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The Best Ways to Support Young Children In and Out of Class
Listen It seems like the longer I teach, the fewer skills students come into kindergarten with. Most students used to have numerous self-help and problem-solving skills, but now those skills are in the minority. Why is that happening? Why do more and more children come to school unable to do...
The ABCs of Surviving Your First Year of Teaching
Listen Yay! You worked hard and got your first teaching position. Congratulations! Now the real work begins. Check out these tips on how to survive and thrive in your first year of teaching. A – Attendance: It may sound silly, but don’t forget to do attendance every day. You don’t...
10 Ways to Boost Morale for Teachers and School Staff
Listen As the school year begins, so does the stress and expectations put upon teachers. We go from pretty much not having a care in the world during the summer to deadlines, paperwork, planning, assessments…you name it, we have to do it. All these duties can become overwhelming quickly and...
Literacy/Math Activities That Your Students Will Love
Listen When working with young children, you have to come up with activities that grab and hold your students’ attention. They have done most of their learning through play so anything that can make learning fun will be helpful. Listening to the teacher talk about a skill may only reach...
10 Must Reads for Teachers
Listen Reading is one of my favorite things to do. I read every night before going to sleep; if I don’t, I can’t fall asleep. I tend to read novels before bed and non-fiction during the day. I feel that I need to concentrate and sometimes take notes on non-fiction...
Teacher Hacks for the Classroom
Listen Teaching in any classroom is a busy, multi-tasking, need-an-extra-pair-of-hands endeavor. Any type of timesaver or tip to make things run easier is welcomed by any teacher. This is a list of ideas that are classroom-proven and will make the day just a bit easier. Sheet Protectors: These are perfect...
Best Methods of Communicating with Parents
Listen Going off to school each year can be hard on some parents. They have spent all their time at home; safe and nurtured. Parents can be unsure of what will happen once they are off to school. Keeping them reassured, educated and involved is the best way to have...
The Best Back to School Books
Listen There is a plethora of wonderful children’s books available. Sometimes it’s hard to decide which ones to read and which ones to skip. The majority of children’s books that I have read have fallen into the “I LOVE THIS BOOK” column. I have also read some children’s books that...
Preparing for Kindergarten
Listen The time is here! Sound the trumpets! Your child is going to kindergarten. For many children, this means they are off to the big, local public school with new friends, bigger classes, bus rides and nervousness. That nervousness can be from you, your child or both. How do you...
Mindfulness in the Classroom
Listen The demands put upon students these days, from kindergarten through high school, have become overwhelming. Kindergartners, 5 and 6 year olds, are expected to read and write by the end of the school year. Upper elementary age students need to be able to use a computer and take multiple,...
PBIS - How Effective Is It?
Listen PBIS stands for "Positive Behavioral Interactions and Supports." The overarching goal of PBIS as a classroom strategy is to create safer, more positive learning environments for students of all ages and levels. Most importantly, perhaps, PBIS adds "behavior" as a classroom topic like any other. Here, everyone is first...
Another School Year Starts - Advice to a New Teacher
Listen New teachers face unique challenges from connecting with students to developing a work-life balance in a career that seems to follow them home every day. But they also have one of the most important and rewarding jobs on the planet, so those new-teacher-jitters are well worth it in the...