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About Brenda Kovich

Teacher. That’s me, and I love the label!

Hi, I’m Brenda, and I created this website to support third, fourth, and fifth grade teachers.

Instead of writing in first person, I tell stories about the teaching life of Ms. Sneed, a fictitious fourth grade teacher. Each vignette gives you a chance to listen in on another teacher’s challenges, thought processes, problem solving, and planning.

You’re in the right place if you’re looking for:

  • Strategies to enjoy teaching. Blog posts support six proven steps: organize, plan, simplify, learn, engage, and dive in.
  • Ideas for teaching ELA, science, or math. Hundreds of posts explore engaging, hands-on activities.
  • A specific instructional solution. Just use the search tool at the upper right to find what you’re looking for.

After decades in the classroom, I wanted to share what I had learned. That’s why I created this website.

Additionally, I opened a TPT store. In it, you’ll find free and inexpensive materials that allow you to implement ideas in your own classroom.

Let me tell you a little about my experience as a teacher.

Things weren’t always easy. As a matter of fact, during my first three years as a teacher, I felt like I was barely holding my head above water. But as I learned to effectively organize, plan, and then simplify, it got better.

After that, I sought ways to grow. That meant I needed to learn (a lot), engage my students (and myself), and dive in when faced with challenges.

Like Ms. Sneed, I benefitted from a fantastic mentor, as well as a fun-loving co-teacher. These two teachers had a profound influence on my growth as an educator – as well as my love of teaching.

Under their guidance, I mastered my craft and became a National Board Certified Teacher.

Still, things weren’t always easy. Pressures from high-stakes testing, top-down directives, difficult parents (and sometimes colleagues), and behavior issues confronted me every day.

But I still enjoyed teaching. Why? I loved spending my days as a part of an active learning community. Better yet, I had the privilege of experiencing that magical moment when a child begins to understand – over and over again. Surprisingly, as time went by, I also welcomed the never-ending challenges. After all, overcoming them brought special fulfillment.

You can explore a topic that’s relevant to your teaching right now.

Just click on the search icon at the top right of this screen. Once you’ve found what you’re looking for, you can listen in as Ms. Sneed faces the same challenge. I hope her insights help you in your teaching journey.

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