We have a seven hour day at my school. All in all I’d say my second/third grade students spend about four of those hours in some type of reading, whether it be science, geography, social studies, math or directed reading groups. We all know that outside reading is a significant part of growth for the […]
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Posted inFeatured, Instruction & Curriculum, Instructional Strategies, Mathematics
Kindergarten Geometry – Oh My!
Long before the Common Core School Standards (CCSS) were written, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) authored a set of standards for K-12 math. The standards were revised several times and what stands today has many things in common with CCSS. Instead of teaching certain topics in certain grades – like geometry – […]
Posted inFeatured, Special Education
How-to Guide for Surviving as a Special Education Teacher
I began working as a special education teacher almost 8 years ago. I came into this job wanting to change children and desiring to make a huge impact on young folk’s lives. Previously, I worked as a Caseworker at a local Social Services agency taking applications for public assistance and I hated the job. I […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured, Uncategorized
Why My Greatest Fear as a Teacher is Coming True
I have always had a potent and unspoken fear I chalked up to insecurity and a penchant for fatalistic thinking: What if, despite my best intentions and efforts as a teacher, I have little to no impact on the lives of my students? A spate of new scholarship and findings suggests the role of teachers […]
Posted inFeatured, Parents
Parent Tips: How to help your child be prepared for Kindergarten
Sitting in the hallway at school today I was thinking about the parent side of Kindergarten. It was especially paramount in my mind because I was registering my own daughter for school. As she was being assessed for her academic skills, I began thinking about the other things that she should know to enter school. As […]
Posted inFeatured, Instruction & Curriculum, Literacy
Creating 'Published' Student Writers
I love to teach writing. Being able to open up the minds of kids and introduce them to the ability they have to create anything they can dream about and put it down on paper is so rewarding to both the student and the teacher. We write about everything and I have clipboards hanging in […]
Posted inFeatured, High School, Instruction & Curriculum, Mathematics
Why the "New" Math?
The public in general, and parents specifically, have been asking why current teachers are using such different methods to teach math. The comment most often heard goes something like this – “Why can’t teachers just teach math the way we learned math?” There are some very good reasons why the teaching of math has to […]
Posted inFeatured, From the Front Lines, Opinion
The Power Of A Teacher
I ran into my first grade teacher the other day while shopping. I knew that she had gone on to be a counselor, then retired a few years ago, after 30+ years of service. I would love to be able to say I told her what an amazing impact she has had on my teaching, […]