ASP Faculty

Eating healthily is all about balance. Every now and then it's perfectly OK to have pie for dinner or a nice slice of cake at teatime - treats are a part of life - but it's also important to recognise when we're pushing things too far.

Wednesday's guest post about why kids need to move from pediatric occupational therapist Loren Shlaes was so popular that I decided to follow it up with a list of Brain Breaks you can use with your students. These are great to use anytime your students are feeling restless and are struggling to pay attention.

Since 1919, National Children's Book Week has been dedicated to encourage young readers to enjoy books. During this week, schools and libraries across the nation will celebrate this by participating in book-related events and activities. Get your students involved in this time-honored tradition by creating fun, educational activities. Book Week is the second week of May

We should do this during the second week of May. Itwould be a good lead in to the summer reading assignments.

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!

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. =)

Stories of teacher burnout. Also includes suggestions for bringing faculty members together. A good, quick read. 

What to do with the mountains of papers. I like this for a self-contained classroom.

Ear buds, ear phones, headphones, Bluetooth® devices-they're everywhere today-plugged into mobile phones, iPods®, MP3 players, computers, tablets, and more. They're used by kids, teens and adults of all ages; and provide private listening in schools, gyms, at home, on the workplace-just about everywhere people spend time.

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.

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

Infographic on what differentiation is and what it is not. Loving the visual! 

Some special ways and days to celebrate Mary

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! 

I added this to my list of favorites.

This is a great website with so many science activities, games, and videos.

I love the various topics incorporated in these math problems. Different levels of problem solving are also offered within one topic. Great to use as a class warm-up or as individual work.

Part 2 of Molly's story

Molly is a high-performing 16-year-old teen girl in her junior year of high school. She has a nice group of friends, works hard in school and gets excellent grades. Molly also has multiple activities she admits she doesn't really enjoy anymore but feels are necessary to "get into a good college."

A compilation of virtual field trips