I was reading a book on helium. I couldn't put it down!
Enjoy these free customizable Boggle templates for use in your classroom! You can switch out the letters to make a new game every time!
Unwanted talking is near the top of the list of teacher frustrations. In this article, learn the actual strategies to finally get rid of it for good.
Have you ever had a class with so many difficult, disruptive students that you felt that you could barely even teach? What can you do to get past it? In this post, I am going to address this problem with my best advice, and some advice from others as well.
Have you ever had a class that just tried your patience day after day? Have you ever felt like you could walk away from teaching forever tom...
I've been reading the book, Mindsets in the Classroom by Mary Cay Ricci, and just finished chapter 3. It was a real eye-opener. Through all of my years of teaching, I thought I was differentiating by planning and implementing reteaching and enrichment lessons and activities as my class worked through a unit. But in this chapter, I learned how important it is to start the differentiation before the unit even begins! This process begins with the preassessment. So much valuable information can be gathered before you begin teaching a unit. The purpose of the preassessment is to find how much students understand the content before you plan and teach the unit. Do they have a complete understanding of the content? Then they will need enrichment and/or accelerated activities. Do they have a partial understanding of the content? Then you need to make note of the gaps in their learning so you can plan accordingly. Checklists are a great way to keep track of the objectives and student mastery. From this checklist, you will also see students that need to be grouped for instruction. Keep in mind that this grouping will change as students master the objectives. Another insight I gained from this chapter is the different types of assessments used in a classroom. I put together this graphic to sum up the three types of assessment you should be using in your classroom. Click on the image to download the pdf version. You can also download this free packet with three quick and easy formative assessments you can use
Challenges with focus and attention can become a huge roadblock to learning for kids and young adults. Simply put, attention is critical to learning. If students can't focus on the lesson, they are going to struggle with understanding the new content. If students can't focus on the directions, they
It seems like every day there is an endless stream of students reporting behaviors or incidents that happen in the classroom. On one hand, we want to help our students feel heard and validated so they know we are a safe person for them to talk to. On the other hand, we certainly don't want to feed into the tattle machine. It's a fine line to walk. So how do we handle tattling in our classrooms?
If you struggle with classroom management no matter how many different strategies you try, there's a chance you're doing something to get in your own way.
Corkboard Connections is a blog written by Laura Candler who enjoys connecting terrific teachers with amazing resources!
We are a Leader In Me School and talk a lot about using the 7 Habits of Happy Kids in our everyday lives. I love the idea of encouraging kids to act as leaders in the classroom and beyond. What I have noticed, however, is that sometimes "leadership" comes off as "bossypants" and that is not the route we want to take! I know you've probably heard of Sheryl Sandberg (of Facebook fame) and her campaign to end the word "bossy" (read or listen to an NPR story HERE), but I was hesitant to come straight out and use that word in our class. Instead, I wanted them to think on terms of "boss" and "leader" to recognize the differences between the two and to think about their own language choices in the classroom, in small groups, on their sports teams, and more. We first looked at this picture and talked about what we noticed: (source) This led to some discussion about leadership versus boss behavior. While the kids were discussing, I was passing out example cards to their table spots. Before I dismissed them, I shared this leadership quote from John Quincy Adams: They were then given instructions about our activity. I had printed example cards on two colors: blue for boss and green for leader (although they didn't know that yet) and they needed to read their card and find someone with an opposite color card and opposite example (good time to incorporate the word antonym, too!). I dismissed them to their tables and first had them converse with students in their table group to ensure they understood the word or phrase on their card. When they gave me the thumbs up, I told them to find their match and them meet to discuss why they went together and be able to give examples. We then began assembling our Anchor Chart. Each pair would come to the front of the class and would explain which card was descriptive of a "boss" and which was descriptive of a "leader" and why. They gave examples and I elicited a lot of help from the classroom for additional examples and language that both a boss and leader may use during that example. I would tape the cards to the Anchor Chart and we continued through each pair. There were two groups of three (with two leaders to one boss) and that worked out perfectly with my class (definitely feel free to adjust if you have lower numbers). Our completed anchor chart looked like: It was so powerful to see how often kids may think they are helping, but instead find themselves on the "boss" side of the chart instead of the "leader." I know several of the examples are repetitive, but we really talked through these and used examples from our own lives to recount when using "leader" words and language set us up for success. I also explained the "me vs. you" mentality of bosses versus the "we and us" mentality of leaders. Overall, it was a very powerful lesson and I look forward to referring back to this Anchor Chart this year, especially when "bossypants" behavior leads to conflict. I think these concrete examples can help guide the naturally strong leaders in my class to make better language decisions that can help grow them as leaders and really inspire others, just like the Adams quote! If you'd like a copy of these cards and quote, you can download this as a *freebie* HERE. How do you address bossy vs. leader behavior in your class? Share in the comments, I would love to build on this lesson!
Working with kids and young adults who are oppositional can be challenging. Being oppositional might mean refusing to do work, breaking rules, and engaging in other challenging behaviors. The truth is, many kids can be oppositional from time to time, so many of these strategies work with all learner
Check out these effective ways of teaching kids conflict resolution skills at home & school with these easy-to-implement ideas & strategies.
How has your summer vacation been going? Mine has been both relaxing and busy at the same time. I have been working like a busy bee planning for my mid-August nuptials! If you follow me on Instagram, then you’re definitely up to date on all things wedding! I’ve also been making more of an effort...
Guest blogger Lori Desautels translates Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs into a blueprint for classroom practice that can set the stage with comfort, care, and self-reflection to optimize brain-compatible learning.
¿Quién tiene la razón? ¿Cómo es posible que los dos tengan razón? One of the most important tasks outside of language learning that world language teachers face is to make our students aware of the…
Podcasts in the classroom are so fun and engaging! Have you jumped on the podcast train yet?! I have a great system for using podcasts in the classroom...
This parts of a circle poster displays the parts of a circle: center, diameter, radius, chord, secant line, tangent line, point of tangency, arc, and sector. It also shows the definitions and formulas for circumference and area of a circle. Printing: This poster is designed to be printed as a 24" by 36" poster. If you have Adobe Reader (free to download), then select the "poster" option when printing. Your poster will be printed on multiple 8.5"x11" pages that can be put together as a poster. You can also use a poster printer (some schools have them or an office supply store like Staples). Terms of Use: This product should only be used by the teacher who purchased it. This product is not to be shared with other teachers. Please buy the correct number of licenses if this is to be used by more than one teacher. Did you know? You can receive TPT store credits to use on future purchases by leaving feedback on products you buy! Just click on "My Purchases" under "Buy"! Connect with me! Blog Instagram Facebook Pinterest
15 exit ticket ideas for any subject or grade level!
Steal these for your writing unit!
Some days you just need a break from the monotony! Preparing for exams, transitioning to a new unit, days when half your students are gone for a basketball tour
Autism activities to help increase communication, fine motor skills, sensory play skills, interaction & more in your home or autism classroom!
How to Avoid the Summer Slide! Summer is right around the corner! We all LOVE our summer vacation, but not the "Summer Slide!" The Summer Review Packets
Part II of IV: The Reflective Student. In an effort to help schools become more reflective learning environments, I’ve developed this “Taxonomy of Reflection” – modeled on B…
Learning to read and spell silent letter words can be tricky for kids. Learn teaching tips and tricks that make this concept easy and fun!
Setting up for small group in 2nd grade can be challenging! This post outlines one teacher's simple center rotation schedule.
I think there are so many ways this could be used in therapy and I am excited to try it out! The basic principle is the kids can shake the bottle around to find the different words hidden in the rice. Once they find a word, they can:
Adding creativity to the classroom can seem like a daunting task, but it's important for making learning fun, engaging, and memorable!
Download our classroom icebreakers printable and "go fishing" with your students as they ask and answer questions of one another.
Use this as a framework in your instruction. By using this language your students will understand their role during lesson delivery. Please visit my blog TheKFiles for additional resources and ideas for the primary classroom! From my home away from home... ...to yours! The K Files...
If your third or fourth grader is starting to think about taking up a musical instrument, help him get the basics of reading notes with this handy sheet!
Take a G and an E and O, And add a little R-G-E, To a W-A-S-H, I...N...G If you add 2,000 pounds, That makes a ton, So what have you got? You've got a lot!
Every English language arts teacher needs a variety of successful, student led discussion strategies that will provide opportunities for student learning.
Got a talkative class? Check out these 5 ways to quiet the chatter!
This is a fun worksheet to practice the weather with your beginner ESL students. Have your students read the sentence and draw the correct weather accordingly.
How to help your child find the right learning styles to enhance their potential in school and to prep the brain for higher learning. Learning is unique and different for each child.
How to Create a Caring Classroom features a free webinar and active engagement lessons for creating a caring classroom environment that will last all year long.
Parent Teacher Conferences are right around the corner. The beginning of the school year has gone by SO fast! I am wanting to try something new
Free printable social scripts for kids about being a good sport