Help! I have a new student in the middle of February who doesn’t speak any English! What should I do? Sound familiar? This often happens at my school. English Language Learners (ELL), or English as a Second Language (ESL) students, are part of a very transient population. Sometimes students will even leave mid-year for a month […]
Posted inCommon Core, Current Events in Education, From the Front Lines, Instruction & Curriculum, Languages, Literacy
What Common Core ELA Is Doing For Me
“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.” ~Victor Frank I think it is exciting to see the changes coming with the Common Core State Standards Initiative, especially with regard to English Language Arts. I have been learning how these standards will impact my students; it is […]
Posted inFrom the Front Lines, Stellar Educator of the Week
Melodie R. – Our Stellar Educator of the Week!
Name: Melodie R. School: Orange County Public Schools (FL) Years Teaching: 5-6 years Specialty: English/ Language Arts, Science, Mathematics, Social Studies Congratulations to Melodie R., our Stellar Educator of the Week! Melodie is currently an ESE teacher, but is certified in Middle Grades Curriculum ESOL, English and Elementary Ed. She was nominated by one […]
Posted inCharter Schools, From the Front Lines, Uncategorized
Charter School Diaries #4 – Order in the Court
Working in a school, I’ve learned that there is so much more that happens during the day time than just actual instruction. The instruction of children in the center of what we do as educators, yet everything else going on that surrounds instruction sometimes gains more attention than it should. More often than not, the budget gains […]
Posted inFeatured, Parents
{Strategies From A Veteran Teacher} 7 Strategies Parents Should Do Daily To Help Their Kids Be Successful in School!
Parenting is the toughest job on the planet. I have read many articles, magazines, blogs and stories about parenting. It has been compared to dressing a squid, entertaining a wolverine, or feeding an army. I am lucky to be able to use my professional knowledge to help me lead my parenting endeavors. I am far […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
They’re Not Digital Natives, They’re Digital Tourists!
To all those who claim that all students today are digital “natives,” I beg to disagree. Digital natives are defined as those people who have grown up using technology daily beginning in the 1960s, but the term is more commonly used to describe those born in the 21st Century. According to the PBS Frontline Website, Digital Natives […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum, Languages
Habits of Minds: Persistence—Activities for the Cold Winter
“Put the uncommon effort into the common task. Make it large by doing it in a great way,“ Orison Sweet Marden (1850-1924). As winter hits us full force, we stand in our classrooms at the top of a mountain looking down. Half way through the year we feel settled in with routine and expectation. We look […]
Posted inClassroom Management
Tips to Handle a Bad Day in the Classroom!
Everyone has those days. In our profession it is tough because you still have 20+ little eyes and ears and bodies to keep engaged and active in learning. Our attitude and the environment we set up in the classroom impacts students learning, so it is important to know who to talk to, how to manage, […]