I recently had a crash course in what is called ‘Manifestation Determination’ or ‘Manifestation Meetings’. I had never heard of these until this week. Now mind you, I am by no means a special education teacher, nor do I claim to know much about all of the forms and paperwork that these saints endure. I […]
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Posted inClassroom Management, Featured, School Improvement
Celebrating Students: 3 Quick, Easy, Inexpensive Ways to Show Support
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”] Our jobs as teachers are not limited to simply teaching, instruction, and delivering information. Our jobs extend to being mothers, fathers, caregivers, therapists, nurses, and anything else that our students need us […]
Posted inCommon Core, Elementary School, Featured, Instruction & Curriculum, Middle School, Social Studies
Teaching Strategy: Adding Primary Sources to Elementary Social Studies
I don’t care which television news channel you select – I hate them all. Why? There are a variety of reasons. For one, they are all emotion, little fact. They focus on sound bites instead of the whole speech. They care way too much about celebrity and not about the common person. Most of all, […]
Posted inFeatured, Instruction & Curriculum, Opinion
Wiki-What? 10 Reasons It’s Time for Teachers to Embrace Wikipedia
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”] My neighbor teacher and I have this roundabout every year. She, the English teacher, doesn’t permit students to use Wikipedia, and the debate ensues not long after she brings up the […]
Posted inFeatured, Instruction & Curriculum, Mathematics, Opinion, School Improvement
The Importance of Solidifying Basic Math Facts
Each Friday, I run my class through timed math facts tests. I give my kids five minutes to get through 100 facts. I assess my first through sixth graders on addition and subtraction; my third through sixth grade on all the facts of multiplication and division and my first and second graders on each set […]
Posted inFeatured, Instruction & Curriculum
Teaching Strategy: Collision!
I know what you’re thinking – “this author wants to teach us about a game called ‘Collision’? Oh, this can’t be good.” Relax, take a sip of your coffee, and stop to learn this interactive teaching strategy. Ingredients: A class of students An open area to move around A list thought-provoking questions that can have multiple […]
Posted inFeatured, From the Front Lines, Instruction & Curriculum, Opinion
Simple Scientific Method For Younger Elementary Grades
My class of first and second graders is working through the scientific method. We have been doing several science experiences a week for the past four weeks. I love how they ‘get it’. Several of my teacher friends think I’m crazy for introducing this concept so early. Those are the same friends who also think I’m […]
Posted inElementary School, Featured, How to Fix Education, Instruction & Curriculum, Literacy
Teaching to New Rules:Phonics for Upper Elementary
From the day children are born, the race is on here in America. Boy or girl? Weight? Length? And so it begins; how does your child measure up with “average” child their age? We watch for those important milestones. Rolls over, check! Sits up, check! Babbles, check! Crawls, check! Walks, check! The list goes on […]