 I have been obsessively researching growth mindset over the past few weeks. And one of the many misconceptions that I have discovered is around the idea of effort. It seems that many people believe that a growth mindset means trying and trying until you get it right. The more you practice, the better you get. […]
Instruction & Curriculum
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
A Paul Bunyan Story Map Becomes a Lesson in Racism
As it often happens, I was looking for one thing (Google’s expansion into creating maps and navigation tools) when I came upon another. I had clicked my way to a story map of the folk tale hero Paul Bunyan. I had followed a link to the Osher Library Map Cartographic Southern Maine University website and soon was down an […]
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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 […]
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[Podcast S2E9] Practicing Self-Care By Teaching in the Dominican Republic
During this episode, Franchesca Warren talks with The Educator’s Room writer, Whitney Kaulbach as she discusses how her journey to self-care took her to teaching in The Dominican Republic. For the past couple of weeks, we’ve discussed the need for teachers to not only advocate for self-care but to understand that teachers must be taken care of […]
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36 Weeks of Technology: SeeSaw
In this series, #36weeksoftech, I will review tech tools in my fourth-grade classroom. Â I will give you my honest opinion and some pros and cons through the eyes of an experienced teacher. Â This is my 21st year in the classroom. Â I teach all subject areas. Â I have 19 students, an iPad cart I share with […]
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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 […]
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Literature Circles in Middle School: Assignments & Assessment
Over the course of three articles, I have talked about doing Literature Circles with my 8th-grade students. For a list of the novels we used, check here. To read about the procedures I put in place for my students, check here. And for an explanation of how I used mini-lessons both as a full class […]
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Relearning and Unlearning Writing in Grades 6-12
To relearn is to “learn something again, as after having forgotten or neglected it,” and after the five-seven weeks of summer break, students may have a fair amount of forgetting. That means teachers will begin each school year focused on student relearning. The German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus was a pioneer in the study of memory and learning which led to his discovery […]