I was so angry. How could anyone just give up on a child because of a number! Let me back up. Way back to this past summer. Bear with me. I tutor during the summer. I had a family contact me about tutoring their foster children, a soon-to-be first grader and a fifth grader. They […]
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Posted inUncategorized
What Teachers Are Really Searching For Online
Wonder what teachers are really searching for online? I can tell you – it’s not just lesson plans or decoration ideas. It’s not just how to deal with the unruly child, or how to motivate a reluctant reader. Those searches would be understandable. What teachers are really searching for online is this: jobs for retired […]
Posted inFeatured, Instruction & Curriculum, Literacy
Allow Young Readers To Unfold
My firsties get so excited when the ability to blend sounds together to make words starts to click! They start sounding out anything and everything they come into contact with. Inevitably though I have two or three students in my classroom that things don’t ‘click’ quite as readily as the others. This is definitely a […]
Posted inFeatured, Opinion
Taking Care Of YOU
Stress is absolutely killing me, emotionally and physically. As my semester draws to a close I can’t help but think about the roller coaster this year has already been. I love the feeling of starting a new school year. The fresh set of students, the eager eyes, the fun lesson plans. As the year progresses […]
Posted inFeatured, Teacher Burnout
Smothering Burnout: Tips for Teachers On the Edge of Teacher Burnout
I am in my twentieth year of teaching. I know I am doing what I was created to do. I know I am teaching where I need to be teaching. But after two decades of teaching, the ‘B’ word has begun to haunt me: I am burning out. My dad used to always say if […]
Posted inFeatured, Instructional Strategies
Recycling Classroom Supplies
My colleagues, and family cringe when they empty Pringles cans, toilet paper rolls and bottles of vinegar. They know I will swarm into the trash like a group of hornets snatching the prized possessions to ‘save for a project’. I am a huge hoarder. I save every single item that I ‘might’ need and I […]
Posted inFeatured, Instruction & Curriculum, Instructional Strategies, Literacy
Leveled Reading For Young Readers
One of the most frustrating situations I have as an early childhood educator is the misconception of “leveled” readers. Time and time again parents will tell me they’ve checked out these readers from the library or purchased readers that are “leveled” for their child, only to become frustrated when their child has difficulty reading the […]
Posted inClassroom Management, Elementary School, Featured
Creating Appropriate Early Childhood Classrooms For Little To No Cost
Kids spend approximately three quarters of their day in a classroom, so of course this space needs to be comfortable, warm and inviting. It also needs to be set up according to child development needs. These needs play a huge roll in deciding where everything is going to be placed and what the classroom will […]