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 blog post sharing information about why Contraction Surgery is a success in classrooms! Hands-on information is shared. #ContractionSurgery
Critical thinking questions for kids are a great way to get them to use their minds and think inquisitively about a variety of topics.
This post contains Amazon Affiliate links for your convenience. Recently I brought you my review of You Are A Social Detective: Explaining Social ThinkingⓇ to Kids by Michelle Garcia Winner and Pamela Crooke… and now I am FINALLY getting around to sharing all of the cool activities we did to go with that book! Woot! If […]
As kids, we enjoyed all sorts of fun hobbies. Somehow, back in the day, no matter how much homework we got, we still managed to do all this other cool stuff. But even if you are very busy as an adult, you should definitely find some new hobbies to try and attempt fitting them into your schedule. These hobbies don’t even have to be something complicated or time-consuming. There are tons of easy hobbies to pick up out there, and so everyone can find something to their taste.
From stunning lakes to lively cities, Canada has a lot to offer. Check out these things to know before going to Canada to learn more about the country.
Are you looking for a way to teach critical thinking skills to your students? Give my favorite strategy, "Not the Answer" a try! This activity builds critical thinking skills through the use of multiple choice questions and allows you a look inside your students' thinking.
Have you ever thought about using wordless videos in your speech therapy lessons? It increases engagement! Start with these videos...
Help your students understand how nonrenewable resources do not last with this hands-on science activity that is perfect for any elementary teacher!
Are you worried about your back posture? Have you often experienced trouble at work while trying to sit? Then here are the best hunchback posture exercises for you
I am so excited to share this new product with you all. Recently, I’ve really gotten into making social-emotional games like my Social Skills Land and Social Superstar Games. My students love playing them all and I’ve found that they’ve been so much more effective than more “traditional” social-emotional lessons because the kids feel engaged ...
Are you worried about your back posture? Have you often experienced trouble at work while trying to sit? Then here are the best hunchback posture exercises for you
If you are thinking of moving from the United States to Europe, don't make the same mistakes we did! Here are the top things we wish we had done differently moving our family of 6 to the Netherlands.
It's a common mistake to think that to draw attention to yourself, you are required to wear a bold outfit. Yes, you may catch a few glances from stran
This is a great, simple activity to get to know your students better in the first few weeks of school!The metaphor of what "fills your cup" and what "empties your cup" is posed to students to get them to think about things that they use to replenish themselves mentally, emotionally, physically, and ...
Are you looking for fun back to school activities for KS1 students? On the first day back at school after the
It can be difficult to learn how to differentiate instruction for the variety of learners in your classroom. Come see how we do it.
Do you teach growth mindset to your students? These new growth mindset picture books by Kobi Yamada are perfect for helping students.
Ask yourself these questions whenever you are contemplating new information, or looking to improve your critical thinking skills
Looking for appropriate words for a serious illness card? See our lists of comforting words for a serious illness & encouraging words for a serious illness.
Help your students understand and create timelines with this engaging, interactive collection of timeline projects and activities that would work for reading, social studies, or any content area! This resource is full of 12 different timeline variations that are sure to engage your students while teaching them this important social studies (or even reading graphic sources) skill! It's perfect for projects or practice once a month! It is also great for morning work, fast finishers (or early finishers), centers, homework, small group work, partner work, individual classwork, or even whole group! It is also perfect for tutors or substitutes. This activity helps your students practice chronological order, practice identifying the most important details (determining importance), and other significant information related to historical or timeline events. Plus, it aligns well with the Reading Common Core! File Type PDF (Acrobat) Document File Be sure that you have an application to open this file type before downloading and/or purchasing.
Through the years I have had a few students with selective mutism. When I met my first student with S.M., I thought she was just very shy. For this post, I will call her Sally but that is not her real name. But, after a couple of weeks of school, it was clear that there was more going on that a case of shyness. That is when I asked for a meeting with Sally's parents to get their insight into what was happening. Her parents told me that she would only talk to the people in her immediate family and one neighbor. She wouldn't even speak to her grandparents or cousins. After observations and meetings with her pediatrician, counselor, speech pathologist, she was officially diagnosed as having selective mutism. Luckily, Sally's parents were very open to ideas and happy to try anything that we suggested. Sally's mom would send me something to school on a weekly basis. Sometimes it was a bag of cookies that Sally and her mom had baked together. Other times Sally's mom let her pick out a packet of stickers to donate to our class. Sally's job was to hand the item(s) to me. We set the following goals: 1st: Hand the item to the teacher without mom standing beside her. I said thank you but did not ask her any questions about the item. 2nd: Hand the item to the teacher while looking at the teacher. I said thank you but did not ask her any questions about the item. 3rd: Hand the item to the teacher and say you're welcome. I said thank you but did not ask her any questions about the item. 4th: Hand the item to the teacher while looking at the teacher and say you're welcome. I said thank you but did not ask her any questions about the item. 5th: Hand the item to the teacher while looking at the teacher and say you're welcome. Answer teacher's question with one word. I said thank you and then asked her a question that could be answered with one word - usually a yes/no question. 6th: Hand the item to the teacher while looking at the teacher and say you're welcome. Answer teacher's question with 2 or more words. I said thank you and then asked her a question that required a few more details. Once again, Sally's parents provided extra support to help her build relationships with her classmates. Sally and her mom loved to bake. Usually students only brought treats for their birthday. I gave her mom permission to send in treats more frequently. When Sally passed out the treats to her classmates, she was concentrating on the actual process of passing out, and less about her anxiety about communicating with her classmates. We set goals for this too. 1st: Pass out treats without teacher support. 2nd: Pass out treat and make eye contact with classmates. 3rd: Pass out treat, make eye contact with classmates, and smile when student says thank you. 4th: Pass out treat, make eye contact with classmates, and say you're welcome when classmate says thank you. Sally received weekly support from our school counselor. Our counselor let Sally choose a buddy come with her. She and the buddy played games in the counselor's office. In the beginning, Sally would only smile and shake her head for yes or no. But, over time she slowly began to whisper to the counselor and her buddy. I think it helped that there was only one buddy and they were in a quiet office so she felt more comfortable. By the end of the year, she was able to invite 3 buddies to go with her. As you can imagine she became very popular because she got to pick her buddy(ies). Word quickly spread that if Sally chose you, you got to go play games. Students wanted to sit by her at lunch and invited her to play games with them at recess. There are different reasons why a student may have S.M. Sometimes it is an anxiety issue. Click HERE to read more about this topic. Interested in reading more posts? Click on the pictures below.
If you are looking for some amazing gifts for someone going to basic training that they can actually use, look no further
If you have been following our blog, you might have seen our post about our favorite teacher hack, earlier finisher packets! If you missed it, don’t worry, I will sum it up real quick for you. Essentially, despite teaching different grade, Emmy and I realized we were both having the same Issue. Kid
Ready to go student check-in activities to find out what your students are thinking and feeling. Find the ones that work for you!
The usage of THERE IS and THERE ARE is quite easy to understand. In this post there is a mind map, a worksheet and two games to help you or your students.
I was out for the two days prior to Spring Break for a trip to Disney World. My two youngest kids had never been, so who could say no? Anyway, I was thinking about a fun activity for my substitiute to do while I was out. I have seen other teachers do similar activities and...
Item description These EASY and FUN back-to-school icebreakers for high school biology class are the perfect activity for the first week of school! Two activities are included: Back to School Bingo and Getting to Know You Hexagonal Thinking Activity. Back to School Biology Bingo: You and your students will love this fantastic combo! The Back to School Bingo game is not your average bingo game. Students will search the room for classmates that can sign off on accomplishments, such as “Knows how to make slime without instructions,” on their bingo cards. When they find a student that has that skill, the student they found will sign the bingo card. As soon as someone scores four-in-a-row, they shout “BINGO!” And don’t worry, I’ve also included a bingo calling card for you if you want to run this as a classic teacher-led game. There are 30 unique bingo cards, in color and black and white versions. Back to School Biology Hexagonal Thinking Activity: Also included is a super engaging collaborative “Get to Know You Hexagonal Thinking Activity.” It’s a one-page worksheet with a hexagon split into six sections, each housing a unique and editable question. Your students get to answer questions like “If you could have a superpower from any living thing, what would it be?” in their own creative way. The questions are completely editable, so you can change them to suit your needs. Once they’ve filled out their hexagons and cut them out, it’s time for a class-wide brainstorm. Students find connections in their answers and link their hexagons together. For example, if a student responds that he wants to time travel to the Jurassic Period, and another student responds that his favorite branch of science is paleontology, then those hexagon sides will be matched together. The class continues to collaborate as they connect hexagons based on shared or complementary responses. The result is a colorful tapestry of interests. The goal of these resources is to get students to open up, connect, and realize how much they share with their classmates. It’s easy-to-use, customizable, and the perfect way to start the school year! Give it a shot, and watch your classroom transform into a community! What’s Included? 1-Page Hexagonal Thinking Activity for Back to School – Editable! 30 Bingo Cards in Color 30 Bingo Cards in Black and White 1 Bingo Calling Card How will this Resource Help You? Time and Effort Saving: Coming up with engaging and meaningful icebreaker activities can be time-consuming. This ready-to-use resource saves teachers valuable preparation time and effort, especially during the busy back-to-school period. Breaking the Ice: As the name implies, these activities are an excellent way for teachers to break the ice at the beginning of the school year. They create a relaxed and fun environment where students feel comfortable opening up, sharing about themselves, and engaging with their peers. Student Engagement: The combination of science and interactive games ensures high student engagement. The activities appeal to a range of learning styles and make science more approachable and exciting, which can lead to increased participation and motivation throughout the year. Understanding Student Interests: Through these activities, teachers gain valuable insights into their students’ interests, experiences, and attitudes towards science. This knowledge can be used to tailor lessons and activities to better engage students and appeal to their individual interests. Classroom Community Building: These activities encourage students to interact and learn about their classmates’ experiences and interests. This fosters a sense of community within the classroom, which can promote cooperation and mutual respect among students. Don’t forget to FOLLOW ME – all new products are 50% off for the first 24 hours. You will get only notifications of new products by following me here. Would you like FREE Science Resources? Head over to my website and sign up for my weekly newsletter, full of freebies, science tips and updates. EasyFunScience.com You can also find me on Instagram at Easy.Fun.Science
If you want to rid your body of inflammation you need to start thinking about what you're putting into your body. But to truly win your battle against inflammation, you’ll need to change other aspects of your lifestyle as well. Here are 5 tips How To Reduce Inflammation In The Body.
Integrating art and content in the ELA classroom. Tips and resources.
Mississippi, know also as “The Magnolia State” and “The Hospitality State”, offers some of the most beautiful and spectacular sights and places to visit! Just browse through these awesome pictures ... Read more
