Too many classroom icebreakers require students to take big social risks with people they barely know. Or they don't really help students get to know each other. Or they are just plain cheesy.
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...
A digital curation project is a fast way to engage critical thinking in any content area. Here's how it works.
Focus your planning by getting clear on just three things: the WHAT, the HOW, and the WHY.
What they don't teach us in education courses is just how freaking much students talk, and how hard it can be to quiet them down. Help is on the way.
Whether you're brand-new to block scheduling or you've been doing it for years, these strategies will have you handling those 90 minutes like a boss.
Are any of these ineffective teaching methods still part of your practice? Time to reconsider.
Monologue rubric designed specifically to assess and evaluate a single students' monologue performance. Can be used with pre-selected monologues or student choice monologues. Excellent resource for the culmination of a monologue unit. ...
Sometimes it feels crazy overwhelming to keep assessing students and know exactly what they do/don’t understand. That’s where these quick and easy formative assessment ideas comes in! M…
This free lesson plan template will help you with backward planning of lessons. Start from the right-hand column – going backwards...
These are the top 10 most popular posts from Teach for the Heart. Teachers, you've got to check these out!
Looking for fun ways to teach phrasal verbs? Are you an English native speaker, but struggle to explain or teach phrasal verbs to your students? Read this post for 5 fun ways to approach this difficult grammar topic!...
An overview of the nuts and bolts of distance learning, including general tips, advice on tech, and troubleshooting some common problems.
Are any of these ineffective teaching methods still part of your practice? Time to reconsider.
Are your worksheets contributing to meaningful learning, or just keeping students busy?
In a self-paced classroom, each student is given an appropriate level of challenge and grows at a steady pace throughout the school year. Here's how it works.
To do the work of a teacher and stick with it long enough to get good at it, you need a level of emotional resilience most other jobs will never require.
Advice from three ESL teachers on the things regular classroom teachers can do to help English language learners thrive in mainstream classrooms.
Advice is available everywhere you look, and some of it is very good. But a lot of those tips won’t work if you fail to follow this one essential rule.
In a teaching tailspin? These four research-based principles of instruction will help you focus on what really moves the needle.
James Sturtevant's book, You've Gotta Connect, is full of practical, actionable advice and tools to strengthen the quality of your connection with students.
I went to an education conference recently, and in one session a maths expert shared ‘Think Boards’. They are a simple but excellent idea, and fit in very well with maths mastery. They…
Adding ChatGPT plugins are simple and can help you teach more effectively
Here are six teaching strategies I use every lesson, every day.
Your new favorite teaching strategy: This pared-down version of learning stations keeps the movement, interactivity and variety while minimizing the prep work.
Your students probably already use these tools to write papers or create presentations, but they could be doing other projects you may not have thought of.
Do you have a mountain of student writing to grade? Do you wish you had more time to give students better feedback? This little trick will help.
To take quality notes, students need to be taught how. This fantastic station-rotation lesson gets the job done, and it can be used with all kinds of other content as well.
Why calling on students should be the LAST strategy you use to find out what they know...and how to get ALL kids involved instead.
Use this idea of giving students a clear explanation of the structure needed for their writing, by sticking a strip of information alongside their work!
Nothing cements long-term learning as powerfully as retrieval practice. Learn how to incorporate it into your classroom.
Learn the simple, quick strategies cognitive scientists say can boost student learning in any classroom.
Best Strategies for Teaching Dynamics. Organized Chaos. TONS of lesson ideas for teaching students to respond to, perform, and create with dynamics, from kindergarten through elementary and middle school ages.
In a new book, an American teacher in Finland collects the best teaching practices of the world's most lauded school system.
Although days can be busy and rehearsals can get crazy, here are 5 things you should say to your band more often. They will energize, inspire and motivate your students- and you!
How do you run a differentiated classroom, where each student is working on separate tasks at different speeds? See how one teacher manages a self-paced class.
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
Unlock the power of rhetoric with this dynamic SPACECAT Rhetorical Analysis Graphic Organizer, meticulously designed to pair with any text, empowering students to explore and dissect the nuanced elements that shape persuasive communication. Crafted using Google Slides, this resource offers the flexibility of being both printable and digitally assignable. Key Features: Comprehensive Framework: The SPACECAT acronym serves as the framework for analysis, delving into the key components that drive the effectiveness of a message: SPEAKER: Students investigate the source's creator, their background, and point of view, enabling them to uncover potential biases and how they impact the source. PURPOSE: Uncover the purpose and goal behind the source's creation, illuminating the intentions and objectives of the message. AUDIENCE: Explore the target audience, shedding light on how their characteristics and expectations influence the source's meaning. CONTEXT: Dive into the historical and situational context of the source's creation, revealing how external factors shape its significance. EXIGENCE: Analyze the urgency and necessity of the message, understanding what prompted its creation and its lasting impact. CHOICES: Investigate the specific communication choices employed by the creator, from diction to organization, to reveal their influence on the message's effectiveness. APPEALS: Unearth the intended appeal to the audience, whether through emotion, logic, or credibility, and how these elements contribute to the message's persuasiveness. TONE: Identify the message's general tone and its impact on audience perception, providing insight into the speaker's attitude and intentions. Why Choose Our Rhetorical Analysis Graphic Organizer: Comprehensive Analysis: The SPACECAT framework ensures that students conduct in-depth, multi-faceted analyses, enhancing their understanding of persuasive communication. Digital and Printable: Crafted in Google Slides, this resource is adaptable to both traditional and digital learning environments, offering flexibility and convenience. Skill Development: This graphic organizer helps students build essential skills in rhetorical analysis, critical thinking, and textual interpretation. Empower your students to become astute analyzers of persuasive messages, unveiling the intricate layers that shape communication. Our Rhetorical Analysis Graphic Organizer, featuring the SPACECAT framework, is your key to fostering analytical thinking and rhetorical awareness. Elevate your teaching and inspire your students with a versatile resource designed to deepen their understanding of persuasive communication. Transform your classroom with the Rhetorical Analysis Graphic Organizer - SPACECAT for Text Analysis from History and Literacy for All! Welcome to History and Literacy for All, your go-to resource for engaging and educational materials designed to enrich the history classroom experience. Our store is dedicated to providing a wide range of resources, including graphic organizers, literacy tools, and history-focused content that empowers both teachers and students. Key Features of Our Shop: Graphic Organizers: Explore our collection of meticulously crafted graphic organizers that are tailored to support students in visualizing and comprehending historical concepts. These visual aids enhance learning and critical thinking in the history classroom. Literacy Enrichment: We understand the importance of literacy in the history classroom. Our materials integrate effective reading and writing strategies, designed to boost students' literacy skills while engaging with historical content. Digital and Printable Resources: Whether you prefer digital teaching tools for a tech-savvy classroom or traditional printables for a hands-on approach, our products are available in both formats. Our Google Slides-compatible materials make online teaching a breeze. Why Choose History and Literacy for All: Our products are created by an experienced educator with a passion for history and literacy in the classroom. We offer an array of resources suitable for various grade levels and teaching styles. Every item in our shop is designed to foster a deep understanding of historical events and inspire a love for learning. Discover how our graphic organizers, literacy tools, and history materials can transform your history classroom. Explore our shop today and equip yourself with the tools you need to engage, educate, and empower your students. Thank you for choosing History and Literacy for All as your trusted resource for history and literacy education. We're committed to helping you make a lasting impact in your classroom.
A list of the best teacher websites, blogs, and online resources recommended by teachers for teachers.
HyperDocs make room for more interactive, personalized, and student-directed learning. Let's look at how they work.
Many teachers aren't sure how to convert rubric feedback into grades or points. Here's one way to do it.
Certain tasks are inherently rigorous, including reading idea-dense content, debate, using the writing process and even note-taking.
