Let me guess. You’re a teacher in summer mode but the universe doesn’t get it. People are either:
Asking what you’re doing with “all that time off,” or
Posting aesthetically perfect “teacher transformation” goals with sunrise runs, closet makeovers, and classroom organisation by July.
Meanwhile, you’re sitting on the sofa in mismatched pajamas eating toast over the sink and wondering if you should feel bad for not alphabetising your classroom library.
Let me stop you right there.
As a fellow teacher who has finished the year held together by caffeine and classroom duct tape, let me tell you what you actually need this summer: permission to rest, permission to not plan, and a little structure to recharge your way.
Here is the no-glitter, no-guilt guide for reclaiming your summer energy. It’s not fancy, but it will stop you from burning out next year.
1. First, Do Nothing. Like, Actually Nothing.
The first week of break? That’s your decompression zone. ( no, looking for teacher summer work) Think emotional jetlag. Don’t rush to be productive—you’ve just been everyone’s therapist, IT support, and unpaid lunch monitor for 10 months. (Sorry if it’s longer in your neck of the woods.)
Try this: Schedule a full week of “meh.” No goals. No alarms. Pyjamas until noon. You’re not lazy—you’re recalibrating.
Teacher self-care
2. Write the Summer List (But Make It Chill)
Forget the “Hot Girl Summer” energy. We’re aiming for “Content Teacher Energy.” We’re going to make the most of your teacher summer break.
Make a summer activities list with three columns:
Things I want to do
Things I need to do
Things I’ll never do but like pretending I might
Try this: Choose one item from the “need to” summer activities column per week. Yes, week. Your oil change isn’t going anywhere.
3. Move in Ways That Don’t Feel Like P.E.
This isn’t about “beach bodies” or “bouncing back.” It’s about un-kinking your teacher spine and feeling like a human again.
Try this: Dance in your kitchen ( we do a lot of that in our family) Walk to the bakery/fishmonger’s in my case!)Take a yoga class and try and hold off the nap until the end. Just move in a way that makes you happy.
4. Revive the Hobby You Ghosted in September
Remember when you used to read books that weren’t about classroom management? Or paint, bake, or rewatch every season of your favourite show while sipping iced tea? I always revert to gardening, even if I’ve missed planting season, there’s always the garden center to fill in the gap.
Try this: Block off hobby time like a dentist appointment—non-negotiable and good for your health.
5. Plan Small Joyful Adventures (Emphasis on Small)
You don’t need a 10-day trip to Bali to “make the most of summer.” But a solo cinema trip? Visiting a weird museum? Wandering a bookstore with iced coffee in hand? That’s the good stuff.
Try this: Pick three local places you’ve always said you’d check out. Then actually go.
6. Guard Your Boundaries Like They’re Exam Papers
You don’t owe your school, your admin, or your Google Drive a single thing until you decide you’re ready.
Try this: Delete the school email app off your phone. No really. Delete it. Reinstall in August. Maybe.
7. Nap. Like a Boss.
This isn’t laziness. This is elite-level repair mode. You didn’t run on adrenaline all year to then power through summer on productivity guilt.
Try this: Build a nap into your daily rhythm. Think of it as professional development in horizontal form.
If we’re being totally honest…You’re not a failure if your house isn’t immaculate by July.
You’re not “wasting” summer if you didn’t launch a TpT empire.
You’re not falling behind—because rest is not a luxury, it’s a requirement.
This summer isn’t just about recovery. It’s about quietly stitching yourself back together without the pressure to turn it into a Pinterest board.
And if all you do is breathe, heal, and reorganise one junk drawer. That’s enough.
Now go. Grab that iced tea. Cancel any unnecessary admin. And live your best-unbothered teacher life.
Because I’m rooting for you. Always.
— A Fellow Teacher Who’s Also Been In Her Pyjamas at 3 pm
If your bellwork routine is more “barely surviving” than “brain-boosting,” you’re not alone. Between chasing down pencils, attendance, and that one student who always has a breakfast drama, mornings can feel more chaotic than calm. Let’s talk about how to give your bellringers a glow-up this school year.
This post is your go-to guide for transforming morning work from dull to dynamic, with no extra prep and lots of real learning. Whether you call them bellringers, warm-ups, do-nows, or openers, we’re giving them a much-needed makeover like this free pack you can grab to try.
What Are Bellringers, Really?
Bellringers are quick, purposeful activities students complete at the very start of class. Ideally, they should:
Set the tone for learning
Review or spiral key concepts
Engage students’ brains
Give you a few minutes to get settled
But let’s be honest: when we’re swamped, bellringers often turn into uninspired worksheets, ” What did you do at the weekend,” or random busy work in journals And that does not serve you or your students.
The Problem with Traditional Morning Work
It’s not that morning work is bad. It’s that it often becomes a time filler instead of a brain igniter. I like to set up my day so that learning is engaging, real and saves me re-teaching time later on in the year. You’ve probably found that when it’s not working, it’s one of these problems:
Too repetitive: Same worksheet, different day
Too random: Unconnected questions with no learning goal
Too low-level: Copy this sentence. Color that box.
Too stressful: Students need help, but you’re handling a dozen other things
I just didn’t want any of that. So I experimented with a bunch of ideas and was rewarded with calm mornings.
Whether you teach 4th grade, 5th, or even middle school, a glow-up is possible. Let’s dive into the good stuff I found worked. You can grab a sample week for free here .
Easy morning work routine
5 Ways to Give Your Bellringers a Real Glow-Up
1. Make It Meaningful
Choose bellringers that connect to real-world situations or current events. When students can see the “why” behind what they’re doing, they’re more engaged. Try questions like:
“You’re planning a birthday party for 20 people. The cake recipe serves 8. How many cakes do you need?”
Want math to matter? Start here.
2. Switch Up the Format
Not all morning work needs to be pencil-and-paper. I tried using bellringer journals, whiteboard stations, or even mini-discussion prompts with partners. I planned themed warm-ups by day of the week — like Math Monday or Writing Wednesday — to keep things fresh and predictable.
3. Add Student Voice
Incorporate prompts that let students reflect, predict, or share an opinion. A simple question like:
“What strategy did you use yesterday that helped you in math? Would you use it again?”
…can turn a warm-up into a powerful moment for metacognition and growth mindset.
4. Make It Standards-Aligned Without Killing the Vibe
Use bellwork to gently spiral skills you’ve already taught — or preview what’s coming. If you’re working on place value, a quick estimation warm-up fits perfectly.
I especially enjoyed using short word problems with a twist to sneak in both math and literacy. Turning test review into a disguised game format, so students don’t even realise they’re studying, also works beautifully
5. Keep It Low-Prep but High-Impact
You’re tired. Your bellwork shouldn’t require a Google Slides deck with 23 animations. Choose warm-ups that are:
Copy-and-go
Easy to differentiate
Quick to check
I keep it to five minutes max, just enough to settle students and set the tone. The glow-up doesn’t need to be fancy — just intentional.
P.S. These bellringers aren’t just for the first week of school. They’ll work all year long — and you won’t need to prep a thing. Win-win.
That’s my tips for glowing up your bellringer routine for this school year. Good luck, I’m cheering you all the way.
Once you’ve got your bellwork sorted, you might want to check out Melissa’s (That One Cheerful Classroom) Ideas for the perfect back-to-school exit ticket routine. And that’s another thing ticked off your list.
After lots of experimentation I’ve found 4 creative ways to teach multi-step word problems that are sure to engage your learners too. Practicing multi-step word problems in 4th grade is a tricky business and many students struggle with understanding them, which then affects their motivation to practice. Although it’s a hard skill to master, practice and more practice is the way to go.
If you have fun and engaging ways to make word problems relevant and real, students will WANT to practice more. So I’m coming with 4 creative ways to teach multi-step word problems so that your learners will be asking for more practice activities!
No more ignoring the fact that NOBODY buys 26 melons for a birthday party!
There are tons of ways to make practicing word problems more enjoyable and easier to grasp.
So let’s jump into my go-to strategies.
1. Make Grade 4 Multi-Step Word Problems Real and Relevant
There are so many strategies to choose from but the best way to choose is to put yourself in your learners’ shoes. 👟 Are you ready to be a 4th grader for a minute?
Real Ancient Egyptian Word Problems to Solve
Solve this Ancient Egyptian word problem and tap into how you feel about the format and strategy you would use.
Here you go…
There are seven houses; in each house, there are seven cats; each cat kills seven mice; each mouse has eaten seven grains of barley; each grain would have produced seven hekat. What is the sum of all the enumerated things?
– FYI, it’s from the Rhind Mathematical Papyrus ( in case you’re wondering!)
Do you turn to visualisation strategies to make sense of this? Or are you using word identification?
Did you automatically draw the little stick houses, mice, cats, barley and
Then realise: What on Earth 🌍 is a hekat!!! Is it even relevant?
Imagine you had a page of these to solve, would you get tired? Need a brain break?
Was it interesting and fun because of the historical context?
My Conclusion: drawing is great but if you don’t have a scooby what a word means you feel like giving up. If the context is interesting you’re more likely to be interested enough to persevere.
Pheww!
Doubts Kick in for Your 4th Graders Too When Solving Multi-Step Word Problems!
Is that word even important?
Do cats really eat mice? ( I thought they ate cheese and drank cream (non-cat owner)
7 is being repeated so maybe I need to multiply it all together.
Pick all the numbers I can find and just add them up (that should work)
That’s when I teach and reteach the formal strategy. Going back to reinforce a step-by-step approach can solidify the basics. However, I’ve found students get bored with this and need that extra motivation to truly grasp the skill. That’s why I bring out all the stops with direct instruction, mini workshops, hands-on activities, colouring math mats, and stories. The whole shebang! Because I aim to keep them engaged enough to practice and practice some more. Teaching multi-step word problems creatively will save your sanity!
Because let’s face it if you’re like me trying to get kids ready for the real world. You’ll agree in the real world no two problems are the same! The more variety of strategies you use, the more confidence you will help them build in this skill.
I’ve found that using real and relevant context for word problems helps with understanding. Also adding in some brain breaks builds that muscle to persevere with challenging multi-step problems.
Students need to learn several skills to master multi-step word problems
No matter what, it’s an essential skill that’s part of every curriculum and one that’s relevant to real life.
Visuals work best for my students so I use my seasonal maths mats to connect relevant seasonal topics and a variety of levels of maths word problems to the topic. From single-step addition to easy multi-step problems. Moving on to multi-step problems for decimals and multi-step volume word problems.
Depending on the type of review you want to do, you can print these on large paper and use them as a collaborative poster activity and create a display with these maths mats. Get your class used to the activity and use it at centers or stations every week. They are such lifesavers when I’m in a pinch for a print-and-go activity!
My next strategy ties in with projects and incorporates literacy with maths
2. Math Storytelling with a Purpose
Research shows that combining literacy with maths has a direct correlation to understanding and sense-making. I love to use mathematical stories in my maths block. It brings maths to life and my 4th graders are never too old for a good story!
Using picture books to illustrate mathematical thinking is an amazing tool to encourage maths talk, and collaboration and boost mathematical vocabulary.
Here are a few books I like to use to introduce some maths topics.
How Many Jelly Beans?
Is a great book for illustrating large numbers in real life and is great for the Autumn season to review place value word problems. It’s the perfect companion for my Candy Crunch word problems worksheet! Incorporate it into station/center activities with this worksheet and you have a ready-to-go activity for subs, homeschool, or regular seasonal centers.
Sir Cumference and the Knights of the First Round Table (A Math Adventure): And the First Round Table
This is an absolute favourite, combining geometry and problem-solving this picture book brings a lighthearted illustration of how to think about maths word problems. It’s a great series of books and I’ve found it helps alleviate maths anxiety because maths vocabulary is woven throughout the story. This makes vocabulary more accessible and is great for making it familiar.
Grapes of Math
I love this book as an introduction to number sense. Fun rhymes and riddles introduce problem-solving strategies that can be incorporated into morning work. They are so much fun!
These storybooks are a great introduction to new maths topics but my next strategy is going to get your students thinking.
3. Visual Representations and Manipulatives
Telling your own real-life stories is going to make maths even more meaningful for your students. I like to share my gardening stories and shopping trolley pictures with my students to get them thinking about how to problem-solve in real life. Just pop a picture of your weekly shop on your whiteboard and you have an instant maths problem-solving activity that is relevant. Let’s face it, I bet your students are always nosy about your life outside of the classroom!
Here Are Some Ideas to Incorporate more Multi-step Math Problem-Solving Activities
Math Journal:
Let your students create their own math journals! They can doodle and share their day-to-day experiences, turning everyday activities into math stories. It’s like their personal math diary. Encouraging awareness about the math around them will help them be less anxious about tackling math problems during testing too. I like to get them familiar with problem-solving strategies on a regular basis.
Classroom Grocery Shop:
A shopping setup isn’t t just for lower grades! Set students the task of designing a real-life grocery shop or online shop in your classroom!
Creating price tags to put on items, writing and understanding shopping lists. fulfilling orders and refunds and putting on sales will help them practice multi-step math problems with all 4 operations.
It ticks all the boxes with hands-on elements, visuals, and manipulatives.
Whiteboard Story Snapshots:
Ever thought of turning your whiteboard into a visual story album? Snap pics of your hobbies and out-of-school activities like
holiday pics
tickets
cinema trips,
gift lists
shopping
Throw them up on the board, and voila – instant math problems that are visual and meaningful. I like to crowdsource from my family, stage partners, and that messy drawer everyone has in their home! It’s a great morning work activity that can last for a week.
Authentic Objects
If you are at all able to bring in relevant artifacts and objects for students to use as manipulatives. Like pumpkins during Autumn or jars of jelly beans. Pictures and cubes are always great alternatives. Hands-on learning activities make maths concepts memorable and it’s more likely that it sticks until the end of the year, fingers crossed!
Lastly
4. Collaborative Problem-Solving
I’m always trying to incorporate this strategy. It can be hard to achieve but grouping mixed-ability students is encouraging and stretches all students. Assign each group with one of these themed sheets and encourage them to try a variety of problem-solving strategies together.
It’s great seeing students sharing their thoughts although it can be tricky to make sure everyone plays their part and contributes. I minimize this by assigning group roles. Research shows collaborative activities improve problem-solving skills and it’s a great strategy to deal with maths anxiety too! Plus it’s more likely you’ll hear a chatter of real maths talk going on.
More Ways to Teach 4th Grade Multi Step Word Problems Creatively.
Mastering multi-step word problems in fourth grade is crucial for honing problem-solving skills, boosting mathematical understanding, and fostering critical skills essential for growing math thinking.
By incorporating hands-on activities, engaging games, and visual aids, you’re not just teaching maths – you’re turning it into a memorable experience.
Hopefully, your students are not just tackling problems but enjoying the process, feeling confident, staying on task, and persevering with challenges because they are engaged and it’s meaningful.
I hope you found some strategies you can implement today because teaching word problems is not going away! Let’s do this together and build resilience in our students to persevere with challenging concepts.
Now, which of the four strategies in this post resonates most with you? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. Until then, keep building that love for learning,
Fantastic Teaching!
Hey Friend! I’m Sabah
I’m a former Scottish teacher and I have a passion for incorporating real world connections with learning. Project based learning for grades 3- 5 is my jam! You’re in the right place if you’re looking to find simple, effective strategies to transition to a more student led classroom, boost student engagement, retention and have fun doing it! Curious to know how my 4th grade class transitioned to PBL focused learning? Click HERE to find out.
