Directed drawings are fun for any age. Seriously.
I know that directed drawings are geared towards preschool and kindergartners to teach following directions and pay close attention to details while also improving fine motor skills, but they can be super engaging for any age group when it focuses on who we are subconsciously. Who doesn’t love a hidden window into the subconscious?
Read MoreWant to raise your CAASPP scores without boring test prep? I boost scores 5–12 points every year using four high-impact, no-fluff strategies: daily reading, weekly articles, purposeful writing, and quick vocab/syntax routines. Here's exactly how I do it—and the resources that make it work.
Read MoreThe Common Core informational reading standards for middle school are arguably some of the most important reading standards to focus on in a school year. Here are the nine informational standards in a nutshell:
Read MoreWe recently had a blog post titled, “How to Ask Better Questions and Foster Student Independence” based on the book, We Belong: 50 Strategies to Create Community and Revolutionize Classroom Management by Laurie Barron and Patti Kinney. If you have not checked it out yet, please do so before diving into this blog post. It is all about the teacher-centered approach to asking questions.
Read MoreWhen it comes to the Common Core Standards, one of the areas we find that the most growth is needed is in the speaking and listening strand. One strategy that we have introduced into our curriculum over the past few years to help build those skills is adding podcasts into our classroom instruction. There are many benefits to adding podcasts into your classroom instruction. If you’ve ever wondered about how podcasts could benefit your instruction, read on dear TTD followers, we have got some ideas for you!
Read MoreIn the real world of education in America, teachers often find themselves faced with the challenge of managing extreme behavior in students. A recent article on ASCD's Educational Leadership platform provides valuable insights and strategies to help educators navigate these situations with finesse and empathy.
Read MoreAre you tired of spending hours scouring the internet for the perfect online lesson materials? Do you find yourself drowning in a sea of endless resources, unsure of which ones are actually credible and effective?
Read MoreAre you using any of these outdated grading practices?
Read MoreToday, we're going to talk about a concept that might make you feel like you're in Hollywood - storyboard your curriculum! According to Heidi Hayes Jacobs and Allison Zmuda, two leading experts in the field of education, storyboarding your curriculum can be a great way to engage your students and ensure that they're actually learning something.
Read MoreAh, the attention signal. It is a teacher’s go to classroom management tool to garner the classroom’s attention or the bane of said teacher’s existence. Here at The Teaching Distillery we are big fans of attention signals, also known as the Call and Response technique. While our attention signals vary, the method and strategies we employ are the same.
Read MoreAre you tired of the same old boring discussions in your English Language Arts (ELA) classroom? Do you want to spice things up and get your students thinking outside the box? Well, look no further than hexagonal thinking! It's the perfect way to engage your students and inject some creativity into your lessons.
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