I remember when I was little I loved to play board games. Growing up as an only child though, it was difficult to find someone to play with. I drove my parents crazy with Monopoly, Hi-Ho Cherrio and Sorry, then I moved on to checkers and chess as I got older. In the age of […]
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 inInstruction & Curriculum
Harnessing Competition
I have a room full of highly competitive students. Most of them are first born or only children and their natural wiring towards competition can drive a teacher crazy! Instead of trying to stifle their exemplary leadership skills, I use it for my advantage. Not to the point of pitting one against the other, but […]
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 inFrom the Front Lines
How “Big Ed” Could Ruin America
There’s been much-to-do with EpiPens in the news these past few weeks. As the company Mylan has raised the price of the life-saving, anti-allergen medicine from $100 to $600, there have been more than 1,700 articles claiming everything it costs $30 to manufacture to denouncing the teachers’ union for being complicit in the calamity. Seriously. This […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Technology in the Elementary Music Classroom
Technology is an inevitable part of today’s world of education. Each week, I work to balance more traditional activities, such as playing instruments and singing songs, with technology-based instruction. Parents and students (and sometimes even other teachers) are often surprised to find that we use technology in music class. I believe using technology keeps students […]
Posted inFeatured
Letting Students Have a Say In What They Learn
We started our school year this week, and I have a small class of very eager kids. They love to learn, want to participate in everything and have some great ideas of their own. As I stood in class moving from one activity to another, I was preparing to ask my students what THEY hoped […]
Posted inFormative Assessments
Formative Assessment: A New Lesson Plan
Formative assessment is using purposeful observations and information about students to move their learning forward. It enables teachers and students to understand their learning and have meaningful dialogue. This has been applied in classrooms through Kahoot! quizzes, exit tickets and quick thumbs up thumbs down activities. Formative assessment, however, has more power when it is […]
Posted inAsk a Teacher
Easing Those First Day Jitters
It is so important to make our students feel comfortable upon the first day of school. We need to remember the backgrounds that our students come from. And we can’t assume that just because we have kids in the middle class that they are coming from homes that have everything together. We also need to […]