Unshakeable: Innovate and adapt to make teaching an adventure
reflecting on our own practices
Just by taking a few moments to write it out, you are already more prepared for next year when you pull out that lesson again. Much like a artist, you are honing your craft and tweaking it until it is the best version of your teaching.
it really is a good habit to be in and will help you realize what is working for your students - and what isn't. Or how a good lesson could be GREAT.
Choosing your own classroom changes and challenges
stretch
try something that would make a difference to both my students, their learning, their parents, and to how I felt about conference night.
Just be you and be at peace with those things you cannot control - and be excited about those you can.
This promotes a book, but it is a nice little article. It serves as a nice little reminder that we constantly have to adapt and make changes, and that that's okay. The book seems like a good summer read too!
A MOOC is a Massive Open Online Course. This is free. "We live in a digitally connected world. The way information is generated, shared, processed and distributed is significantly impacting how we learn. If you have a passion for teaching and learning, and want to be an awesome educator now and in the coming decades, this course is for you! We will begin the journey of becoming a dynamic educator for the digital age.
Intended Audience: Those who have a passion for teaching
Time to complete the course: 3-4 hours per week
Certificate or digital badge for completing the course: Certificate
Format: Instructor led
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Commentary We need better teachers. It's a mantra in education reform circles. And as Congress gears up to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, last rewritten in 2001 as the No Child Left Behind Act, the refrain will only grow louder.
Did you know that current research indicates that students' brains are changing? Have you heard that the brain works best when the temperature is between 68 and 72 degrees? "BrainLady" Marilee Sprenger, talks about the latest research. Included: Teaching strategies that engage the brain.
The Language of Learning: Teaching Students Core Thinking, Listening, and Speaking Skills By Margaret Berry Wilson (Responsive Classroom, 2014 - Learn more) Students enter our school doors with a vision of themselves as learners, filled with hopes and dreams for learning...With them, they bring an innate curiosity and a thirst
Attached is a little "blurb" about Social Stories and how they can effectively teach children proper social behaviors. As we discussed in Friday's meeting, using these stories in the classroom may serve as an effective tool to teach students lessons on sharing, being polite, and interacting appropriately with one another.
This is a great channel on Youtube for teachers to use. The groups that create these videos take popular songs and rewrite them in order to teach students about different time periods or events in world history. This can be used as a great intro or ending video clip, or as a brain break. Beware- some songs are very catchy and can get stuck in you head. =)
When I first started teaching, I actually believed in the old educational aphorism, "Don't smile until Christmas." I remember thinking, "I'm young . . . I look even younger. I need to lay down the hammer early so kids don't mess with me." And there I was, reading the syllabus with a scowl.
I read this article while in school for my teaching certification! It was great. Being warm and inviting is super important to creating a welcoming environment in the classroom! I love to joke around with my kids and lighten up when it's appropriate. It makes the hard stuff that much easier!
A NYT article about a man who is a mime named Tim Chartier, whose day job is associate professor in the department of mathematics and computer science at Davidson College in North Carolina. The plunger skit and many others that he and his wife, Tanya, have developed are part of their Mime-matics business. Having learned from the master of the craft, Marcel Marceau, they use their skills in mime to teach mathematics in a decidedly unconventional way.
A blog post about dealing with attention hungry students. All of these are positive solutions that channel the student's desire for attention into something productive. Some give the student responsibility, which is fantastic for the intermediate grades. I really like some of these ideas!
During my first year of teaching, I naively thought that field trips would be easier and more fun than a typical day in the classroom. Then, I got my first taste of field trip reality - my student Andrew got stung on the tongue by a wasp first thing in the morning.** Just a few reminders