If I’m being honest, the idea of a bell ringer changed my life. Once I realized that having my kids focused and ready to go when they stepped into the room was a reality, it changed everything. If you’ve ever started class with students chatting, rummaging through their backpacks, or
The end of the year is upon us, and it’s time to get prepared. If you’ve been a teacher for at least one year, you know that the end of the year is not for the weak of heart. You’ll need to manage state testing, final projects, field days, class
It’s the middle of the year and the honeymoon is long over. The routine feels, well, routine. Kids are getting antsy, and your classroom is looking like it has seen better days. A few classroom updates can make a big difference in keeping students engaged and your space running smoothly.
It’s the middle of the year and motivating students is tough. You are probably noticing that many are not turning in their best work and that their overall habits are slacking. In today’s fast-paced world, keeping students engaged requires more than just delivering information—it calls for creative, practical approaches that
You know how it is. You plan your lessons. You get to school early so that you are prepared for the day. You grade on the weekend to be sure you can give effective and timely feedback. And then…kids are constantly late and absent, undoing everything you tried to accomplish.
Parent-teacher communication is so much more than newsletters and report cards. Having good classroom management, is, believe it or not, dependent upon how the parents and guardians buy into what you are doing in class. Read here for tips and tricks to improve parent-teacher communication in your middle school class.
Join me in this year-long series on classroom management. Each month, we will look at tips and tricks for creating a better classroom management plan. Classroom management is by far the most challenging aspect of being a new teacher. There is a lot for you to consider, and it can
Join me in this year-long series on classroom management. Each month, we will look at tips and tricks for creating a better classroom management plan. Classroom management is by far the most challenging aspect of being a new teacher. There are so many things to consider when creating a culture
Join me in this year-long series on classroom management. Each month, we will look at tips and tricks for creating a better classroom management plan. As a teacher of over thirty years, I’ve mentored many new teachers both officially and unofficially. By far, the biggest question and concern I’ve heard
This is the fourth part of a mini-series on back-to-school tips with a focus on setting classroom expectations. Setting classroom expectations…we know how wildly important this can be to create a conducive learning environment. We can’t let our middle schoolers “run the show”…it’s not fair to the rest of the
We’ve all been there. We are ready to teach a fabulous lesson. We know the lesson will engage our kids. And it does…but they finish and there’s still a half hour left of class. Or, you plan another amazing lesson, and half of your kids are fast finishers while the
When you think of kids asking the same question over and over again and needing you to complete any small task, most of us would think of very young students, such as kindergartners. But those of us who teach middle school know that this somehow continues even as students are
If I’m being honest, the idea of a bell ringer changed my life. Once I realized that having my kids focused and ready to go when they stepped into the room was a reality, it changed everything. If you’ve ever started class with students chatting, rummaging through their backpacks, or
The end of the year is upon us, and it’s time to get prepared. If you’ve been a teacher for at least one year, you know that the end of the year is not for the weak of heart. You’ll need to manage state testing, final projects, field days, class
It’s the middle of the year and the honeymoon is long over. The routine feels, well, routine. Kids are getting antsy, and your classroom is looking like it has seen better days. A few classroom updates can make a big difference in keeping students engaged and your space running smoothly.
It’s the middle of the year and motivating students is tough. You are probably noticing that many are not turning in their best work and that their overall habits are slacking. In today’s fast-paced world, keeping students engaged requires more than just delivering information—it calls for creative, practical approaches that
You know how it is. You plan your lessons. You get to school early so that you are prepared for the day. You grade on the weekend to be sure you can give effective and timely feedback. And then…kids are constantly late and absent, undoing everything you tried to accomplish.
Parent-teacher communication is so much more than newsletters and report cards. Having good classroom management, is, believe it or not, dependent upon how the parents and guardians buy into what you are doing in class. Read here for tips and tricks to improve parent-teacher communication in your middle school class.
Join me in this year-long series on classroom management. Each month, we will look at tips and tricks for creating a better classroom management plan. Classroom management is by far the most challenging aspect of being a new teacher. There is a lot for you to consider, and it can
Join me in this year-long series on classroom management. Each month, we will look at tips and tricks for creating a better classroom management plan. Classroom management is by far the most challenging aspect of being a new teacher. There are so many things to consider when creating a culture
Join me in this year-long series on classroom management. Each month, we will look at tips and tricks for creating a better classroom management plan. As a teacher of over thirty years, I’ve mentored many new teachers both officially and unofficially. By far, the biggest question and concern I’ve heard
This is the fourth part of a mini-series on back-to-school tips with a focus on setting classroom expectations. Setting classroom expectations…we know how wildly important this can be to create a conducive learning environment. We can’t let our middle schoolers “run the show”…it’s not fair to the rest of the
We’ve all been there. We are ready to teach a fabulous lesson. We know the lesson will engage our kids. And it does…but they finish and there’s still a half hour left of class. Or, you plan another amazing lesson, and half of your kids are fast finishers while the
When you think of kids asking the same question over and over again and needing you to complete any small task, most of us would think of very young students, such as kindergartners. But those of us who teach middle school know that this somehow continues even as students are