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Tam Milledge | Teaching tips & resources for primary teachers

@mrslearningbee

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📝 Teaching tips & evidence-based classroom resources
🐝The Hive: digital tools, time-saving systems & resources for teachers
👇🏼500+ free teaching tools
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Hiiii! 👋🏼 Welcome to my little corner of the internet. I’m a former teacher and assistant principal. Mum of two boys. Based in Sydney. I left the classroom in 2021 to build something that could support teachers beyond my own four walls. I create evidence-based resources and tools for K-6 teachers - alongside my husband Jez, who is genuinely redefining what online teaching tools can do. Together we built The Hive - an innovative digital teaching platform that’s a whole lot more than just a resource library. If you’ve ever wished someone would just build the thing you actually need in your classroom - feel free to let us know. Chances are, Jez is already on it. 😉 This is the side of the internet where you’re allowed to love teaching and still want it to be easier. So glad you’re here. 💛 PS - here’s how I can help you: 👉🏼New around here? Comment FREEBEE and I’ll send you the link to hundreds of free, classroom-ready resources to get started.
 👉🏼Ready for the full she-bang of support? Comment HIVE to try The Hive free for 14 days! by @mrslearningbee
394
6 months ago
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🐝Where we’ve come from & where to next? We’ve spent the last few years with a simple vision: to find new & innovative ways to make teachers’ lives easier whilst also making learning fun & engaging for students. We’ve consistently described The Hive as an all-in-one online hub for your classroom — a launchpad with everything you need, all in one place. 💡We’ve prioritised originality, thought outside the box & brought to life features that were unlike anything else out there in the world. We’re all about disrupting the status quo to build the best tech platform for teachers today. Some of the features that we’ve pioneered & are particularly proud of: 👉🏼the online visual timetable + digital teacher planner — the first ever planner for teachers AND students! 👉🏼the innovative Word Builder app with previously unseen capabilities 👉🏼an ever-growing bank of digital learning tools which take customisation to the next level 👉🏼 Buzzboard, our complete digital whiteboard 👉🏼our unique classroom dashboard that brings everything together Not only that, but we’re so proud that we’ve built the Hive in such a collaborative way. We’ve worked alongside thousands of members, actioning feedback to build updates & features that are actually needed in classrooms around the world. 👏🏼 Ultimately, we know that The Hive is unlike any other teaching tool out there. You’ll find the most comprehensive range of digital learning and classroom tools with more flexible functionality than you ever thought possible! And we also know that we’re only *just* getting started — there’s no shortage of ideas in our brains! 😉 The Hive is your all-in-one digital teaching partner, and it’s only going to get bigger & better!👌🏼 👇🏼Comment HIVE try it out for free. It’s time to level-up! OR, already a member? We’d *love* to hear what features have been game changers so far? Thanks for being part of the journey with us! Love, Tam & Jez PS — fun fact, this song was our first wedding dance! 💕 . . . . #teacherplanner #digitalplanner #teacherorganization #classroomsetup #teachersfollowteachers #australianteachers #aussieteachers #graduateteacher #teachingtools #teachertoolbox by @mrslearningbee
175
2 years ago
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(Part 2) Pencils > laptops? There’s a reason this debate is everywhere right now — and today I got to unpack it on @thetodayshow! With the latest research and recent reports spotlighting the cognitive benefits of handwriting over typing, it’s a conversation we really need to be having. Why? Because when kids write by hand, they’re not just forming letters — they’re activating the neural pathways needed for reading success, engaging in deeper thinking, making better connections between concepts, and retaining that information in a way that supports long-term learning. Typing simply doesn’t activate the brain in the same way. But this isn’t a “ditch all technology” moment. It’s about balance. Tech should amplify learning — not replace the human, hands-on parts that matter most. That’s exactly why we built The Hive: Not tech for the sake of it. Not online games dressed up as learning. But instead? Tech that supports teachers, strengthens evidence-based instruction, and blends seamlessly with physical, hands-on learning. We want both worlds working together — where a child can use real manipulatives at their desk while the teacher models thinking on-screen… and the tech exists purely to lift the learning, not distract from it. Massive thank you to @channel9 for opening up this conversation. Our kids deserve the best of both worlds — and so do our teachers. 💛 Agree? Disagree? I’d love to hear your thoughts! 💭 See Part 1 for the first half of our discussion! taken in Sydney, Australia by @mrslearningbee
10
a year ago
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When a child freezes in front of a task, it’s easy to assume they need more motivation or a more engaging activity.
 But very often, their working memory is already full.
 Young kids have a tiny amount of working memory to play with. Every new routine, set of instructions or busy display takes a sip from it. By the time the actual task arrives, there’s not much left for the learning.
 Three things that make a real difference to cognitive load in a primary classroom:
 👉🏼 A predictable lesson structure. Same routine, same order, same way of giving instructions. When kids know the format, their brain gets to focus on the content.
 👉🏼 Calmer classroom walls. Fisher, Godwin and Seltman (2014) found kids in heavily decorated classrooms spent more time off task. Busy walls compete with busy brains.
 👉🏼 A visual timetable on display all day. “What’s next?” can take up space in a child’s head from 9am to 3pm. A visual timetable hands that job to the wall instead.
 None of these cost a cent or need a whole new program. They just take a few things *off* a child’s plate.
 If you’d like a visual timetable you can set up once and use every day, ours lives in The Hive. It sits on your classroom screen and the kids tick off each part of the day as they go. Teachers tell us it’s been a HUGE help for their neurodiverse students in particular. 🫶🏼
 Comment HIVE to try it free, anytime! 👇🏼 by @mrslearningbee
7
a day ago
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Comment WEBINAR for three weeks of FREE, research-backed maths warm ups! 👇🏼
 A full page of correct answers can tell you *very* little about what a child understands in maths. So here are three things from the research that changed how I think about maths practice:
 👉🏼 Concrete, pictorial, abstract. This sequence comes from Bruner’s work in the 1960s, and it’s still the backbone of how kids build number sense. Skip the first two stages and you get kids who can follow steps without knowing why they work.
 👉🏼 Spread practice out. Dunlosky and colleagues (2013) compared ten common learning techniques, and spacing practice over time came out on top. When kids have to dig the method back out of memory each day, it sticks.
 👉🏼 Mix the question types. In Rohrer and Taylor’s (2007) study, students who practised mixed problems scored 63% a week later. Students who practised them grouped by type scored 20%.
 None of this needs a whole new maths program. It fits beautifully into five minutes at the start of a lesson.
 That’s what my free maths warm ups webinar is alllll about. I’ll walk you through how to use spaced, mixed practice in your daily warm ups, and you’ll walk away with three weeks of them ready to go.
 📅 Thursday 22 October

The replay + warm up slides are included for everyone who registers, so sign up even if you can’t make it live!
 👇🏼 Comment WEBINAR and I’ll send you the details. 💛 by @mrslearningbee
355
2 days ago
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So much of the friction between parents and teachers comes from one place: neither of them can see the other’s day.
 A parent sees the morning. The tears over shoes, the late night, the worry they carry out the school gate.
 A teacher sees what happens next. That same child, plus 24 others, each walking in with their own morning.
 Back in 1968, education researcher Philip Jackson estimated teachers make around 1,500 decisions a day. Many of those are about children who need something a little different from the child sitting next to them. That’s the reality of differentiation in a primary classroom, and it’s verrrrry hard to explain from the outside.
 Parents aren’t doing anything wrong by not knowing this. Most have no way to see it, because the only person who could tell them is flat out teaching.
 And none of it means stop emailing. The best home school partnerships I’ve seen were built on parents who reached out early and teachers who were given the chance to help.
 It just helps when both sides know what the other is holding.
 Teachers, if you’ve ever struggled to put this into words for a parent, hopefully this helps!
 Stick around for honest truths about teaching, and strategies to help make it easier! by @mrslearningbee
6
3 days ago
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Three behaviour management habits that helped turn my tricky classes around, and not one of them needs a new resource, a new chart or an extra minute of prep.
 👉🏼 Greet every child at the door. Every greeting is a deposit in the bank. So when you DO need to make a withdrawal later (a correction, a redirect, a tricky conversation), there’s something in there to draw on. It’s about 30 seconds a day and it’s backed by research!
 👉🏼 Precorrect before the transition. A GPS that only speaks up after you’ve missed the exit is pretty useless! So before pack up, lining up or coming in from lunch, name exactly what it should look like. Then catch the kids doing it and say so.
 👉🏼 Regulate first, correct later. The amygdala is the brain’s guard dog, and its only job is keeping you safe. When it’s barking, a consequence won’t land. Lower your voice, use fewer words and give a bit of space. Save the conversation for when they can *actually* hear it.
 The trick is doing them every day, including (especially!) the days you least feel like it.
 Stick around for teaching tips that respect the research, and your time. 💛
 PS: I talk about this and SO much more in my new book, The Classroom Playbook. 👇🏼 Comment PLAYBOOK to join the presale waitlist! by @mrslearningbee
96
4 days ago
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✨ Teaching Glimmers are back! ✨
 I’m bringing this one back for Term 4, because I think we could all use it right about now. 🫶🏼
 If Spicy Teacher Truths is where I call out the noise in teaching, Teaching Glimmers is where we zoom in on the good stuff we almost miss. 👀
 Teaching comes with plenty of pressure, paperwork and never-ending to-dos. And right alongside all of that, it’s full of glimmers. Tiny, fleeting, joyful moments that remind you WHY you became a teacher.
 👉🏼 A kid told you, “This is my favourite place.” And they meant your classroom.
👉🏼 Someone asked for more time because they were in the zone.
👉🏼 You saw the *exact* moment it clicked.
👉🏼 A kid waved at you from the car like you were a celebrity.
👉🏼 A colleague noticed the effort you’d put in, and they told you. 
None of these will ever show up in your data. They’re still proof of impact, and they matter sooo much more than we give them credit for.
 If last week felt hard, consider this your nudge to keep an eye out for the glimmers. The hard stuff is real. But the glimmers are there too, and they’re worth noticing!
 Spotted a glimmer lately? I’d love to hear it!
 And if protecting that love of teaching is your thing too, you’re in the right place. 💛 PS - no idea why this says it contains AI content?!? But can confirm, it was allll me! 😅🤦🏼‍♀️ by @mrslearningbee
11
5 days ago
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Comment T4 and I’ll send you the links to everything I’ve got for you this term! 👇🏼 Term 4 has a way of going from “we’ve got ages” to “how is it Week 8??” overnight. 😅 Reports. Assessment data. Concert practice eating into maths time. Kids who are getting increasingly restless after a year of learning. And somewhere in the middle of it all, you’re still teaching a full curriculum. That feeling is a big part of why Jez and I build what we build. Almost everything in The Hive exists because a teacher messaged us saying “could you make this? It would make my life sooooo much easier!” So everything I’m bringing this term is about making the next ten weeks easier to get through: 👉🏼 A free maths warm ups webinar on Thursday 22 October (+ 15 done-for-you warm ups for any grade) 👉🏼 Almost 1,000 evidence-based freebies in the Freebee Library 👉🏼 Digital learning tools that keep kids engaged right up to the last week (with a whole stack of new ones about to drop 👀) 👉🏼 Explicit Teaching Scripts, so the explicit teaching part is already worked out 👉🏼 Maths programs that are already planned, prepped and ready to teach 👉🏼 A visual timetable on your board all day and calming videos for wheneverrrrr you need them 👉🏼 Secure relief hand-off for the sick day you keep putting off 👉🏼 The Hive for Schools, so your school pays next year - more to come on this v soon! 👉🏼 Buzzy the Elf and end of year/Christmas freebies to keep the last few weeks fun Plus a reminder I needed to hear more often: you’re allowed to reteach the thing they didn’t get. Going back over it is how it sticks. The scope and sequence will survive. And if you’re completely wiped by 3pm, that’s around 1,500 decisions a day catching up with you (Jackson, 1968). It makes SENSE that you’re tired! 👇🏼 Comment T4 and I’ll whizz you allll the links! If protecting that love of teaching is your thing too, you’re in the right place. 💛 by @mrslearningbee
147
6 days ago
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If you’re struggling right now, or you’re watching someone in your staffroom struggle, this one’s for you. 🫶🏼
 “Have you tried a self-care day?” is one of the most common things teachers hear when they say it’s all too much. Along with “work smarter, not harder” (most teachers are ALREADY working as smart as they possibly can) and “it’s for the kids” (the kids also need a teacher with something left in the tank by Thursday).
 Teacher burnout comes from too many things on the plate and not enough hours inside the school day to get through them. 

Reports, planning, assessment, meetings, emails from parents at 9pm... the list grows and almost nothing ever comes off it. 
So if it’s you who’s struggling, you’re allowed to ask for practical help. You could say: 👉🏼 “Is there anything that can come off my plate this term?”
👉🏼 “Can I have some planning time protected this week?”
👉🏼 “Which of these jobs can wait?” 
And if it’s a colleague, the most helpful response is usually the most practical one: 👉🏼 “What can I take off you this week?”
👉🏼 “Can I cover your duty so you can get some planning done?”
👉🏼 “Want me to look over those reports with you?” 
Asking for less isn’t a sign you’re not coping. Offering to take something is one of the kindest things you can do in a staffroom. 
Self-care still matters! Rest, walks, a long bath, all of it. It just works best alongside a workload that’s actually manageable. 
Stick around for more honest talk about teacher workload, and what actually helps. 💛 by @mrslearningbee
13
8 days ago
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Comment WEBINAR and I’ll send you the link to save your (free) spot! 👇🏼 Five minutes at the start of a maths lesson can do a LOT of heavy lifting in Term 4. Your students have three terms of place value, number facts, mental computation and sooo many other maths skills to keep fresh, and a quick daily warm up is the perfect spot for that review. Little and often, every single day. The tricky part is finding the time to plan them. Nooooobody has spare hours for that right now. So I’ve done it for you! On Thursday 22 October, I’m running a FREE live webinar where I’ll walk you through: 👉🏼 A simple formula for maths warm ups that gets kids thinking, talking and doing maths (backed by research) 👉🏼 A slide deck with 15+ ready-to-go warm ups you can run the very next day - no extra planning required 👉🏼 4+ levels in every activity, from early number right up to decimals, fractions, negative numbers and more... so differentiation for K-6 is already sorted Every warm up comes with clear teacher notes covering what to do at each level, what it builds and what to watch for. You can run them in your classroom the very next day. That’s three weeks of maths warm ups, planned and ready to go. Can’t make it live? No stress, the replay is included when you register. 👇🏼 Comment WEBINAR and I’ll send you the link to save your spot. 💛 by @mrslearningbee
219
9 days ago
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Comment HEART for my free Heart Words pack! 👇🏼
 If your sight word list has words like cat, went, stop or jump on it, this one’s for you.
 Those words are fully decodable. Once a child has been taught those sounds, sounding the word out is exactly what makes it stick. Connecting sounds to letters is how words get stored for instant recall (researchers call it orthographic mapping).
 Here’s how I sort high-frequency words now:
 👉🏼 Can your students decode it with the phonics they’ve already been taught? It’s a decodable word - sometimes known as a flash word. Teach it through phonics, then practise until it’s automatic.
 👉🏼 Is one part of the word doing something unexpected? It’s a Heart Word. Sound out the regular parts as normal and teach the tricky part explicitly. That’s the bit to learn “by heart.”
 👉🏼 Is it decodable, just not yet? Treat it as a Heart Word for now. Words like make or like are tricky in early Kindergarten, then graduate to flash words once split digraphs are taught.
 That last one makes a big difference. Kids start to see that English mostly makes sense, and that the tricky bits are small and learnable.
 If you’ve drilled sight word cards for years, you’re in very good company. I did it every single day, because it’s what I was taught to do. 🙈
 👇🏼 Comment HEART and I’ll send you the full pack: 200+ words as flash cards, posters or a ready-to-display version for your screen. All editable, all free! by @mrslearningbee
1k
10 days ago
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