Imagine walking into your place of employment, the grocery store, church, or the mall. As soon as you enter the door, you become overwhelmed with anxiety. You are terrified and become frozen with so much fear that you cannot utter a sound, make eye contact with those around you, or even nod your head in […]
Kindergarten
Posted inAsk a Teacher, Elementary School, From the Front Lines, Kindergarten, Uncategorized
Open House: OMG! (Tips for Parents)
[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”] September is Open House Month, and the welcoming speech from a teacher could sound like this: “Welcome, Parents! Let me show you how to access my website on the SMARTboard where you […]
Posted inClassroom Management, Elementary School, Featured, Kindergarten
Making Incentives Work for 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”] Let’s face it. We all work for incentives. Even as adults. We get a paycheck for a job well done. We search for jobs with good health benefits or with an […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Elementary School, Featured, Kindergarten
September 11, the Class of 2014, and the Poetry of a Memory
Eighteen years ago, I was teaching my Advanced Placement English class when word came that a plane had crashed into one of the Twin Towers in New York City. Several hours later, all classes were abandoned in the high school. A line of students formed in the office in order to call and know if […]
Posted inClassroom Management, Elementary School, Featured, Kindergarten
How to Decorate Your Secondary Classroom
At the end of last year, I changed positions. The difficult part of that was being expected to “replace” one of our best teachers in the entire district. Part of this involved his fun, learning-based classroom environment that he’d created over the 30-odd years of being there. I still remember one of my colleagues saying […]
Posted inBook Review, Elementary School, Featured, Kindergarten, Literacy
Just Let Them Read! A Book Review – Part 2
A few weeks ago, I wrote an article about the highlights from my reading of the beginning of Donalyn Miller’s The Book Whisperer. It has been many years since I have been so touched and so inspired by my professional reading. Throughout the book, two themes emerge: as literacy teachers, we must promote, model, […]
Posted inElementary School, Featured, Kindergarten, Literacy
Multilingualism and Language Acquisition in the US
[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”] It is very difficult to learn a second language. Part of this difficulty is that in America we begin learning that second language later in life. Language learning is not typically […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Elementary School, How to Fix Education, Kindergarten, Uncategorized
Education News: Florida Education Commissioner Resigns Amidst Controversy
[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”] Under Governor Rick Scott, Florida’s education system has undergone a massive overhaul the last few years. Part of the overhaul included severe accountability rules with school report cards based on students’ […]