Oh my goodness! I have an abundance of, how shall I put it, VERY STRONG LEADERS in my classroom this year. You know that point where you feel like your class is completely autonomous and could run smoothly without you? Yeah, we haven’t gotten to that point because if I wasn’t present it would be […]
Elementary School
An elementary school is a primary school for children between the ages of 5-11 and between the grades prekindergarten and secondary education.
Posted inElementary School
Teaching Money Concepts To Young Students
The past few years I have become so much more conscientious about not only teaching basic money skills to my second graders, but also teaching the concept of money and saving. I have noticed that these concepts don’t seem to be taught much at home anymore. Sure it’s easy for me to implement a token […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Sketch Notes in the Elementary Classroom
So many things go beyond content in our classrooms. Teachers model and teach habits of mind, character development, communication skills and study skills in their classrooms as they encourage creativity and provide opportunities for 21st century learning. All this happens while teaching content and standards. Finding a balance among all of this is close to […]
Posted inTeacher Leaders
Fostering Responsibility
My class still works off of a weekly job chart. I have always tried to incorporate community responsibility into our classroom lives. We have the basics listed as jobs, such as computer helper, line leader and light helper. But I also have not-so-standard jobs listed as well, jobs like trash helper, a vacuum-er and a […]
Posted inChild Development
The Hazards Of the Accelerated Reader System
I am so fed up with the way our school systems use, or, rather, misuse, the Accelerated Reader (AR) testing system. I work with struggling readers daily, kids who dislike reading because it is challenging for them to do so. I view my job as a teacher to help alleviate the pain of reading while […]
Posted inElementary School
Teach From the Heart
1 Samuel 16:7: “The Lord does not see what man sees. While man looks at the outward appearance, the Lord looks at the heart.” Teaching is personal. Teaching is tireless and endless. We get the best gift a parent can give us, their child, and we are trusted to move them forward on their path […]
Posted inChild Development
Connecting Motor Skills And Academic Achievement
We know how important it is to allow young children time to just play and be kids. We want them to run, be active and engage in group games that will help hone gross motor and social skills. Play is an integral part of learning for children, and believe it or not there is an […]
Posted inAsk a Teacher
Dealing With Personal Tragedy In the Classroom
I experienced quite a lot of personal tragedy last year. And as a result of my stress, my students experienced them too. I tried so very hard to keep my personal life from affecting my students, but I’m convinced that sometimes no matter what you do, some events just can’t be disposed of at the classroom […]