All grade levels can use current events as part of their social studies and/or their morning opening. Here are a few types of news that fit into school curriculum and into family meal time discussions. 1. On this Day in History – a calendar related reference to mark an important or interesting event. 2. Weather-… Read More »
One way to enhance subjects is through mini courses, special brief presentations that focus on one aspect of a topic. Teachers, parents, community volunteers and business owners are invited to present their topic. It is expected the presenter will provide visuals as well as hands-on materials and will address their topic in accordance with the teacher’s expectations.… Read More »
I remember my first day as a classroom assistant working in my own kids classrooms. I had a decade or more teaching experience, but I still felt shy and unsure of myself. What did the teachers want me to do? Where was I to work? How would the kids, and mine in particular, react to… Read More »
It’s the time of year to buy school supplies and clothes to fit your growing child, right? It’s also time to organize your child to take on the responsibility for the school-to-home-to-school information, books and such. I hope you have a school place near the door that your child uses to leave for school. If… Read More »
Assistants are amazing support for students and teachers. Following these 5 tips, they become doubly appreciated. 1. Arrive on time; early enough to look over the day’s task. 2. Gather your materials. Take on that task to relieve the busy teacher of responsibility. 3. Remind and reinforce your expectations as you begin with students. 4. … Read More »
Each year students grow and change. Their homework space needs to keep pace. It may mean a taller chair and a larger desk, new reference materials or situating the workspace closer to the family computer to accommodate more online tasks. Regardless, now is a good time to start looking around and honoring your child’s changing needs.… Read More »
It’s a busy world and, those everyday contacts you make might be overlooked as a source of interest and information. To know, you need to stop and think as you move through your day. Every one has a story and something of interest to share. We need to ask and listen to learn, assuming there… Read More »
I love to keep track of ‘what happened on this date’ events. When I taught, I added one or two events to my morning calendar activity to give us an event to discuss related to history and the math of how long ago it took place. Since then, I check events monthly as a way… Read More »
I started out to share my samples of story mapping with you until I discovered 3 great sources online: 1. www.enchantedlearning.com/graphicorganizer/storymap has 40 graphic organizers, cloze activities, research formats, rubrics, etc. The overviews are downloadable but the site is member-supported ($20/year) and may be worth the investment if you use their styles of organization. 2.… Read More »
How young is too young to start using facts in discussions? The new Common Core States Standards (CCSS) uses arguments and facts for all grades K and above. At first glance that appears to be a typo, but it isn’t. The new standards suggest that the change is needed to help students process more clearly.… Read More »