Taking notes has always been the downfall of many of my students. They can copy what is on the board, but sometimes it is just not organized or even legible. Many students will just jot down the numbers, not writing down any part of the discussion or copying anything given during instruction. The students that […]
Instruction & Curriculum
Almost Free Math Games: Teaching with a Deck of Cards!
Time and money, two things of which we are forever short in education. While I can’t help you find more time, this is about inexpensive, almost free, math games. I love when I find every day, simple objects that can be used multiple ways. In my classroom, it is a simple deck of cards. You […]
NGLB – No Gifted Students Left Behind
Education has taken a major swing in the last five years with its new focus on the Response to Intervention movement. Through the RTI program, students that are in the bottom 20% of their class are to receive Tier I interventions in their regular education classroom. While many resources define this as differentiated instruction, many […]
Demystifying the AP Exam – 4 Tips to Make Review Time Easier
It’s that time of year again! The beginning of April marks the one-month countdown until AP exams begin. AP teachers are crossing days off their calendars, hoping that all the content has been absorbed, and thinking about how to most effectively review a year of information in the span of a few weeks. Advanced Placement […]
Cooperation vs. Competition in Classrooms
by: Nina Smith We live in a culture that values winning. In the modern world, competition is infused to all areas of our lives: work, sports (of course), advertisements, entertainment, and relationships, even education – the sad example of wording an educational goal being “Race to the Top.” In competition there are always winners and […]
Part I: See Jane Read–Identifying the Reading Abilities of Your Students
[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”] Who remembers the primers? “See Dick.” “See Dick Run.” “See Dick Jump.” Who remembers basal readers? Who remembers whole language? Reading instruction has used Hornbooks, basals, phonics, animated alphabet, whole language, […]
Tackling the Infamous Research Paper: 4 Tips to Help Struggling Students Succeed
It’s that time again when teachers across America take out their MLA Handbooks, their endless supplies of index cards and sources and assign the infamous research paper. In response, students groan and complain and many try to get out of the assignment but in the end the research paper “stands” and the student is the […]
Being a Waitress Was Real Teacher Training
One of my first jobs was as a waitress. The job was physically demanding. The variety of customers meant that no one day was like any other day. There were usually three “waves” during mealtimes. The hourly rate was a little below minimum wage, but there were tips. My job now is to teach. The […]
