“We have noticed our child is not reading near the amount of books he read last year,” a set of parents commented at conferences. “He still has a passion for reading and he reads at home, but we are not getting new books as often.” This same student loves Tuesday in my classroom. Tuesday is […]
Tips for Student Success
Posted inFeatured, From the Front Lines, Instruction & Curriculum, Literacy
The Art of Storytelling
Life is a series of stories. By definition, a story is a chain of events. In both formal and informal education, storytelling is an excellent teaching strategy. Think about it – teaching English, History, Reading, Science, Social Studies, Art and even Math can be enhanced by the use of stories. We’ve all told them, whether […]
Posted inFeatured, From the Front Lines, Instruction & Curriculum
Classroom Activity Breaks – Reap the Benefits!
Research continues to show that activity breaks in the classroom can lead to improved focus and performance by our students. As a Physical Educator, I get tickled when a classroom teacher drops off their students and says, “Run them! They are WILD today!” This happens more frequently during the winter months when recess time and […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Written Text or Audiotext in the Classroom? We Should Have Both
I am passing out Brave New World to the 10th graders.“Is there an audiobook for this?” a student asks.“Why not just read the book?” I respond.“I can’t read this without help,” explains the student.“I’ll see,” I sigh. I admit that in the past I had been a little frustrated at these requests. I felt as though the […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
The Joke That Keeps On Giving: Social Promotion Holds No One Accountable!
Social promotion is the gift that keeps on giving. Let’s have a conversation about what’s next. “How did I fail? I did all of my work! You must not like me… I came to class every day. ” These were the protests from my current ninth graders as I handled the arduous task of doing […]
Posted inFeatured, Instruction & Curriculum, Special Education, Uncategorized
5 Easy Ways to Celebrate Exceptional Children’s Week
[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’s that time of year again. All across our nation, including the great state of Georgia, teachers, students and parents alike will be celebrating Exceptional Children’s Week March 6-10, 2017. This […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
The Conundrum of Extra Credit
Every classroom teacher has encountered the inevitable question from a student or parent, “Do you offer extra credit?” The reasons can be myriad: the student was out of school due to illness, and his/her grades suffered from it. The parents may want the student to gain additional mastery of the material. More often than not, […]
Posted inFeatured, From the Front Lines, Middle School, New Teacher Bootcamp, Opinion, Technology
Classroom Technology: When you Can't Beat Them, Join Them
I am not a technically savvy person. At. All. I’d rather use a dry erase board than my smartboard. I’d rather hand write notes than type them. How a land line phone works fascinates me. My smart phone freaks me out. I have two iPads and several laptops available to my class to use on […]