Posted inInstruction & Curriculum

Educate Yourself and Vote

I am praying for our nation.  We have a circus going on being sensationalized by the media.  While this is happening, in fourth grade, I teach my students about government.  They are exploring a basic understanding of how democracy works. They are learning about the three branches of government.  And we will explore rights and responsibilities of citizens.  These […]

Posted inBook Review

Movie Review: Tested

Think that there’s a lot on the line for kids taking tests? Plenty of pressure? Stress? Difficulties? Mess? Welcome to New York City Public Schools, says writer, producer, and director Curtis Chin in his film Tested. His story line follows twelve 8th grade students who are wrangling over the decision to take the Specialized High School […]

Posted inClassroom Management, Common Core, Elementary School, English Language Learners, ESOL, Instruction & Curriculum, Instructional Strategies, Kindergarten, Literacy, Special Education, Technology

5 Ways to Use Emojis in the Classroom

I realized almost immediately that I wasn’t getting through to my Kindergartners… again. I asked a class full of 5-year-olds to identify feeling words, and I got the same generic responses – happy, sad, mad. Year after year, I struggle with how to teach my primary students, especially my English Language Learners, to use precise […]

Posted inClassroom Management, Common Core, Current Events in Education, Featured, From the Front Lines, Opinion, Uncategorized

Standardized Protesting

Most Americans are quite aware of their First Amendment rights, namely their freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and freedom of the press. One of the most often overlooked freedoms in that all-too-important amendment is the freedom to protest, and it’s something that teachers should consider when it comes to standardized testing. They can standardized […]

Posted inAsk a Teacher, Common Core, Educational Apps, From the Front Lines, Instruction & Curriculum, Technology

Creating Excitement In The Classroom With Hyperdocs

Have you explored using hyperdocs in your classroom? I hadn’t either, until I attended the CUE Conference in Palm Springs, California. The CUE Conference is the largest (this year topped 7,000 attendees) and oldest (35 years and still going strong) conference for educators interested in using technology to make a positive impact in their classrooms […]