In my last post, I discussed some easy ways to set up a positive and supportive writing environment. Once you’ve established the tone of your Writing Workshop, there are 3 more adjustments that can make a huge impact in your students’ growth. You’ve laid the foundation, now it’s time to boost your workshop! Choices If […]
Making Writing Workshop Work Read More »
Have you ever noticed the tone in your classroom during writing time? Is it a happy place full of busy little writers or a stressful torture chamber of bored and frustrated captives? If you are in the latter group, then this post is for you! For a long time, I dreaded teaching writing. I wasn’t
Building a Positive Writing Environment Read More »
Summer break is a magical gift earned by teachers who have just packed a full year’s worth of work into just 8 months. I don’t know about you, but I’ve made the HUGE mistake of letting many of those summer breaks go to waste. It happens so easily! First, I’d spend a few weeks closing down my
Summer Break Tips for Teachers Read More »
Lesson planning is one of my favorite parts of teaching, but a lot can go wrong! Between the lack of (uninterrupted) planning time, the sometimes unclear standards, and the hodgepodge of resources most of us have available, it’s tough to plan lessons that keep kids engaged AND give them the learning experiences that lead to
5 Big Lesson Planning Mistakes Read More »
Make your Social Studies lessons more powerful with these 4 questions! Work them into each lesson to help students make sense of their learning and connect to the content. 1. PEOPLE & BELIEFS What groups of people are involved? What do they believe? What do they want? Social Studies is all about people. Whether you’re
Social Studies Questions Read More »
Classroom Book Clubs transformed my reading instruction and led to huge gains in my students’ reading comprehension and fluency. Similar to Literature Circles, Classroom Book Clubs put the student in the driver’s seat and encourage each child to take ownership of their reading and learning. Surprisingly, Classroom Book Clubs are easy to launch and work
How to Launch Classroom Book Clubs in One Week: Literature Circles in Action Read More »
Over the years, I have structured my Reading Block in so many different ways. My classroom has been the testing ground for everything from the Four Blocks Model to Literacy Stations to Daily 5 to Reading Workshop. And for every system I’ve tried, there are parts that work wonderfully for my students and parts that
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Independent Reading, also know as DEAR, Read to Self, Read On Your Own, or Self-Selected Reading Time, is an essential part of every school day. With some simple planning and focused instruction, independent reading time can also be one of the most POWERFUL parts of every school day. Nancie Atwell has an amazing book called The
Independent Reading Time Read More »
Students having trouble with math word problems??? Check out my guest post on Laura Candler’s Corkboard Connections where I offer up 3 unique strategies for helping kids conquer math word problems! These strategies are perfect for differentiating in Guided Math groups and helping kids become flexible problem solvers. And if you aren’t already familiar with
Conquering Word Problems Read More »
First off, I should probably mention that my obsession with books most likely qualifies as some kind of disorder. But luckily for me, book-buying is not a dangerous or destructive addiction (that I know of…), so I will continue to browse to my heart’s content! Secondly, I am excessively thrifty. Also known as CHEAP.
Grow Your Classroom Library Read More »
In Texas, 3rd Grade Social Studies is ALL about communities. When I first started teaching 3rd, it seemed like every unit was another “Communities Unit” (because it was). Eventually, I began to understand the focus of each unit and the meaning of the standards. In 3rd Grade, kids learn about why communities form, how they
Understanding characters is an essential reading comprehension skill that many students find challenging. To master this tricky skill, you’ll want to teach character traits and changes by breaking down the concepts into manageable parts that help students learn to infer character traits from text evidence and describe character changes over time. Why is Teaching Character
5 Easy Ways to Teach Character Traits and Changes Read More »
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