“Since it is a sunny day today, I infer we’ll have recess.” My mouth dropped open in shock. Did this seven year old, first generation Latina really use the word “infer?” It was odd sounding, to be sure, but there it was. I laughed with delight and said we most certainly would have recess. She […]
Instruction & Curriculum
Posted inCommon Core, Featured, Instruction & Curriculum, Literacy, Middle School
Vocabulary Campaigns in the Content Area
While there are whirlwind changes in education such as new evaluation programs, digital devices in school, or flipped classrooms, one element remains constant: vocabulary. In order for students to succeed, they must understand the content area vocabulary in each subject area. “Vocabulary knowledge is fundamental to reading comprehension; one cannot understand text without knowing what most of the […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Build Reading Skills with Poetry
On Friday mornings, the lights would go off, quietly chatting, and the class moved to the rug. Each child held a book of poems. They sat in a circle, poems on the floor before them. I would ask a student to start. As he began reading, the child beside him picked up her poem. The […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured, From the Front Lines, Instruction & Curriculum, Middle School, Opinion, Uncategorized
5 Lessons We All Need to Know in Education
This morning as I was embarking on my morning run/walk, I encountered a hill that was in my way to becoming a more confident runner. The sheer enormity of knowing that I would have to run the entire hill was enough to mentally take me out, but something in me kept telling me to “keep […]
Posted inClassroom Management, Current Events in Education, Featured, From the Front Lines, Instruction & Curriculum, Literacy, Opinion, Parents
Tried and True Resources for Curriculum Reinforcement
Over the course of my 18 years of teaching, I’ve seen many trends in skills that aren’t mastered before kids move into the next grade level. I’ve also been in schools where funding is not adequate for curriculum and supplies that are needed. Most of my teaching experience has been with early childhood, Pre-K through […]
Posted inEducational Apps, From the Front Lines, Instruction & Curriculum
Pioneering 1:1 iPads Meets Resistance?
It is risky business, changing everything you teach and control in order to move towards a tech heavy classroom. I am one week into a 1:1 iPad rollout for all of the juniors and seniors at our rural high school. We are the last assigned group in our school wide transition to 1:1 iPads that […]
Posted inChild Development, Classroom Management, Featured, From the Front Lines, Instruction & Curriculum, Opinion
The Importance of Executive Function
[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”] Do you have a student who just can’t seem to follow a set of directions, no matter how simple they may seem? Or one who seems to drift from one assignment […]
Posted inFeatured, Instruction & Curriculum
Differentiating with Alternative Assessments
[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’ve all seen those long lists of activities to give a class as an alternative assessment. You read through the list, for example on a site like TeachHub, you pick out […]