March is Music in Our Schools Month
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Image Credit: https://nafme.org/programs/miosm/
Did anyone watch the Schoolhouse Rock! 50th anniversary singalong on
Deep Breathing Exercises for the Classroom
CategoriesIncreases focus, alleviates stress, decreases symptoms of anxiety, improves the quality of sleep, and relieves pain…deep breathing exercises provide a myriad of benefits. Breathing exercises are free, relatively easy to learn, do not take much time to complete, and can be done anytime and anywhere – including the classroom.
Deep breathing is a proactive habit that student...
Read Across America 2022
CategoriesHappy 118th birthday, Dr. Seuss! In honor of Dr. Seuss’s birthday on March 2, people across the country will be celebrating by reading good books. National Read Across America Day was established by the National Education Association (NEA) in 1998 to help promote the joy of reading for children. As it turns out however, establishing reading habits early in life can provide potential lifel...
February is American Heart Month
CategoriesWith a focus on the heart, it seems fitting that February is American Heart Month. In 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson established the first American Heart Month. In his proclamation letter he stated, “I urge the people of the United States to give heed to the nationwide pr...
Stop, Think, and Write: A Behavior & Mind Management Strategy
CategoriesMy 5-year-old son, Abe (who is typically a kind boy), recently started hitting his 3-year-old brother. The physical aggression seemed to stem from impulsivity, frustration, or a combination of both. When my response of a time-out, followed by a verbal apology wasn’t working, I knew I had to figure out a different approach.
I continued with the time-out (quiet time to...
Classroom Calendar Connections – December 2020
CategoriesAs I sat down to write this month’s article, I didn’t know where to begin, so I searched our blog archives for what I wrote in December of 2019 (when our world seemed more normal)… National Handwashing Awareness Week, National Pearl Harbor Day of Remembrance, and the winter solstice...
Classroom Calendar Connections – November 2020
CategoriesThe Presidential Election, Veteran’s Day, and Thanksgiving
It has been quite a year, and November is another eventful month. November 3 is the big day – the 2020 presidential election. Chances are, talk about the election and the candidates has spilled into your classroom. Below are some resources to help provide structure and guidance with engaging your students in electi...
Classroom Calendar Connections – August 2020
CategoriesFirst as a student, then as a teacher, and now as a parent, I have experienced some level of “August anxiety” every year as summer winds down and a new school year begins. (In this blog post from our 2018 archives, I interviewed a veteran school psychol...
Teacher Appreciation Year
CategoriesMy brother has four kids, they are all between nine and thirteen, and I think he's going crazy having them home every day. He loves them of course, and gratitude for all the extra time together is given often, but he and his wife both manage businesses and balance home life. Staying on top of four pre-teens and their remote learning isn't something they expected. There are six...
Classroom Calendar Connections - July 2020
CategoriesHappy 244th Birthday, America! Provided below are several resources and activities that can be shared with students throughout the month to celebrate our nation and to learn more about the significance of the Fourth of July.
Independence, Illinois; Independence, Wisconsin; Point Independence, Massachusetts; West Independence, Ohio…In the United States, there are at least 30 cit...
Classroom Calendar Connections – March 2020
CategoriesPi Day, the Ides of March, St. Patrick’s Day, March Madness, the spring equinox…these are just a few of the many teachable events of March!
Pi Day: March 14
- If learning random digits to impress their friends is what your students are into, they’ll love learning and singing this catchy song
- Share Post:
Classroom Calendar Connections – February 2020
Categories100th Day of School – The Actual Date Varies by School Calendars
Congratulations on making it to the 100th day of school (give or take a few days)! Students of all ages enjoy celebrating this special milestone. (Google “100th day of school activities” and you’ll get nearly 9 million hits!) My former elementary and middle school students seemed...
3 Ways to Prepare Students for State Standardized Testing
CategoriesIt’s almost that time of the year again… Whether your students are in Illinois taking the IRA, in Massachusetts for the MCAS, in Washington for the Smarter Balanced Assessments, or anywhere els...
The beautiful and fulfilling task of teaching project-based curriculum
CategoriesPart two of a three part series on The Community School, a PBL High School
Part 1: The Den & the Project
Part 3: Finding your identity through PBL
Classroom Calendar Connections – December 2019
CategoriesDecember is filled with significant events to be incorporated into the classroom curriculum beyond the traditional holidays that one might typically think of. This article features National Handwashing Awareness Week, National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, and the Winter Solstice.
National Handwashing Awareness Week - December 1-7
Computer keyboa...
American Education Week
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The history of American Education Week (AEW) dates back to the World War I era when it was discovered that 25% of the draftees were illiterate. Alarmed by this staggering statistic, representatives from the National Education Association (NEA) and the American...
Classroom Calendar Connections: November 2019 - Veteran’s Day and Thanksgiving
Categories“In November, some birds move away, and some birds stay.
The air is full of good-byes and well-wishes.” – Cynthia Rylant
Happy November, Educators! I have a well-worn/loved copy of In November by Cynthia Rylant sitting on my bookshelf ready for its favorite month. If you don’t have your own copy, you and your students can listen and wat...
Tips for Successful Parent-Teacher Conferences - Before, During and After
CategoriesParent-teacher conferences can be a great opportunity for meaningful conversations about how students can reach their full potential in school. To help ensure meetings are positive and productive for everyone involved, below are a few tips to consider before, after, and during conferences.
Before the Conferences
When scheduling conferences, try to of...
The Den & the Project
CategoriesPart one of a three part series on The Community School, a PBL High School
Part 2: The beautiful and fulfilling task of teaching project-based curriculum
Part 3: Finding your identit...
20 Ways Fellow Educators Manage their Stress
CategoriesThe trees are changing colors, pumpkin spice is back, sweater weather is here, and school has been in session for about a month already. How are you feeling? Hopefully you’ve hit your school mode stride, but if stress is starting to creep into your daily routine, you’re not alone.
According to a Penn State resea...
Classroom Calendar Connections – September 2019
CategoriesFor many educators and students, September is the first full month of the new school year. It’s a busy month as we transition from summer to fall and get acquainted with a new group of students. Provided below are some ideas to bring a few of the significant events of September into the classroom.
National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month
Septem...
Tried and True First Day of School Activities in the Classroom
CategoriesGoogle the words ‘first day of school activities in the classroom’ and you will discover nearly two BILLION results. Thanks, but no thanks, Google - we don’t have time to weed through all that! Provided below are some tried and true activities your fellow educators have shared for all grade levels.
Play Games
Paul, a high scho...
Fair is not Equal: Differentiated Instruction in the Classroom
CategoriesFair is not Equal: Differentiated Instruction in the Classroom
Written by Jill Rockwell
Image Credit:
7 Practical Tools to Enhance Executive Functioning in the Classroom
CategoriesAs defined by Understood, executive function is “The ability to organize cognitive processes. This includes the ability to plan ahead, prioritize, stop and start activities, shift from one activity to another activity and monitor one’s own behavior.”
Time management, organization, planning, paying attention,...
Featured Teacher Karlee Hunt - July 2019
CategoriesKarlee Hunt has taught the third graders at Little Elementary in the Denver suburb of Arvada, CO for four years. The school is named for John R. Little, who neither of us know much about, but it’s also actually somewhat little and even shrunk a bit last year. The district opted to move sixth grade students and teachers into middle school. Change is stressful but necessary for evoluti...
Developing and Maintaining a Growth Mindset
CategoriesAlmost 2 years ago, my family and I moved from a suburb of St. Paul, Minnesota to a rural part of western Wisconsin. After some training, practice, and several mistakes, I learned how to use a snowblower and a lawn tractor (allowing me to do my part of maintaining the acres of land we now owned). Before then, I never thought about learning how to operate those machines - I didn’t think I...
4 Ways to Refocus and Recharge this Summer
CategoriesCongratulations! Another school year is almost in the books! It’s a well-known fact, however, that educators’ responsibilities don’t end when the final bell rings. Whether you’re teaching summer school, participating in
Thank you, Educators – We Appreciate You!
CategoriesFor opening your classroom doors every day and unlocking students’ potential – we thank you.
For sharing your wisdom with students while they share their germs with you - we thank you.
From teaching students how to compute complex math equations to showing them that they count – we thank you.
For awakening hearts and inspiring minds – we tha...
Maintaining Student Engagement in the Spring
CategoriesThe birds are chirping as I type, the grass is turning green, the sunsets are even more spectacular than usual - spring is here! It’s a wonderful time of the year but maintaining students’ attention can be extra challenging for teachers when competing with sunny blue skies, complete with temperatures in the low 70s. We have a few ideas to help you celebrate springtime with students...
5 Creative Formative Assessments for Learning in the Classroom
CategoriesWhen the cook tastes the soup, that’s formative assessment;
&nb...
Trust, Safety, Challenge, and Joy: Fostering a Classroom Culture Ideal for Collaboration
CategoriesAs teachers we’re encouraged to work together and share expertise, energy, and inspiration with the common goal of increasing student engagement and success in our schools. Research supports benefits associated with teacher collaboration including more creative and meaningful lesson plans, shared responsibility for student achievement, improved staff morale/career satisfaction, and an inc...
Social and Emotional Learning Part 5 of 5: Responsible Decision-Making
CategoriesResponsible decision-making is the fifth of the five components of social and emotional learning (SEL). (Click on the links for teaching strategies designed to support your students with the other four components of SEL including: self-awareness,
Social and Emotional Learning Part 4 of 5: 5 Strategies to Improve Relationship Skills in the Classroom
CategoriesMaintaining friendships, asking for help, working cooperatively, etc. - interpersonal skills are a critical component of the development of children. When students demonstrate strong relationship skills, instructional time increases while conflicts, arguing, and fighting decreases. Class cohesion increases self-confidence among students as they help one another and interact positively with adul...
Social and Emotional Learning Part 3 of 5: Social Awareness Strategies in the Classroom
CategoriesWelcome to part 3 of our social and emotional learning (SEL) series - today’s focus: social awareness! (Head over to our blog archives for parts 1 and 2 which address self-management and
Social and Emotional Learning - Part 2 of 5: Self-Awareness Strategies in the Classroom
CategoriesWelcome to part 2 of our social and emotional learning (SEL) series. Let’s begin with a brief review. SEL involves teaching five core competencies to students in grades K–12: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. In a recent b...
Social and Emotional Learning- Part 1 of 5: Self-Management Strategies in the Classroom
CategoriesHappy 2019! Are you staying on track with your New Year’s resolutions? As I type, I have a large glass of water next to my mouse, and I am resisting the strong temptation of the remaining Christmas cookies and other holiday goodies in my pantry. After all, this blog post is about self-management, so I’m trying to practice what I preach.
As defined by the Collaborative for...
5 Priceless Gifts for Students
CategoriesBillions of dollars were spent by shoppers in the United States over the Thanksgiving weekend. The packages that arrived on my front porch - practically before the pumpkin pie was served - was evidence that I was one of the millions of online consumers wrapped up in the Black Friday/Cyber Monday frenzy.
Upon reflection, I soon realized all the toys and other gifts that I so badly ...
Bullying or Conflict?
CategoriesSeveral years ago, I found myself (a special education teacher) in a meeting involving the principal, the director of special education, the school psychologist, a second-grade teacher, two concerned parents, and even the district superintendent.
A second-grade student on my special education caseload reported to his parents that he was “bullied” by another student in his...
RTI 101: Think Progress
CategoriesSo often I would groan when the topic of Response to Intervention (RTI) was mentioned - mainly because I didn’t fully understand the process. It turns out it’s not so complicated when you think of RTI as working toward and measuring the progress of students.
The RTI Action Network best ex...
Activities, Lessons, and Resources for National Bullying Prevention Month
CategoriesOctober is National Bullying Prevention Awareness month. We’re here to get you prepared with a list of valuable activities, lessons, and resources designed to help prevent and address bullying among students in grades K–12.
Let’s begin with a feel-good video for everyone:
Inspire kindness...
Functional Behavior Assessment: The Plan for Positive Behavior
CategoriesSarah punched a student on the bus this morning. What’s the plan? Luke is disrupting the whole class. What’s the plan? Raul is refusing to take his algebra test. What’s the plan? As a special education teacher, it seemed every student on my caseload with behavioral concerns had a plan in place. Sometimes the plan was as simple as a phone call home. S...
Functional Behavior Assessment: The Whys of Problem Behaviors
CategoriesWhen my son became mobile, we installed a baby gate in our living room at the top of the staircase leading to the basement. Late that same night, our cat – Little Miss – woke my husband and me up with loud, persistent meowing in our faces. (Those were the blurry-eyed days of our baby still not sleeping through the night, making every minute of sleep vital.) I love Little Miss, but m...
Addressing Back-to-School Anxiety: An Interview with a Veteran School Psychologist
CategoriesAs a teacher with summers “off”, August has always felt like a long Sunday. June is the excitement of a Friday with the whole weekend ahead. July is a Saturday with plenty of time to relax, reconnect with old friends, explore new places, and maybe catch up on DIY projects at home. As the calendar flips to August, however, the realization of - and the anxiety associated with - return...
3 Creative Ways for Learning Students’ Names This Fall
Categories“Sorry, I’m terrible with names,” is an apology you might often hear (or say). Since I started teaching, I’ve gotten better with remembering names by simply being more mindful when introductions are made and repeating names aloud or inside my head a couple of times. I’m still far from perfect, though.
This fall many of you will be facing a whole new...
Four Methods for Rethinking Discipline
Categories“That’s incorrect, Johnny. T-h-e-i-r is a possessive pronoun; T-h-e-r-e refers to a place; and T-h-e-y-’-r-e is a contraction. This is your final warning – if you get it wrong again, you’re going to the principal’s office.”
Okay…now that I have your attention – of course we wouldn’t punish a studen...
Mindfulness: From Ancient Wisdom to Modern Classroom
CategoriesImagine coming to your neighborhood middle school one morning to find three dead bodies dumped in the schoolyard. This is exactly what students experienced one morning when coming to Visitacion Valley Middle School in San Francisco.
As shocking as this might sound, the children at Visitacion were used to murder. Barry O’Driscoll, the school’s head of physical education (PE...