Tips/strategies and ideas for teaching
Presidents’ Day is literally around the corner, and though you might be a little behind the the pre-holiday prep activities, there’s nothing better than bringing the students back on Tuesday with fresh and relevant reading material! Continue reading
Grading can be a daunting task. Whether you solely use online programs that automate scores and percentages, or manually record points and comments and then transfer over your information to a system, chances are, your grading process takes a lot of time and effort. However, there are ways to make this process easier!
Here are ten of the best tips and tricks for student grading to help lower your stress levels while increasing overall productivity. Continue reading
I stumbled across this video by John Green and had to share. Not only is he hilarious (and talking at break-neck speeds through the entirety of this clip) but he looks at the whole back-to-school time of year in a positive way. School doesn’t always compare to the freedom and warm temps of summer, but when we show our students the positives (in an engaging YouTube clip) we might get at least a laugh out of them. Continue reading
Okay, here’s the thing. Ice breakers can be awesome…but when you’re teaching a middle/high school classroom, the last thing you want to do is be:
a. lame
b. cheesy
c. boring
So if you’re looking for something different, if you’re hoping to grab your students’ attention in a way that’s fun, but still relevant to the classroom, and if you’re plain out of ideas, here’s some great suggestions from Laura Randazzo, a secondary teacher who created this fun activity for her first days. Continue reading
Starting another school year is exciting! But how can you make sure you’re not falling back into the same patterns? How can you determine whether your teaching has gone stale, or if you need to add/change/modify? What, specifically should you ask yourself as you’re preparing?
Here are some great questions as you start to think about the new year: Continue reading
Classroom organization is one of the easiest ways to encourage and promote student learning, as orderly classrooms help with focus, concentration, and engagement. Having a tidy classroom benefits you (the educator), too, helping you to stay prepared and ready at the start of every day.
Whether you’re looking to simply put things in their proper place, or create smooth transitions between activities, here are 5 stupidly simple ways to organize your classroom. Continue reading
I am always on the hunt for the books, whether that’s best for children or middle schoolers, best for the classroom, or even best for teachers and adults, I’m always searching the shelves! I personally believe that you can never have too many books, or too much reading!
This summer, my search did not disappoint. From a full-length book written by a ten-year-old, to heartwarming picture books about dogs and their adventures, this list books for kids covers the younger ages, to about middle school level (and the adults who read with them, of course, because who can resist a puppy or a story about growing up?!)
Whether gathering materials for your classroom, browsing through, or reading at home, here is a list of this summer’s best books for kids.
