Being a productive teacher felt like the impossible goal. I had a million to-dos and only so many hours to do it in. Anyone out there feel my pain? Usually, my preparation time turned into me doing the things I liked the most first. Then, I’d chat with a coworker for a bit and scramble […]
Candice Yamnitz
Candice Yamnitz is a teacher gone stay-at-home mom. While raising her children, she freelance writes and volunteer teaches.
Posted inClassroom Management
No Screaming: Classroom Management Strategies That Work
Screaming can be an effective classroom management strategy if your goal is to get scared children to obey your words. It also could cause students to revolt. Why do we do it? We scream because we’re upset. We scream because it’s effective… well the first few times. The other day I led a group of […]
Posted inMathematics
Guided Math Pitfalls: Avoid these to Make it Work
The year I started guided math, I was in for a fun learning curve. Guided reading worked well in my classroom. I saw students making large strides and guided math was the new initiative. This was the year that I was going to jump into a more rigorous math class and more personalized teaching. I […]
Posted inElementary School
Getting my Struggling Readers to Thrive in the Content Areas
How do you get your struggling reader to succeed in the content areas? This was my dilemma as a fourth-grade teacher. I was frustrated for my struggling students. They experienced failure in almost every class because they struggled in literacy. I worked hard over the years to get every student to meet my objectives. With text […]
Posted inBack to School
Going Bare: Forget the Pinterest Ready Room
I love scrolling through all the beautiful Pinterest classrooms and seeing just how beautiful a classroom can be. However, when I looked at my classroom, I saw it was never really Pinterest-ready. I felt a pang inside me wishing I had the money or ability to do this. I realized that I had something better. My […]
Posted inEnglish Language Learners
ELL Students: Is it a Language Issue or is it Something Else?
Teachers of English Language Learners (ELLs) may face a challenge when deciding if their students struggle with language or other learning issues. The difference can be hard to identify. As a bilingual and ELL teacher, I ran into many students who struggled in class. I wondered how I could reach them and keep the momentum going for further […]