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 […]
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 inInstruction & Curriculum, Instructional Strategies, Literacy
Bringing Writing Back: The SRSD Technique
A common grumble among my colleagues is teaching writing. We are well aware that American students score dismally on writing assessments, mostly because most teachers are scrambling to teach everything else on the menu. Consequently, writing has been neglected. Now that assessments are beginning to move from multiple choice to short answer and essay writing […]
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 inClassroom Management, Elementary School
Artsy Smartsy
[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”] Monkey, my three-year-old, “wrote” a dinosaur song a couple of weeks ago. He drew shapes and letters and has it sitting on the piano. He will play and sing his song, […]
Posted inClassroom Management, Instructional Strategies, Middle School, Social Studies, Technology, Uncategorized
21st Century Classroom Management is… Fun?
Recently a veteran colleague and a teacher in training posed questions concerning classroom management and power struggles with students. Years ago the approach to dealing with students who test the boundaries of rules was quick and strict reprimand. Students were graded on neatness, orderly and timely manners, for being quiet unless called upon. While there […]