Long before the Common Core School Standards (CCSS) were written, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) authored a set of standards for K-12 math. The standards were revised several times and what stands today has many things in common with CCSS. Instead of teaching certain topics in certain grades – like geometry – […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Educational Apps, Professional Development
Teachers Need #Edcamps
Yesterday marks another celebratory moment at our public school. Our administration approved hosting a second annual inservice edcamp organized by our school tech integrationist. He scheduled workshops designed and run by educational expertise right here on our campus and helped host requested workshops for specific professional development. No outsiders involved, no forced learning. Personalized learning (PLP) works from the […]
Posted inClassroom Management, Elementary School, The Student Teacher Diaries
Student Teacher Diaries: Classroom Management
This weekly series features the observations and experiences of a veteran teacher and her student teacher as they learn together this semester. At the beginning of the year it is important to establish the tone of your classroom. I like to select a theme that ties things together. For the past couple of years I […]
Posted inFeatured, Special Education
How-to Guide for Surviving as a Special Education Teacher
I began working as a special education teacher almost 8 years ago. I came into this job wanting to change children and desiring to make a huge impact on young folk’s lives. Previously, I worked as a Caseworker at a local Social Services agency taking applications for public assistance and I hated the job. I […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured, Uncategorized
Why My Greatest Fear as a Teacher is Coming True
I have always had a potent and unspoken fear I chalked up to insecurity and a penchant for fatalistic thinking: What if, despite my best intentions and efforts as a teacher, I have little to no impact on the lives of my students? A spate of new scholarship and findings suggests the role of teachers […]
Posted inFeatured, Parents
Parent Tips: How to help your child be prepared for Kindergarten
Sitting in the hallway at school today I was thinking about the parent side of Kindergarten. It was especially paramount in my mind because I was registering my own daughter for school. As she was being assessed for her academic skills, I began thinking about the other things that she should know to enter school. As […]
Posted inFeatured, Instruction & Curriculum, Literacy
Creating 'Published' Student Writers
I love to teach writing. Being able to open up the minds of kids and introduce them to the ability they have to create anything they can dream about and put it down on paper is so rewarding to both the student and the teacher. We write about everything and I have clipboards hanging in […]
Posted inUncategorized
Parent Tips: Teaching Money, Money, Money – Strategies for 2nd Graders
Parents are often surprised when their academically bright students struggle with learning money. There is really only one way to master money. It is to use it. Counting money is the math skill we all use every day. Money practice and knowledge help build numerous math skills. Calculating ways to pay for something builds additional […]