Do you use Google Classroom? Are you curious, but haven't taken the first steps to implement it? There is so much potential with this resource! Student motivation and engagement increase when you use Google Classroom as a tool for learning. I want to start by letting you know that I am not a trainer and am not certified in Google Classroom. I ... Continue Reading
Unique Thanksgiving Activities for the Classroom
Boy, do the holidays sneak up on us quickly, don't they? One minute it's August, the next it's November! Now it's already time to start planning Thanksgiving activities for the classroom. Sometimes making these plans can seem redundant or less than lively, because it's the same thing year after year. We talk about the Thanksgiving story, the ... Continue Reading
Why I Took Grammar Out of Writing Workshop
Do you teach grammar during your writing workshop time? If I were to ask you what you are teaching in writing this week, would it be a list of grammar skills such as capitalization, punctuation, and parts of speech? Grammar and writing go hand in hand, right? And that is why you are wondering why I decided to stop teaching grammar during my ... Continue Reading
5 Ways Teachers Can Manage Stress and Overwhelm
You are sitting at your desk after a LONG day of teaching, recess duty, IEP meetings, and fighting the copy machine. At least you think you are sitting at your desk. I mean, you can't see the desk since it is covered in paper, coffee mugs, teacher manuals, Flair pens, and binders. You feel so exhausted and you know that you should go home, but you ... Continue Reading
Tips for Communicating with Challenging Parents
As a classroom teacher, one of our jobs is to build a team between us, our students, the parents or caregivers, and administration. Without a doubt, the environment of a classroom will be more challenging and our job becomes tougher if the team is broken somewhere along the way. Building a relationship with your classroom parents is important. ... Continue Reading
