I LOVE POETRY! I love to read it, write it, and teach it, and above all, I want my students to love it too! In order for them to love it, ho...
I love using the Two Truths and a Lie strategy to get students practicing applying math concepts in my class. Normally, this is used as an ice breaker. For example, I might share the following three
This water lab is a super fun way to introduce nonlinear functions in an algebra class. The math department at my school uses this lab as a way to start the school year in Algebra 2. The students love it, and by the end of the lab every student understands what it means to be an algebraic function!
When trying to differentiate instruction for our students, it's easy to feel overwhelmed. Here are 6 Easy Ways to Differentiate Instruction
Just think of me as that friendly teacher down the hall who is your go-to resource when you aren't sure how to introduce a certain math topic.
Choosing songs to teach from in the music room can be tricky business. For one thing, there are an infinite number of songs from which to choose. You can easily put your head down to think of one song to use in a lesson only to look up hours later with stacks of books and binders next to
Learn different ways to use Spiral Math Resources in your classroom; Including Spiral Math Homework and Spiral Language Homework.
Using Animated Shorts to Teach Main Idea and Details If you are looking for some high interest activities to enhance your lessons, try using animated shorts to teach reading skills. This post contains
We loved making this brain hat (UPDATE: if that link won't work for you, try this : Go to the link here: https://ellenjmchenry.com/ and...
Hands-on pre-reading activities that encourage your elementary students to access their prior knowledge and make predictions.
This post will help you learn a few Powerpoint secrets that you didn't already know as well as give you a few ways to save some work time.
We all know and love Kahoot, right? If you do not know about Kahoot then we have a few blog posts with tips and ideas to get you up to sp...
The bottomline in knowing how to teach kids with dyslexia to read is that there are methods and approaches that have been proven to work and those that haven't.
Top 10 Pixar Short Films for teaching middles school literary elements: theme, plot, inference, setting, dialogue, conflict, and more.
Teaching Text Structure can be difficult. Here are some tips for making learning text structure simple.
I love using short films to teach reading comprehension skills, and my students love watching them!
Ideas to teach force and motion to grade 5 6 7 students including Newton's laws with print, digital and hands on activities for science class
Texting In The Classroom Texting in the classroom. Usually just hearing that makes you annoyed. It is no secret that our students are saturated in a world of technology. As educators there is imme…
Kids love music! Teaching kids about the world through music is a great way for them to access the world.
Got a talkative class? Check out these 5 ways to quiet the chatter!
What is the Noble Eightfold Path in Buddhism? Learn how this important teaching can help free you from suffering, and help guide you as a Buddhist!
Learn all the tips and tricks for playing the rhythm chairs game in the elementary music classroom.
Simple paper bag lung project for kids helps explain how do lungs work for kids with an easy human body project for kids of all ages.
The Unfair Game is a totally unfair twist on Jeopardy that your students will LOVE to hate! Learn how to play and find sample game boards in this post.
New to kombucha? This post explains the health benefits, how to make kombucha, and includes our favorite komcuha recipes of all time!
Let me help you to teach elapsed time with these four different strategies. Check out these tips and ideas to include in a lesson while grabbing a FREEBIE!
If you want your children to learn more about body organs and their functions, these human body printables for kids are just what you need!
Teach your students about the 7 Continents with these activities, projects & games!
Put an end to the early finisher challenge with these fun and engaging (and free!) choice board activities for early finishers!
Are you looking for relevant activities, engaging lessons plans, and project ideas for teaching Animal Farm, this post has you covered!
SIGH. Challenging day today. I can't be frank because I will offend. Let's just say I am feeling like I am having to "sell" arts education and that is frustrating. So, I'm not going to grumble, or complain, or yell...I am going to advocate. Here's a poster I made that talks about the benefits that art has on a child... And here are some close-up images of the poster so you can read the info. The images aren't the best, but if I make them too "nice" then blogger grumbles about the file sizes. Great references. Thank you to them for their info. This poster is not for money-making purposes, it was intended as an arts advocacy project for my grad school. Thanks!
Read about how ChatGPT can help streamline your teacher life!
There’s nothing quite like a really memorable villain to add drama to a story! Who can forget Count Fosco, or Moriarty, or Sauron? Use this worksheet to craft the perfect villain. Click Here to Download This Worksheet (PDF) If you’d like a more well-rounded villain, you might consider plotting their character arc. You can also…
I love these math games for middle and high school students! They are great for small groups or whole class activities.
Free printable PDF math templates for algebra, algebra 2 and even geometry, some of which will work great in middle school math. I LOVE math templates. It makes life so much easier to know my warm up is all set to go. When I first wrote this post, I had only made 4 Algebra and Algebra 2 templates. Since then, I've added a whole bunch more.
Have a tough class? Need some new classroom management strategies? Whole Brain Teaching can transform your classroom! Learn what WBT is in this post!
How to Teach Kids About Joy - This fun game will teach kids about joy in an active, engaging, and creative way.
after 1 week Have you ever heard of Dr. Masaru Emoto and his water crystals experiment? This was a series of experiments in which water was exposed to different stimuli and then frozen and the crystals photographed through a microscope. The water was exposed to prayer, words, music, and pictures, and the crystals were varied by stimulus and each one was unique. I've longed been intrigued by what the results suggest. The Rice Experiment is another of Dr. Emoto's experiments, attempting to demonstrate that the power of thoughts and intentions can alter physical reality. We did the Rice Experiment for a Family Home Evening project. We placed cooked rice into two clean jars and labeled one "Love" and the other "Hate." Each day we were each supposed to talk to the rice. To the "Love" rice we said affirming, positive, loving words, like "You're so wonderful. Thank you so much. I love you. You are worthy and good." To the "Hate" rice we said mean things like, "You are stupid, rotten, and worthless. You are a fool. You are no good. I hate you." And we waited. On Day 3 mold began to appear in the "Hate" rice. After a week, we compared them for our follow-up lesson: There was significant molding in the "Hate" rice, while the "Love" rice remained almost as fresh looking as Day 1. I thought it was interesting that one of the mold shapes in the "Hate" rice was shaped like a heart, as if it was crying out for love. (I realize this was purely coincidental, don't worry.) After the week, we sort of fell off the wagon with our consistency, but the rice continued to sit on the counter. I would talk to it when I remembered. After almost 2 weeks, you can see that there is a bit of mold beginning to grow in the "Love" rice, but there is a dramatic difference between the two jars, with the "Hate" rice being much more rotten. I believe in the power of words and thoughts. I have felt their positive and negative effects in my life. According to Dr. Emoto, it is the water in the rice that is responding to the energy of our words and intentions. Well, what are we? Pretty much water. (Same theory applies to plants, which are mostly water. Talk and sing to your plants!) I know how positive, encouraging words from others seep into my soul and make me feel full of light, while hateful, condemning words blacken my mind and mood. I can remember several times after a marital fight, trying to just go out for a run and not being able to run nearly as long as I knew I could. Feeling just absolutely defeated and broken. I also know that my thoughts have a tremendous impact on my performance and belief about myself. Positive thoughts are truly empowering. Rudyard Kipling said, "I am by nature a dealer in words, and words are the most powerful drug known to humanity." That makes me think of this experiment and the power of my words on my children (and others in my life.) I am far from perfect when choosing my words with my children, and I am trying to choose my words and my tone more carefully. I want to fortify them against the rotting effects of the world. So, we love the Rice Experiment! Give it a try!
Imagination Workout Printable Click the link above to download Attalie’s Imagination Workout free printable art worksheet.
