It’s so easy for students to check out after testing and spring break. As teachers we know how critical it is to thread student investment through the end of the year. Here are some tips and tricks that work to drive student engagement: CREATE A COUNTDOWN: Keep students excited by starting a end of grade…
Gratitude: the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness. I’ve been exploring student empowerment and voice, and my role in creating a classroom culture that fosters the next generation of leaders and thinkers. This has led me to more lessons that focus on character education. As we express our…
When thinking about student voice in my classroom a few things come to mind. The biggest and most important (in my opinion) is the agency students have over their educational experience, and how they are valued as members of our classroom community. While I am the instructional leader of my classroom, my students are the…
Dear Tanesha, Please get over stuff! For real. I know that you are an overachiever, but it’s really time for you to get over the STUFF that does NOT matter the most. You are annoyed because your classroom doesn’t look like the ones on Pinterest, and your activities don’t “look” as fun, and the list…
As I continue to grow as a teacher, I explore who and I am, and why I teach. Being a teacher is an important part of my identity, but there are so many other parts of my identity that are intertwined into the “WHY” I teaching. I’ve also realized that my students are also thinking…
‘Tis the season to teach empathy. From elections to holidays, empathy (IMO) is one of the most under taught/reinforced life habits. As we approach the holiday season, I’ve overheard my students discussing all the things they are going to get, which is great! However, I have so many students who don’t share that experience. They…
I’m done! We’ve all heard those words from students. Sometimes it means,”I’ve done as much as I am going to do alone,” but most times it means I’ve finished the required assignment. My number one early finisher activity is independent reading. As a reading teacher there is NO OTHER “activity” better (IMO) than for them…
If you are anything like me, you love learning and sharpening your teacher tools. However, sitting in multiple day long sessions might not be the best method! Below are a view strategies for getting through the best (and worst) teacher professional development sessions. 1. Take Notes! Before you click away, hear me out. If you…
Communication is key… or so they say (wink, wink). Every year I make new(ish) commitments on how I am going to improve as a teacher. It’s an EVEERRRR growing list… That said, I want to continue to focus on parent/guardian communication. My parents LOVE to be in the know, and I want to make sure…
Keeping it positive in the classroom can be a challenge. Sometimes it’s difficult to even recognize moments of positivity in the midst of chaos learning. I’ve heard hat the ratio of positive to negative recognition in the classroom should be around 5 to 1. Sometimes finding the positive when we are always striving for perfection…
No products in the cart.
