Another way to foster a collaborative classroom is to have your lessons be rooted in meaning. People are simply motivated to persist and achieve when they find value and meaning in what they do. One way to ensure meaning in your lessons is to give students a few choices.
Read MoreWe have said it before and we will say it again: good teaching does not involve rewards. Rewarding good behavior and punishing negative behaviors is not an effective way to get a class of students invested in learning. What does work? Building relationships.
Read MoreAll in all, leverage students’ strengths by creating meaningful group work activities to teach both academic and SEL skills necessary for the future job market, whatever that may look like in the next decade.
Read MoreAlways on the lookout for books to add to my classroom library shelves, I think this year especially has been a banner year for great books that I am sure will appeal to my students. Rising to the top for me, these are My Top 10 Middle School Books for 2022
Read MoreAnother step in fostering a classroom that is collaborative is to directly teach students how to be dependable.
Read MoreEasier said then done, right? One of the best things that a teacher can do for a student is to help him/her on the path of becoming a life long reader. Here are some tips and tricks that we have incorporated into our classrooms:
Read MoreLet’s Talk Classroom Libraries. We have all seen the beautiful Instagram or Pinterest worthy looking classroom libraries. You know the ones - they are color coded perfection. You may have even drooled over the pretty plastic book bins that each book is housed in. Those libraries look amazing! But, in our experience, those libraries just do not work for our students. Our libraries are lived in, the shelves are close to bursting with books, and we have a lot of books. I mean a lot-a lot!
Read on for a list of our lowdown dirty truths about classroom libraries.
Read MoreHere are some new books that we are excited about that are coming out in October!
Read MoreIt is important for teachers to understand learning and the brain. So here are the six phases of learning information and how they pertain to the brain and converting information into learning.
Read MoreWorking collaboratively and socially is a life skill that all students should be working on in school to prepare them for the demands of the future work forces… whatever that looks like. According to NACE, teamwork is one of the top traits that employers are looking for when hiring someone.
Read MoreA highly qualified, well versed teacher with high expectations for students has the biggest impact on student learning and progress. When students are in classes with teachers who have high expectations and know that all students can succeed, those students perform leaps and bounds above students who have teachers that, for whatever reason, just don’t have those same high expectations.
Here are some highly effective teaching practices that show high expectations of students:
Read MoreHere are some new books that we are excited about that are coming out in September!
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