Confused about differentiating for gifted and talented students? This post offers two powerful strategies to try. Free download included.
The workshop model is a great way to differentiate your instruction for all learners in your classroom. This post focuses on workshop for gifted students.
10 easy and inexpensive gift ideas for teachers. Saying thank you to a teacher doesn't take much, it could be as simple as a handwritten note. Check out nine more ideas!
8 Practical teacher gifts for back to school, Christmas, or end of school. These non-traditional gifts are ones that your child's teacher actually wants.
This Teacher Favorite Things Form will take the guesswork out of gift giving. Let teachers know how much you appreciate them!
This simple and easy teacher gift idea is the perfect gift for any teacher. Get your favorite teacher what they really want this year!
Are you challenging gifted students in the classroom? Check out these daily challenge tasks that will help your gifted students thrive!
Use this free printable teacher questionnaire to get to know the teacher. Find out exactly what to give the for birthday, Christmas and end of year gifts.
Most people have something they say they’d run back into a burning house for. For some, it’s photos or mementos. For others, it’s something of great monetary value.
One of the questions that I am asked quite a bit is about teacher gifts: What do teachers want for a gift? Should it be personal or for the classroom? Do teachers like gift cards or personalized gifts? There are so many more, but I thought that I would sum it all up in today's
Teaching gifted kids in the regular classroom can be a challenge. Do you sometimes feel like you're "losing it"? Do you not really know how to meet the needs of these kids when you have so many kids who have IEP's, 504 Plans, or are in the RTI process? Don't despair, there is help!
Teacher morale is an important part of the school community. Teachers are unique, we are used to fending for ourselves, and pulling ourselves out of even the deepest of funks. This doesn't mean we don't like a little morale booster from time to time.
Read about why you need to be okay with letting your gifted students learn new content, even if no one else is doing it.
Have you ever wondered if a gifted language arts curriculum could be a good fit for your homeschool even though your kids aren't necessarily gifted?
Learn all about differentiating the products that your students complete as part of their learning journey. I'll define it for you, give you some important tips, show you an example of how I did this in my gifted classroom, and I'll even give you a list of ideas you can use in your own classroom.
This is from when we studied Keith Haring! Had a really fun time gettin...
You might be surprised to find out how gifted kids are classified in the education system and what services they really are entitled to...
Whether your gifted child prefers logic, word, or strategy you'll find plenty of options with this list of 100 Games for Gifted kids.
This adorable DIY Teacher Survival Kit is the perfect gift for teacher appreciation day or back to school welcome. Here's how to make one!
One of my goals as a teacher is to bring out the creativity and joy of learning out in students. I like to pose questions, get them to think, and have them create. I mean, that's what all of us want to do, right? But, honestly, it seems as though somewhere along the lines, the inquiry and ingenuity that kids should intrinsically show has disappeared. They simply want to be TOLD what to do at all times. I understand why. In an age of testing and dog and pony shows and the need to "get stuff done", it has become easier for me everyone to just tell the kids what to do and be done with it. But here is my problem. The kids that sit in front of me have become regurgitators. They wait for ME to give them directions. They wait for ME to show them examples. They wait for ME to lay everything out on the table for them. Notice how it is ME that is doing all the work. The kids need ME to do their thinking. Well, one day a few years ago, I got tired of that. I was sitting in front of my class discussing photosynthesis and I asked them to show me what they knew about it. Do you know what the response was? Blank stares. They were waiting for ME to tell them exactly how I wanted them to show me what they knew. They were waiting for ME to take all the thinking out so that they could just plug in information. And I just had it. I said, "Go back to your seats and create something, ANYTHING, that shows me what you know about photosynthesis." The kids staggered back to their seats, in a daze. That one direction threw them for a loop. But something magical happened. The kids began to work. They began to talk with each other and brainstorm ways they could teach me about the topic at hand. They asked for construction paper and poster board. They began cutting and gluing. And they came up with this. And this. And this. I was blown away! Why was I blown away? The kids came up with these ideas on their own. I didn't tell them what to do, they just began making things. Some took out their computers and created Google Slide presentations. Others made posters with flaps. Some wrote narrative stories or informational books. There were pop up pages and diagrams and game boards and costumes and models. And so I did it again. This time, though, I created a rubric so that the kids knew what they would be graded on. The rubric was generic enough so as not to hinder their creativity (it didn't say what kind of project they should make) but gave them guidelines to up the quality (for example, it required above and beyond information that wasn't a simple google search) For the second go around, I asked the kids to teach me about the Periodic Table of Elements. And I got this. Then Aquaponics. And Severe Weather. Each time I asked them to teach me something, the projects became more and more detailed and elaborate. The kids put time and effort into creating. I did notice that they were getting into a rut of copying ideas from others, so each time we would brainstorm different types of projects they could create. Many of them would choose a different type of project that they didn't think others would make. And each time the kids turned something in, they proved to me that they really do have that creativity and ingenuity inside of them, that they don't have to just regurgitate information but can think and design and present all on their own. Which is exactly what I wanted all along. Do you want all of my lessons, forms, and rubrics for this project? You can grab them here. Or you can just ask your kids to "Teach Me Something." But really if you want the rubrics and LESSON PLANS...I already made them for you here ;)
How to facilitate successful Socratic Seminars in the secondary ELA
We need to understand that gifted children are not just “bright” – a highly subjective label. 15 signs of a gifted child--read on to learn.
I am officially starting my substitute teaching job next week! Super nervous and excited! I can't wait to get back into the district that I student taught. I have been printing out some emergency plans to be extra prepared. Here is the sub report that I made this morning. I hope you may get some use out of it, too! Click here to download the pdf
Anyone who knows me, reads this blog, or uses my resources knows that I am passionate about differentiation. I think that is because I grew ...
Happy teachers mean happy students. Here is a list of ways to build morale, support teacher wellbeing and have fun as a teaching team at school.
Can you get through this list without wanting to do at least one?
Teaching vocabulary to your gifted students is something you ay have pushed aside, but it is SO important for them! Read this second post in my series about how I teach vocabulary from start to finish!
Fonts play a big role in creating classroom worksheets, activities and many teachers love making their own! Here are 42 free fonts that were created by teachers and will help make your classroom activities bright, whimsical and add just the right touch.
let students draw themselves on the inside and outsideFun and creative idea to get to know your students and for them to get to know each other!Powerpoint Available.
You aren't making these teacher mistakes in your special education class, are you? Here's 6 mistakes teachers and paras in SpEd make PLUS 5 easy fixes too!
This interactive tool is worth the subscription.
In order to stay alive, your body is always taking in oxygen! Your lungs are SO important! They remove carbon dioxide from blood, and transport oxygen and deliver it to the blood!
A Story of Creation printable can serve as an invaluable tool for educators and parents alike, offering a structured, visual approach to teaching children about the various narratives on the origins of the world found in different cultures and religions..
Want to get a unique present for the Car Enthusiast or fan in your life and show off your mad gift giving skills? Get this retro set of iconic Ferrari F1 Indy Racing patents artwork reinterpreted to capture the spirit of innovation, engineering, and hand crafted to infuse the classic, vintage feel and personal touch by our award winning artist in North Carolina. EXCELLENT GIFT and a fun conversation starter or gift ideas for birthday, wedding, graduation, Christmas, Father’s day, Mother’s day, Valentine’s day, holidays, retirement or anniversary for men, women, husband, wife, spouse, boyfriend, girlfriend, friend, dad, mother, grandpa, nana, sister, brother, sibling, aunt, uncle, boss, coworkers, or any motorsport enthusiast in your life. GREAT ADDITION TO ANY HOUSEHOLD: hang pictures in the bedroom, family room, man cave, office, kitchen, bathroom, or garage. EASY TO FRAME: pick the right 8” x 10” or 11" x 14" picture frames that work with your decor – or larger frame with matting – easy to buy at any craft store, department store, supercenter, neighborhood store, even discount store. HIGH QUALITY: Printed on Fujicolor Crystal Archive paper - high detail images and great quality paper stock - unlike other flimsy, inkjet prints - will ensure years of enjoyment. SATISFACTION GUARANTEED: Buy presents with confidence: We offer a 30 day no questions asked money back guarantee. DESIGNED AND MADE IN USA. The set of 6 vintage blueprint posters prints is bound to impress and rival collectibles of any IMSA, Grand Prix, Le Mans fan, track club or history buff.
I really dislike icebreakers. They make me cringe. When I became a teacher, I swore I would spare my students the torture of icebreakers. That being said, I also realize how important it is to buil…
Spook up your festivities with these 48 ghost templates that are all free to download and print! These templates are ideal for cutting out, creating eerie Halloween decorations, DIY gift tags, sewing, ornaments, coloring, and so much more!
