Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! The purpose of a read-aloud can be both entertainment and academic. From the academic perspective, read-alouds help build important foundational skills. Read-alouds provide a model of fluent and expressive reading, as well as an introduction to new and content-specific vocabulary. […]
Pedagogy
The Secret Ingredients of Lesson Planning
Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! This past Christmas, my family decided to organize our own version of the Great British Baking Show (or GBBS). We each had to make our own Signature dessert for the approval of three judges, my in-laws, and my oldest daughter. The […]
Why the Arts Matter in Schools
An Interview With Art Teacher, Jan Barzottini Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! As arts programs continue to be cut across K-12 schools, I am reflecting on the importance of arts in education. In “Arts Integration in School: 10 Reasons Why It’s Important,” Sandra Larson […]
How Background Knowledge Supports Reading Comprehension
Essential Components In part 1 of my series on effective literacy, I discussed the Science of Reading, the role of the brain when learning to read, and the importance of explicit phonics instruction when teaching reading. Explicit phonics instruction is critical when learning to read, but word recognition is not the only component that creates […]
Why I Stopped Using Writing Rubrics
Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! In my English and writing courses, I always love to share the following Anne Lamott quote with students: “…writing needs to breathe and move.” To further expand on this quote, I explain that writing cannot be constricted in a […]
6 Ways Teachers Can Support Students With Autism
Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! Thinking back on my experience as a teacher in a Texas charter school, I cringe at the lack of knowledge I had about autism. It wasn’t covered in my certification program, it was never brought up during our professional […]
7 Picture Books for Earth Day That Aren’t The Lorax
Each year on Earth Day elementary school teachers across the U.S. pull out The Lorax and other tried and true read-alouds. Many elementary teachers – a group that is disproportionately white women – tend to gravitate towards the books they grew up with. This is a problem. And while there’s nothing wrong with the environmental […]
How to Support Students Addicted to Screen Time
Tips for encouraging self-regulation of digital distraction Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! As more schools introduce one-to-one iPad or laptop policies, teachers are increasingly worried about students’ dependence on screens. Devices are now a constant part of their environment and have become their ‘go-to’ […]