, Read More...

Plant Life
Publication Date: 2017-10-15 | File type: Teaching Material

Eight lesson plans teaching students about plants. Things covered in these lessons are: what makes a plant, the parts of Read More...

Solar System Blacklines
Publication Date: 2017-10-15 | File type: Teaching Material

Blackline master of the planets in the solar system. These are used in the lesson introducing our solar system in Read More...

Wonders Of The Universe
Publication Date: 2017-10-15 | File type: Teaching Material

Four lesson plans to teach students about the universe. Topics covered in these lesson plans are the solar system, the Read More...

A Fall Landscape With A Torn Paper Tree
Publication Date: 2015-01-22 | File type: Teaching Material

This is a lesson plan for an elementary art lesson in which students draw and use construction paper to create Read More...

Blob Print Butterfly
Publication Date: 2015-01-22 | File type: Teaching Material

This is a lesson plan for an elementary art lesson in which students combine two primary colors to create a Read More...

Lines and Spaces Art Lesson
Publication Date: 2015-01-22 | File type: Teaching Material

In this lesson, students recognize and produce lines: straight, curved, looped, jagged, wavy, diagonal, horizontal, and vertical. After drawing each Read More...

Welcome to First Grade, Part 1 (Carolyn Martin)
Publication Date: 2013-08-03 | File type: Audio

First grade started well gives students a good foundation for the rest of their school days. In this talk, we Read More...

Welcome to First Grade, Part 2 (Carolyn Martin)
Publication Date: 2013-08-03 | File type: Audio

First grade is off to a good start. Now it is time to push on the finish line and end Read More...

Word Games and Drills
Publication Date: | File type: Teaching Material

A list of fun games and drills for students learning to read. Download the document now or read it below. Read More...

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