What Pandemic Teaching Taught Us These last few years have been a wild ride. When the pandemic slammed everything shut, everyone had to learn a new way of life. Schools shut down, and teachers reinvented the wheel, teaching from behind computers and spending countless hours trying to reach their students in new ways. Over the…
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Half of teaching is figuring out what works for your unique set of students. Here are a few classroom management tips from a seasoned pro you might try: 1. Build Positive Relationships Your classroom is not just your job. It is a busy and chaotic second home. Those kids become your family, whether you like…
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Why Use Phonemic Awareness for Reading Instruction? One of my first experiences with phonemic awareness reading instruction was about 10 years ago when I tutored a kindergarten student who was not making adequate progress in reading at the end of the second quarter. When I began tutoring her in January of her kindergarten year, I…
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Author’s Note: As a teacher, I sometimes found it soothing to call a beloved retired teacher and regale her with the funny and hard about my days. She could relate to so much, but, even more, she had so much wisdom to share. For those of you who don’t have a former teacher related to…
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When A Lesson Plan Goes Wrong: Becoming Flexible & Adaptable Let’s say you’ve crafted a stellar lesson plan you’re certain can’t go wrong. You’ve explained the new skill with crystal clarity, hitting each learning type: auditory, visual, and kinesthetic. Students have asked predictable clarification questions. They seem like they’re getting it. Everything is going just…
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Have you ever wondered about using puppets in your teaching? Kids seem to respond to puppets, but given all of the fancy CGI and technology they see in a day, it can feel a little weird asking them to suspend reality when you’ve got a stuffed animal jammed onto your arm. Here’s the thing: kids…
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First-year teaching is the subject of memes, jokes, and horror stories among the educator workforce–and for good reason. It’s an experience unlike any other: a year of mountainous highs and cavernous lows, blinding reality checks, endless working hours, constant mental and physical exhaustion, and plenty of facepalm moments (I mean, er, learning experiences). It’s ultimately…
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Have you ever wanted to get more supplies for your classroom but are not sure how and don’t have a budget? Maybe you have thought about applying for a grant but are not sure where to look or how to apply for one? As someone who began her grant hunting journey last year and managed…
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Several years ago, seasonal allergies gave me acute laryngitis. I had a day full of games and activities planned that involved rotating stations and no voice with which to handle crowd control, so I had to get creative. I greeted my students with a smile as they entered. I rang the bell I use daily…
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First time teaching on a cart this year? Lost your room and don’t know how you will manage? We’ve rounded up some tips to help you organize and prioritize what you need to be an effective teacher on the go: Organize Your Space Time is of the essence when you are a teacher…
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