Students as well as teachers enjoy taking a fresh look at the world around them. One of my favorite activities is looking at common objects with a creative eye. You can purchase any number of creative thinking booklets from teaching supply sources or,you can look around and create your own. Give it a try. Here… Read More »
When I find a great resources it is important to share it with you who are out there, working to educate children. These two are worth your time checking out and possibly purchasing. The Cornerstone: Classroom Management that Makes Teaching More Effective, Efficient and Enjoyable by Angela Powell (Watson) (2009) is a nitty gritty uber-detailed… Read More »
Consistency is a classroom key to effective management. The consistency of adults enables students to be more incharge of their learning. When they understand the day-to-day functionings of their classroom, they have more time to focus on learning. Here’s the short list for all groups, class-size to 1:1. It’s an easy routine with built-in signals . Use it consistently… Read More »
It’s always a good idea to review the various thinking stages wel-before yo begin planning for student groups . The Lawrence Hall of Science skill list works very well for all types of learning. It is based on age appropriate use of seven levels of thinking and questioning skills: Observation Communication Comparison Organization Relationships Inference… Read More »
We all have times when you need extra time to understand concepts or ‘get our heads around’ a task. When that occurs for our students, we need a plan in place. A chart of suggestions students can refer to on their own becomes a self-directed learning experience. 1. Reread the directions. 2. Ask yourself, “What… Read More »
Classrooms can be chaotic places, full of lots of children doing lots of different things at the same time. That is not necessarily a bad thing. It depends on how the teacher structures the activities. One of my favorite remembrances of classroom chaos happened during a culminating FOSS (science) kit activity for Balance and Motion.… Read More »
Word play is fun and it stretches the brain to see words and letters in different ways. Anagrams are one kind of word play to excite learners. Try these words, with rearranged letters back-to-front, as new words: on becomes no and spot becomes tops or pots Try these with your students: dare teas stale slap pear … Read More »
When you are planning a lesson or activity, think about the organization of your ideas as well as your time. The nitty-gritty basics are: 1. Focus. Introduce the lesson/activity by creating a straight-forward 1-3 sentences. This overview lets the students “in on” your plan. It also forces you to clarify your goals, thus weeding out unnecessary… Read More »
When we think of giving people gifts, we often forget the most basic kinds; the gift of time and self. As families with school children begin winter breaks and have more time together, it’s the perfect time to begin a lasting tradition that has a ‘payoff. It’s the gift of a family homework hour. The payoff is family… Read More »
As adults we work. Some of us work at home, others leave to work elsewhere. Our kids also have work. Their work is school. It is important that we give their ‘work’ proper respect and help them understand that they have a responsibility to do their best while they are at work. That means we… Read More »