As teachers look to the new school year, most are searching for ways to make quality more important than quantity. It’s a shift to making every problem, essay, writing stronger rather than longer. Here are a few ideas to tuck away as you plan. Plan activities that promote student skill development while interacting with others.… Read More »
Find joy every day. Your attitude and positive ways of engaging students will brighten the hours you spend with your class. Fill your classroom with positive energy. The site Big Life Journal provides growth mindset ideas and free resources, as well as purchasable materials. Subscribe for free! Display student work that shows each student’s best… Read More »
Summertime is a chance to renew our energy as well as a time to look for new inspiration. While it may be fun creating new materials, is it the best use of your time? Consider using other people’s ideas that meet your needs. Look to libraries, classes you attend(ed), and how-to-books. These days the internet… Read More »
The school year is winding down for most educators. Hopefully this has been a great year with tons of student success and limited teacher stress. Before you step away for your much deserved summer break, I want to offer you opportunities to consider: FREE Summer math packets for K-2 or 3-5 grades FREE math games… Read More »
Writing is a year-long activity, but by now students should be involved in making and hearing evaluations of their and others work. It’s important to encourage student writers of all ages to share their work and take feedback from peers as well as adults. There are numerous ways to share written work. Formally the writing… Read More »
Anxiety and stress can shut down thinking for young kids, teens and adults. Positive thinking and a few simple tricks help restore emotional, physiological and metacognition (brain) balance. Here are a few ideas to try. Build-up positives. ONE EXAMPLE: Observe the weather. Think of a time when something fun, funny or positive happened during similar… Read More »
It’s important to help students understand that thoughtful word choice makes their writing stronger and more clear. Create a mini lesson. Share samples of good and less successful writings. Ask students: Do the writer’s words describe the main characters so we can almost see them? Do the verbs show specific actions? (race instead of went… Read More »
Create a poster like the hand to the right as a quick reminder of a short Writing Process: Rough Draft (first collecting and organizing of your ideas) This will include your characters, setting, problem and solution. Primary Format Use a folder paper to create 4 squares on one side and 4 on the other as… Read More »
Why do any of us checkout? We’re distracted, thinking about something that is more important to us at that moment. With kids, they may also be tired, not interested in what we’re talking about, or have a problem on their mind. Since we can’t peak inside their brains and even if we could, they might… Read More »
Pencils ready? Get set… Go! The pressure is on. Math problems, science evaluations, reading true-false or multiple choice questions, or history essays. The clock is ticking down; your brain is searching for the information you need to complete the timed test. How does that make you feel? Most people feel anxious knowing they have a… Read More »