When I started teaching, and for the next 10 years following, my students always came into my classroom and did the same thing every single day: they'd take off their coats and bookbags and put them in their lockers, they'd check in for lunch, and then they'd immediately get started on some sort of ... READ the POST
First Day of School: Building Relationships
Each year, I am so excited for the first day of school. It's a time for new beginnings, new relationships, a love of learning, and a whole lotta fun!! But what I often forget is how CrAzY the first day of school, especially arrival time, can be. All the questions, all the welcomes, and all the ... READ the POST
Ending The School Year With a Slideshow
You might call me a big sap. I LOVE end of the year memories and the activities that accompany it, and I'm a sucker for good music and great photos. At the end of each year, I put together a student slideshow of amazing moments from our year together. I love it, the kids love it, and the parents ... READ the POST
Loving To Write Informational Pieces
My kids LOVE to write. When I say love, I mean love. The usual "come to the carpet for Writing Workshop" is usually met with groans, not because it's time for writing, but because my kids just want to write. They know it's time for a mini-lesson, and they just want to write. Narrative writing, ... READ the POST
Increase Engagement and Curiosity In 5 Steps
We all long for it. We all want it. That sense of amazement and curiosity. An awe-inspiring magic trick; the emotional story of a person who set a goal and crushed it with millions of barriers in her way; the child who inspired a whole ... READ the POST
Workshop Model in Gifted Education
If you are a general education teacher, chances are that you have a wide array of students in your classroom. Gifted, special ed, RTI, 504 - you name it, a child in your class is in that subgroup. Educating these students can feel DAUNTING. How can I possibly reach all 25 students at their own, ... READ the POST
