Peas in a Pod

𝑻𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅𝒏'𝒕 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈! ☕ I’m Melissa—a K-8 educator since 2004, and I’ve lived the combo-class struggle. I created 𝑷𝒆𝒂𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝑷𝒐𝒅 to share resources built for real classrooms! You’ll find no-prep, standards-aligned activities that keep students engaged and make your life a little easier. Think: reading comprehension passages with anchor charts, grammar practice kids actually enjoy, easy sub plans, and morning work you can grab and go because teachers don't have time to reinvent the wheel. ✏️ I often hear from teachers that my resources help them “finally breathe on Sundays” or that their students are “actually excited to use them.” That kind of feedback is what keeps me creating—𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒎𝒚 𝒈𝒐𝒂𝒍 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒑 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒋𝒐𝒚!

Being super dorky has really helped me in the classroom! I'll sing, dance, or do both to refocus my group. They roll with laughter and are ultimately drawn in by my antics. They have no idea they were just fooled into focusing! (Let's keep that our little secret.) ☺️ My teaching style is all about engagement. Sometimes that means a silly song, a quick movement break, or interactive activities woven into reading comprehension, main idea practice, or paragraph writing. Back to school and year around, my goal is to keep learning fun while helping students stay focused and grow.

✏ Impact, Innovation, and Excellence Award from Teachers Pay Teachers ✏ Graduated with Honors, CSU Sacramento ✏ Named a Top 100 Teacher Blogger by Feedspot – www.peasinapodlessons.com ✏ Excellence in Reading Comprehension Education ✏ Educator at a Gold Ribbon School – California Department of Education ✏ Published education author featured on leading platforms including the Teachers Pay Teachers Blog and Rachel Lynette’s Minds in Bloom. ✏ Our resources have been used in classrooms across all 50 states and worldwide! ✏ 3 years experience as a homeschooling parent

✏ BS Liberal Studies with a Reading Concentration, CSU Sacramento; ✏ Multiple Subject Clear Credential; ✏ Masters of Education in Cross Cultural Education; ✏ Preschool Teaching Certificate

I’ve taught a wide range of grades over the years, but my favorites are kindergarten, third, and fifth. In my district, kinder is a half-day for students (though definitely not for teachers!)—and I love how much joy and energy they bring! Third graders are the perfect mix: mature enough to stay focused, but still wonderfully sweet. And fifth graders? They crack me up with their almost-grown-up sense of humor—without the full-on preteen sass (yet!). The resources I create reflect what I’ve loved teaching most: engaging main idea reading comprehension, fun text features and structure, no prep grammar worksheets, morning work that’s quick and meaningful, and sub plans you can trust when you’re out. My goal is always to save you time! Back to school and year around, I hope to provide your students with engaging, standards-aligned practice that actually works in the classroom. Thanks for stopping by! Don’t forget to hit the ⭐ at the top to follow my store so you’ll always know when new resources are added.