As a secondary English teacher, I teach many pieces of academic enrichments within my curriculum, but my main passion tends to fall at the feet of writing. When I began teaching middle school English a handful of years ago, writing was barely a blip on the radar as we had so much pressure to pass a […]
Instruction & Curriculum
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured, Instruction & Curriculum, Opinion, Parents
Exercising Caution On Independent Reading
School has started! I absolutely love what I do. As I prepared for my new crop of kiddos I made the rounds to my normal haunts to purchase ‘new stuff’ for my classroom. I always get excited about getting new things for my students. Whether its games or art supplies, I anxiously await the smiles […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
7 Ways to Prepare for the New School Year as a Special Education Teacher
Teachers everywhere are clamoring to prepare for the impending arrival of students. The teacher workdays often get filled with required workshops and meetings, so we must prioritize our time with the most essential items to ensure we’re prepared as much as possible. The fact is, we will only get done what we get done, […]
Posted inClassroom Management, Featured, Instruction & Curriculum
Minimize Homework to Maximize Your 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”] I teach high school government and economics, and I abide by a minimal homework policy. It’s difficult, I know. There are only so many minutes in a period, only so much […]
Posted inClassroom Management, Educational Apps, Featured, Instruction & Curriculum, School Improvement
My mise-en-place: Inspiration for the 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”] Is it just me or is prominent American media focused on the faults of our country’s education weeks before the new school year begins? While I am revved up to meet […]
Posted inFeatured, Instruction & Curriculum, Literacy, Parents
The Importance of Reading Out Loud
Read out loud. It’s my mantra. I don’t care how old my elementary students are, I feel they all can benefit from reading out loud to their grown ups. And in this hurried world we live in, the grown ups benefit too. Younger readers need to read out loud to practice reading strategies, to work […]
Posted inClassroom Management, Featured, Instruction & Curriculum
Utilizing Journals Across Subjects
One of the skills I see kids lacking consistently is the ability to find information on their own. Resourcefulness used to come almost innately, but nowadays it’s missing in action. One of the ways I try to teach this skill is with journals. We use journals for just about everything in my class. Most of […]
Posted inClassroom Management, Elementary School, Instruction & Curriculum
Teaching Champions
[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”] We had an amazing in-service in our district this week. In a time where your focus is on class lists and curriculum, bulletin boards and name tags, it is refreshing to […]