After attending a Penny Kittle workshop in spring of 2014, I decided that I wanted to radically change the reading/literature instruction in my twelfth grade English class by setting up a Reader’s Workshop. In order to do that, I needed a classroom library. In fact, I needed an extensive classroom library if I wanted the […]
Kindergarten
Posted inEducational Apps, Elementary School, Featured, From the Front Lines, Kindergarten, Opinion
Summer Planning and Pinterest
Pinterest. Love, love, love this site! And who doesn’t? Especially those of us who began teaching with toilet paper rolls and baby food jars or those teachers who need to supplement their current curriculum without spending a fortune doing so. But just like with any great resource, being able to benefit from using it is […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Elementary School, Featured, Kindergarten, The Student Teacher Diaries
Student Teaching Diaries: Through the Teacher’s Eyes
Teaching is the greatest job on the earth.  It is not the most respected or highest paying and it does not bring you power, wealth or fame, but it is the toughest job that has the most impact on our future.  Each year teachers enter the classrooms and meet students with stories.  We make a connection. […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Elementary School, Featured, High School, Kindergarten, Opinion, Uncategorized
An Alien Civilization Will Destroy America If We Do Not Become The Best Education System Within a Decade: What Would We Do?
Let’s pretend an alien civilization sends a message to the people of America. Maybe they interrupt the Super Bowl or insert themselves onto our Twitter or Facebook feeds to ensure our awareness of their message. PEOPLE OF AMERICA: YOU HAVE ONE DECADE FROM TODAY TO BECOME THE BEST EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM ON THE PLANET EARTH. FAILURE […]
Posted inElementary School, Featured, Instructional Strategies, Kindergarten
Incorporating Hands-On Activities For Wiggly Kids
We have 20 school days left. 20. The weather is warming up, the kids are counting down and the ‘end-of-the-year-itis’ has hit like the plague. Ugh. Every unit I plan for the last six weeks of school is hands-on. I simply cannot handle a classroom full of fidgety, wiggly, non-focused kids for several days in […]
Posted inChild Development, Common Core, Elementary School, Featured, Instruction & Curriculum, Instructional Strategies, Kindergarten, Mathematics, Science
Hands-On Science For Young Learners
My elementary class and I have begun my most favorite science unit of all: plants and life cycles. I look forward to this unit every year. There are five concepts that I want to drive home with this unit. First, that everything has a life cycle and what that means. Next, that not everything looks […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Educational Apps, Elementary School, High School, Instruction & Curriculum, Instructional Strategies, Kindergarten, Social Studies, Technology
Field Trips are Better with iPads
Every year I collaborate with colleagues to host a high school field trip to a local college campus. We explore art collections, tour the campus and give students time to explore the nearby downtown for a brief respite.  The goal of connecting artistic perspective to their interpretations of world history is tangential to the elation students enjoy with a […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Elementary School, Kindergarten, The Student Teacher Diaries
Student Teaching Diaries: Bringing the World Into Your Classroom
Today there are many ways to expand your classroom walls. Â Field trips, virtual trips, Skype conversations, and traveling trunks can all provide your students with experiences and expertise that help their learning. Â As an educator you need to be able to match your objectives with resources near you. Â Inviting visitors into the classroom is another […]