Ahhhh…. The life of a kindergartener. These are, in my opinion, some of the most rewarding years to teach. These kids are full of wonderment about everything around them. Let’s look at the development of a typical five and six-year-old based on our five previously mentioned areas of child development: Cognitive Development for Child Development […]
Featured
Posted inFeatured, Instruction & Curriculum, Literacy
Fluency Fix-Up: Teaching Sight Word Phrases
As literacy teachers, we know the importance of teaching our students how to achieve appropriate fluency. Long before the Common Core, we were modeling, teaching fluency strategies, allowing students time to practice, and having fun with poems, Reader’s Theater, and choral readings. As students progress through the grades, the importance of fluency does not diminish, […]
Posted inFeatured, From the Front Lines, Principals' Corner, The New Teacher Chronicles
The New Teacher's Survival Guide: Creating a Support Network
This week marks the end of our first academic quarter. For me, it was my first quarter in my first year of teaching. For the past month or so, I’ve been feeling quite overwhelmed and, sometimes, burnt out. Recently, a colleague showed me this amazing graph of the first year of teaching: [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column […]
Posted inFeatured, High School, Middle School
Hooray for Neighborhood Schools!
I had the great delight of being involved at a neighborhood school in Chicago for over twenty years. When I first walked through those doors, it was as a parent and when I left a little over a year ago, it was as a teacher. It was like a dream, a really nice, I don’t […]
Posted inFeatured, Instruction & Curriculum, School Improvement, Uncategorized
Adventures in Coaching..Giving Effective Teacher Feedback
This year I did what many teachers fear the most,  I went over to the dark side of school administration in the form of  being an Instructional Coach. As  I transitioned into this role,I thought surely that this would give me more time to reflect and “cool my heels” -things that I rarely were able […]
Posted inFeatured, Instruction & Curriculum, Literacy
5 Ways to Incorporate Literacy in the Non-ELA Classroom
[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”] According to the Australian Curriculum Website, the definition of literacy in the Australian Curriculum is informed by a social view of language that considers how language works to construct meaning in different […]
Posted inConfessions of a Teacher, Featured, Special Education
My Most Frustrating Wonderful Student
In honor of Selective Mutism Month, The Educator’s Room will continue to bring  your stories about selective mutism and how this condition affects both students and teachers. By Anne Tenaglia *All names have been changed along with any personal information Amari Grady* may have been the most frustratingly wonderful student I have taught. He passed […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Child Development: Ages Three and Four
Now that we know how important it is to understand the stages of child development, let’s take a look at typical three-year-old and four-year-old child development. The three-year-old is full of wonder and spends a lot of time watching, observing, and imitating. Their days are filled with busily exploring their world. Three-year-olds are interested in […]