You learn on your feet Not in your seat! ~Dr. Jean Feldman Although Dr. Jean is a well-known preschool and kindergarten teacher, author, researcher, and presenter, most often her advice can be modified and applied to older students as well. Whether you are teaching to the Common Core State Standards or not, there […]
effective teachers
Posted inClassroom Management, Featured, Instruction & Curriculum, New Teacher Bootcamp, Special Education
What Every Teacher Should Know About Teaching Students with Disabilities
What does it take to effectively teach a student with a learning disability? That’s the million dollar question. But if I could take a stub at it, I would say relationship, relationship, relationship- pure and simply. With all the different theory on best practices, this one seems to be left off the list very frequently. […]
Posted inFeatured, From the Front Lines, How to Fix Education
Back to School Tips for Elementary Teachers
Every year the back-to-schools sales start and I am excited and yet apprehensive about beginning a new school year. This is my 17th year teaching. Seventeen years of setting up a learning space for students and families. Seventeen years of a new class list, Open House, Parent Night, and the first week. Every year I […]
Posted inFeatured, Literacy
Car Talks & Conversational Learning
[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”] Reluctantly, summer ends, school begins and I am already wistful for the undefined pace of unhurried days. Summer offers us all our best educational experiences; learning to swim, ride bikes, plan […]
Posted inBook Review, Featured, High School
A New School Year Means Getting Your Game On – A Book Review
When Teaching Gets Tough: Smart Ways to Reclaim Your Game Author: Allen N. Mendler Publisher: ASCD, 2012 [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”] Allen Mendler, the author of Connecting with Students and co-author of Discipline with Dignity […]
Posted inClassroom Management, Featured, High School
A New School Year: Here Comes the Fear Again
I’m starting my fifth year as a high school English teacher. I have a M.Ed. in Educational Psychology, I’ve established myself as a solid member of a department that could give the X-Men a run for their money, and I’ve gained enough political clout to be relocated from a small, windowless classroom (which I affectionately […]
Posted inClassroom Management, Featured
Planning for a Substitute: Five Helpful Hints
[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”] We’ve all been there. A few minutes before you are to leave for work, one of your children suddenly becomes ill, you receive a phone call about a family emergency, […]
Posted inFeatured, Instruction & Curriculum, Special Education
5 Ways to Engage the Student With Asperger's Syndrome
Having a student in your classroom with Asperger’s Syndrome can be a tremendous asset to your classroom community. However, since many children with Asperger’s also exhibit behaviors similar to ADD and ADHD and are prone to moodiness and sudden emotional outbursts, it can be difficult to fully engage them in class activities. Although each student […]