Hey there! Each year bring new challenges, minor and major changes, and new best practices emerge. This year, I am BEYOND excited for the change I get to see happen!!! I am moving into a 1:1 technology classroom. This means that I will be able to have every student in my class on technology at the same time! While this can be a little daunting, it gives me the opportunity to do many new and innovative things with my students. Two of the biggest … [Read more...]
Why Your Behavior Management System MUST Be Positive
OK, so I have been teaching for 10 years now, and I’ve taught the whole gamete of kids… rural, urban, well-off, impoverished… you name it, I’ve been in it! I’ve learned, however, that a kid is a kid is a kid… maybe with different needs, but still with the biggest need ever. LOVE. As I finished out Year 3 of teaching, it was as if I had an epiphany! Behavior management just clicked for me. Here’s what I’ve learned and what I try and instill in … [Read more...]
Writer’s Workshop Wonder
Hey all of my lovely fellow educators! How are you holding up this week? I hope that everyone has had a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration, and to those of you in other countries, we are so very thankful for you!!! So, I am in a Lucy Calkins writing program WONDERLAND! I love everything L.C. ... and no, I am not talking about that girl from The Hills and Kohl's. (PS- Will someone please pay me to be on a fake reality show and then let me … [Read more...]
Gifted Education – The Myths of a Gifted Child: Myth #4
Well, this one is a doozy. Educators, administrators, and even parents disagree about this myth. It's one of those myths that has the research to back it up, but we don't always want to believe it. So, should gifted students be pulled from the regular education classroom? The short answer is.... there is no short answer. Sorry. Let's explore why this myth gets so complicated. More importantly, later on in this post, how do you teach … [Read more...]
Gifted Education – The Myths of a Gifted Child: Myth #3
Gifted students should be taught on-grade-level -- perhaps with more work to keep them engaged and working. I often get this question asked of me: How do I instruct my gifted learners (GL's) without advancing them onto the next set of standards? Easy: You can't! Gifted learners are considered gifted because they can demonstrate mastery of their current grade level skills (and often certain above-grade-level skills) because of the … [Read more...]
Gifted Education – The Myths of a Gifted Child: Myth #2
Raise your hand if you have a child, or five, who are easily frustrated by assignments in your class. The myth that gifted students are easy to teach, or that they are people pleasers... dare I say teachers pets... is completely wrong. Now, don't get me wrong. I love my little "gifteds" to PIECES!!! I teach gifted on purpose, because I love what I do and I love working with them. However, it is no secret that sometimes, those students … [Read more...]
Gifted Education – The Myths of a Gifted Child: Myth #1
Raise of hands -- how many of you have one or more gifted students in your classroom? I think we all do. We all have a child... or five, or fifty-five... who falls into that Gifted category. We've been told many things about those kids - how they learn, what they do, who they are, and why they are gifted. But the truth is... each child is different, and that holds true - perhaps on an even greater continuum - for our gifted … [Read more...]
My Word for 2016
It's 2016, y'all, which means it is time to make those pesky New Years' Resolutions. Can I tell you a secret? I've made a slew of Resolutions over the years. I've kept zero of those resolutions! This year, The Year of the Monkey, is going to be different. No NY Resolutions -- No fad diets. No "winging it" in my business. This year, things are going to change at Mikey D Teach Headquarters. To make sure that things change for the … [Read more...]
