Looking for current reserach, pedagogy, and norms in education? Here are 15 must-read ELA blog posts that will challenge your thinking.
Welcome to the Parent Blogs Elite #PBE linky! All welcome, link up to 2 posts from your parenting blog. All posts shared on twitter and pinterest.
As we all start to head back to our classrooms, it's easy to feel so overwhelmed with your own preparation that you don't get a chance to interact with The New Teacher. ...And no, I'm not just talking about first year teachers, though they are important - this also includes the veteran who's simply new to your building, the familiar teacher who changed grade levels, and the person teaching a new class. I've been in a middle school setting for four years... but every year, either my job title, my co-teacher, or my standards have changed. (Seriously?! Can't catch a break...). And in that same duration, I've had to go through Ohio's new teacher program... a constant reminder that I'm still new at this. (Yay for government-mandated insecurity...) A few smart mentor teachers and helpful colleagues did a lot to help me through the learning curve of our building and how to have serenity through periods of change, and some of their acts of kindness are listed below. But First Thing's First... Before you look at the list, remember that... Another teacher's happiness is not your sole responsibility. Period. ...But don't assume that someone else will care, either. Even if she's been assigned a mentor teacher, it might not be a good match, or might not be enough. You and the teacher might never become "friends", and that's okay. You can professionally welcome someone and have a bond without a personal-level friendship. Don't overthink it. Now's not the time to analyze every little interaction. Just offer what you can and let that be it. ...and now, without further ado: Five Ways to Help a New Teacher: 1. Give them at least one heads-up. Maybe you'll poke your head in his room to let him know what to bring to the faculty meeting. Maybe you'll give her forewarning about what a specific parent will be like before that teacher conference so she can operate with a context. But whatever insight you share, throw them a lifesaver or two in advance of a new or scary situation to ease nerves and help them feel prepared. 2. Give one sincere, honest compliment. Teachers can sense fake, forced, or generalized feedback just like the kids can, and right now, this person may need some reassurance that he or she is doing something right. Make sure you tell them if: The classroom looks great She's already got great rapport with the kids His lesson idea was genius He handled a situation really well She's meeting a building initiative or has good school spirit She made a good first impression on parents There is literally ANYTHING ELSE you appreciate about him or her! If this isn't your thing, or you're not sure how it will go, write him/her a note and leave it in a mailbox or on his or her desk. Whether on cute stationary or a plain post-it, a written compliment can go the same distance (or further) than a verbal one. 3. Get them OUT of the classroom. Based on your comfort zone, try to either: Offer to take the person out for coffee/dinner/adult beverage (and live up to that offer), OR Give them a gift card to get them out of the house... even if it's just a $5 Starbucks card. Okay, this one is partially in the hopes to get that teacher to leave the classroom before 6pm, especially in back to school season when there's a lot to do, BUT more importantly, this is your best shot to get to know the person and give him/her a chance to vent OUTSIDE of the school building, where it is probably safer for both of you to open up and be honest. My mentor teachers (who are now also friends) did this more than once each. It turned out to be important for our bonding, but also massively helpful for my sanity. Side bonus: if the teacher is new to the area, then show him or her a great place to eat! 4. Give them your contact info... with a promise. Write down whatever contact information is okay - your email address, your cell phone #, or something else - and let them know if and when it's okay to ask you a question, especially after hours, when he or she will likely feel the most alone. Do NOT assume that he or she has your contact info in a Directory, or that he or she "knows" it's okay. Maybe she's hesitant to bother you, or doesn't know if that's the best number to call! ..And don't be offended if the teacher doesn't take you up on it, either. Maybe she'd rather ask you things in person, or maybe she's still too shy. The reason why isn't important. 5. Hook them up with something helpful. Maybe it's your favorite website, an article that rocked your world, a coupon that's still valid, the name of a great parent volunteer, or even your own time. Your offer to help, directly or indirectly, is heartfelt and usually needed! Not sure what to offer? Ask. You never know if she needs a great seating chart more than a sticker set, wants a way to teach ____, or just needs ANYONE to help her alphabetize for less than five minutes! Do you have any other suggestions, or did one of these resonate with you? Tell me in the comments below!
Welcome to the Homely Economics blog posts page! Whether you're searching for information or just browsing, you'll love my money saving tips.
The inspiration for this post came about from several different threads that I have had in my mind recently. Firstly, my attendance at the Register of Qualified Genealogists Conference (which took place on 25 September) and the Society of Antiquaries Conference on 09 October. And secondly, my intention to
My first post! Check out how I teach parts of hearing devices + download my free worksheets!
Once in a while I do a blog post more aimed at a music teacher audience, and this is one of those posts. This is the hello song that I sing to start every music for kindergarten and first grade. …
Do your students struggle to learn vocabulary for your class? Science can be very vocabulary heavy and sometimes there is no way around it. It’s even more frustrating when you have to teach two different words that mean the same thing, because you aren’t sure which will show up on the exam (ie: producer and ... Read more
It is very satisfying when a blog post comes together unexpectedly. All of a sudden, something sparks an idea and off you go! I had not intended to write a second instalment about the meeting of Archaeology and Genealogy, but here it is! The beginning of an idea The
In this blog post, you'll learn how to use manipulatives like erasers and play dough to teach rhythms in your elementary music classroom!
Multilingual blogging gives you great advantages. But translating is time consuming. My experience and why I went back to do it in my mother-tongue German
Here's a resource round-up for new college instructors. I've listed my top blog posts full of teaching tips, tools, & resources. There's a new resource...
If you are used to ignoring your WordPress dashboard, then we need to chat! Here are three reasons you need to understand you dashboard.
When you cannot join an Italian class at Scuola Leonardo da Vinci in Italy, taking an online course is the next best thing: efficient and fun.
10 easy-to-implement tips for teaching introverts will increase classroom participation and make learning more enjoyable for everyone...
Welcome to the DreamTeam for week 207.
Effective ELL teaching strategies with our top 10 tips to support Level 1 students. Includes a free resource to help newcomers...
We use tools in our classroom that help encourage our students' thinking -- but are you making their thinking visible? We use anchor charts and other strategies, but are you doing all of these? There's one way to find out!
A detailed look at my Switzerland trip itinerary. Includes travel times, planning tips & a summary of places I visited during my 2 weeks in Switzerland.
Usually when you think of the word “manipulatives”, math comes to mind. But did you know you can use manipulatives in Social Studies as well? Sequencing is an easy method to introduce manipulatives in your classroom.
I’m back again today posting in the Decorating for your Personality series. We’re going to take a look at the ISTP, also known as the Artisan, Crafter, or Mechanic. This is one post in a sixteen part series looking at how one’s Myers Briggs personality profile affects their decorating choices. Last time we analyzed ENTJ (Executive) and principles they should be considering in their […]
Welcome to Month 1 of the Chatsworth quilt-along! Today's blog post features Doug's tips for constructing blocks 1 and 2, as well as links to helpful step-by-step videos! Grab your Chatsworth book and get ready to sew along!
Hi there! Welcome to another Floor Plan Friday blog post. Today I have this very good 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom spacious family home...
Learn about supporting MLs in the mainstream classroom. Start with creating a welcoming classroom enviorment and putting language supports in place.
Students hate writing because of lack of experience with writing structures, fear, bored, lack of purpose, it is an abstract activity and mostly because of grades.
List of over 30 Free Beginner Spanish Lessons for new language learners. Links to Spanish Lessons for adults and kids.
It can be alarming to have a non-English speaking student assigned to your classroom. Our guest blogger shares her top 10 tips for handling this situation.
In this blog post, you will find free teaching resources that correspond with the story Eyes That Kiss in the Corners by Joanna Ho, including a video, printables, and discussion questions.
Auckland is a city of 1.5 million people. You would think it would be a simple thing to organise bike hire for a two week trip in a city that size. Not for us, the easy option. David doesn’t hire bikes. He much prefers to subject himself, and me, to the enormous hassle and precision planning required to fly our bikes with us across the Tasman Sea from Australia.
What is Fascia? Fascia is the connective tissue that literally holds the entire body together. Imagine a whole roasting chicken that ...
In our classrooms, students have the most important voices, but sometimes that is forgotten. This post shares 42 ways to amplify student voices.
Our students in our classrooms often have many different cultural backgrounds. How can we welcome them to United States and still retain their culture?
Does your baby cry and cry uncontrollably in the late afternoon/evening and you have no clue what's wrong with them? Have you heard words such as "colic". "reflux" and "low milk supply" being thrown around
Effective ELL teaching strategies with our top 10 tips to support Level 1 students. Includes a free resource to help newcomers...
Learn strategies for making your own Potty PD, where you can find some ready-to-use posters, and why this might be something you’d like to start (or continue doing) this school year.
We use tools in our classroom that help encourage our students' thinking -- but are you making their thinking visible? We use anchor charts and other strategies, but are you doing all of these? There's one way to find out!
Happy Thursday! Time for another post in my Blogger Series. For those who don’t know, this is a series I’m currently running that takes you through all the steps to creating and maint…
This 7 day Madeira trip itinerary with kids helps you plan the perfect vacation to Madeira. Find the best viewpoints in Madeira
Friends~I miss morning meetings! I have been teaching 2nd grade for 8 years now and I truly miss the morning meeting time that I had with my students when I taught kindergarten and first grade. With the busy schedule that is my life in 2nd grade, I feel like our mornings are rushed. I am going to try to take back our mornings and spend some time focusing on setting goals, sharing, and asking questions. I just got this book in the mail and I am loving what I am reading. I never thought that morning meetings could help with higher level thinking. I just looked at them as a way to create a classroom community. I am hoping that the sharing, listening, predicting and question asking in our morning meetings will really spark some great thinking and conversation. Click the book to check it out! I know that this is going to take some work. I am forever trying to get my students to just listen to each other and have real life conversations. We even practice this skill with Discussion Towers. They really help students practice the back and forth in a conversation. I came across this great blog post about Turning and Talking! Another area my kiddos struggle in. Check out this awesome poster/anchor chart that Mrs. Rios uses with her kiddos. I love how her poster gives clear guidelines for the students to follow when they TURN and TALK. I like her questions stems too. Here is another great post I found from Edutopica. You will love the 5 simple steps to getting your morning meetings up and running. This site then lead me to this awesome video by Mrs. Noonan! It is so incredible to see this happening in a 5th grade class. I am pretty sure I am going to need a bean bag tomorrow morning! So darn excited to surprise my kiddos with a morning meeting tomorrow. I will keep you posted! Check out my Morning Meeting Manuel below!
How do you use the Finnish word LAPSI? Listen to these example sentences with the different forms of LAPSI.
Join me as I share delicious recipes, ideas to help you make the most of your home, travel stories and tips, and inspiration to help you embrace your own unique style.
I'm so glad you are here! My goal is to help homeschool families find encouragement and awesome lesson ideas. You will find blog posts featuring time-saving tips, organizational strategies, homeschool book lists, and homeschool curriculum reviews.
I'm sharing creative ways to use Stretchy Bands in the classroom. In fact, I know you can stretch learning with Stretchy Bands.
