Halloween. That holiday that some teacher simultaneously dread and look forward to. Some schools make a big deal of Halloween with parades and costumes of any kind. Some schools make restrictions on costumes and allow only positive and happy costumes like princesses and baseball players. Other schools try to keep it academic by only allowing […]
classroom strategies
Posted inClassroom Management, Featured, From the Front Lines
A Fresh Recipe for Managing Difficult Students
I call them my Whack-A-Mole class. In a group of 26 children, I had eight with an ADHD diagnoses. One of them was on medication for it. I had two more who were undiagnosed with wiggles extraordinaire. Some of these ten children were part of the three students with IEPs or one of the twelve […]
Posted inFeatured, Instruction & Curriculum, Literacy
Teaching Writing to English Language Learners
An English as a second language student will need extra guidance and encouragement to write. Depending on the various stages of English acquisition in your classroom and the grade you teach depends on how you ask for a writing piece and what you can expect the student work to look like. These are some general […]
Posted inFeatured
10 Ways To Deal With The Negative Teacher
You know. I know. He knows. She knows. The kids know. We all know who the negative teachers are. Every school has at least one of them, and they fit many different molds. Here’s how to “deal” with the Negative Neds and Sour Sallys in your midst First, ask yourself if Mr. / Ms. Negative […]
Posted inFeatured, Instruction & Curriculum, School Improvement, Uncategorized
Adventures in Coaching..Giving Effective Teacher Feedback
This year I did what many teachers fear the most, I went over to the dark side of school administration in the form of being an Instructional Coach. As I transitioned into this role,I thought surely that this would give me more time to reflect and “cool my heels” -things that I rarely were able […]
Posted inFeatured, Instruction & Curriculum, Literacy
5 Ways to Incorporate Literacy in the Non-ELA Classroom
[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”] According to the Australian Curriculum Website, the definition of literacy in the Australian Curriculum is informed by a social view of language that considers how language works to construct meaning in different […]
Posted inFeatured, Instruction & Curriculum, Literacy, Middle School
How to Write a Reader's Theater Play
[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”] The most valuable class I have ever attended was at first a mistake. My enrollment in “Reading 101: Strategies for Middle School Students,” offered at our local intermediate unit, was a […]
Posted inClassroom Management, Featured
Behavior Contracts
Over the years, many of my second grade students have had a “Good Book.” These are behavior contracts written with a positive slant. It can be adapted to nearly any level. Each page had a space for the student and I to complete at the end of each day. It included three or four goals […]