Home-School-Home Chart
A friendly reminder and chart of student tasks. These help kids take on responsibility while kind of freeing up adults.
Welcome Back to Thinking About Schools & Education
This school year I plan to continue my ideas for classrooms but will also share single themes across a month of blogs: working with vocabulary, volunteer ideas, etc. That will allow me to KISS (Keep it (my blogs) Short’n Sweet). As always feel free to send me your concerns, questions, ideas, and great educational finds… Read More »
Wacky and Interesting September Dates to Checkout
September, 2017 Days to Remember 1 Cherry Popover 2 Bacon 3 Skyscraper 4 Labor Day, Newspaper Carrier 5 Cheese Pizza, Be Late for Something 6 Read a Book 7 Salami 8 Literacy, Pardon 9 Teddy Bear 10 Grandparents, Sewing Machine, Swap Ideas 11 911-Remembrance, Make Your Bed 12 Chocolate Milkshake, Video Games 13 Fortune Cookie,… Read More »
SALE: Educating America materials
Checkout these back-to-school materials to enhance your school year. SAVE 20% and receive FREE shipping and a thank you gift on each item you purchase between now and September 30th. *Free shipping and *Free 30-pack of note cards that say ‘A Note from the Teacher’ are limited to shipping to U.S. addresses. (Classroom assistants and parents… Read More »
Contacting Families Before the School Year Begins
Knowledge is power. Knowing about your incoming students and families will help you prepare for the year. Here are a few suggestions to help you get started. Plan A Send a letter to every incoming family. Include a brief bio of yourself and then share your expectations for the year (topics, behavior, etc.). Invite them… Read More »
6 New Teacher Questions to Answer Before the School Year Begins
Congratulations! You’re stepping into a great profession of hardworking, dedicated people with their first priority…kids. So where should you start? Begin by asking these questions: What are the school and district philosophies. What are their missions? What are their major goals and how do they work to meet them? How do they fit into their… Read More »
LITERACY #8: Plays and Read Alouds
Summer! The perfect time to carry around a book and spend time with favorite or new characters and subjects. This is # 8 in my 8-part series on Summer Literacy. Now’s time to get active with what’s been read over the past few weeks. Select a story that can be acted out OR go to… Read More »
LITERACY #7 Online Resources and Word Games
Summer! The perfect time to carry around a book and spend time with favorite or new characters and subjects. This is # 7 in my 8-part series on Summer Literacy. The vastness of resources is mind-boggling. Rather than provide a list, I suggest you grab a cup of coffee, tea, or whatever, and go online… Read More »
LITERACY #6 Mixing It Up
Summer! The perfect time to carry around a book and spend time with favorite or new characters and subjects. This is # 6 in my 8-part series on Summer Literacy. Here are a hodge-podge of ideas to keep reading fresh/changing. In fiction: Read using different voices for different characters. Use/Make puppets and share the story… Read More »
LITERACY #5: Questions to Ask Readers
Summer! The perfect time to carry around a book and spend time with favorite or new characters and subjects. This is #5 in my 8-part series on Summer Literacy. Reading can and should be an interactive skill. That means, taking the tine to talk with your kids about what they are reading. Before reading, ask… Read More »