Student learning is no accident!
“The ones that are doing the talking are doing the learning.” I know that. But, no matter how many times I say it, the impact on student learning in front of me is profound and somehow surprising. There is no example stronger than that of talking about fractions in math class. I’ve spent most of my career spending part of… Read More
You know that buzz of collaboration and learning that you hope for everyday? It happens when we play this game. Every. Single. Time. If you like Boggle, you’ll love this game. Word Wrangle is a fun classroom word game inspired by my love of Boggle and also my love of quiet. Once upon a time, I bought SIX Boggle games… Read More
Class Discussion Norms (In my class, these become our Community Norms and replace any “rules”) Equity of Voice: Monitor your airtime. As a group member you are responsible to be a speaker AND a listener. You are also responsible to invite others to speak. Equal(ish) airtime is the goal. Our community values all voices. Active Listening : Eye contact, nodding, being… Read More
Using Sentence Stems and Explicit Instruction for Classroom Discussions Teaching discussion skills can be daunting! You know you want productive, positive discussions… but how do you get there? Here’s some of what works for me! Body Language & Politeness Matter Eye Contact: looking directly at the speaker lets them know they have your attention Inviting Posture: Facing your body toward… Read More
I used to cringe watching students stuff papers into their folders to be lost in the locker abyss… after I had spent so much time thoughtfully providing feedback on their work!! I spend so much time writing thoughtful questions about their math thinking and comments aimed at pushing their scientific curiosity… It was killing me to know that none of… Read More
I love these ideas! I share a lot of these with families in my Personal Responsibility Checklist at the start of the year. This year though- I’m definitely making some tweaks- #5 on this list will be SUCH a game changer!!
8 Back-to-School Routines to Steal From Fellow Moms
Start the school year with a foolproof routine (and no tears, yelling, or forgotten lunches).My kids FINALLY slept past 7!!! (Just in time to start waking up early again for school 😫🤷🏼♀️🙄)
How are you doing with the #backtoschool stress?? I’m a list maker. The biggest stress reliever for me during September is having a freezer full of food. AKA- never having to make dinner 😉
There’s no tired like September tired, so I’m filling my freezer with some of our favorite foods so that when I’m as tired and cranky as my kids after a long day- we can have a yummy meal and feel better.
Summer break is really almost over, but if I whip up 2 of these a day, I’ll be in good shape. Plus... I talked my husband into whisking the kids away on Labor Day so I could #haveaminute to myself. I’m thinking I’ll wrap up the back to school prep then and also take a nap!
What’s your secret to surviving back to school?? (Bonus points of you also ENJOY it!)
I’m in LOVE with this! Who’s trying it with me??? Great way to wrap up the day. (And probably change the world, TBH...)
A great visual! A child’s home environment is key to resiliency and overall outcomes.
So you know they’d get SO MUCH out of reading the amazing article you found!!! But, they’re only reading the words... (Are they even reading the words?) Here are some great tips to make your nonfiction text dreams a reality!!! #teachernerd #literacy #readinginthecontentarea #ntchat #educoach
Nonfiction Text Strategies • Write Solutions
Science news articles, social studies chapter sections, primary source documents... These are all fabulous resources to use in our classrooms! We have to make sure however, that we are teaching students how to consume the content. While our students may be able to read the words, comprehending the c...