For some students, writing an essay is like trying to climb Mount Everest- difficult, laborious, and daunting. But with the right guidance, you can turn that literary climb into an attainable accomplishment. Breaking down an essay into manageable parts is the key to getting your most stubborn students to write. You’ll need at least a […]
Step-By-Step Writing Lesson for Struggling Students Read More »
When students are reading non-fiction text, their comprehension increases if they have some sort of background knowledge about the topic and are familiar with domain-specific vocabulary. It might feel like you are spoiling what the students are about to read when you activate their background knowledge and frontload vocabulary, but the opposite could not be
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Curriculum Night (also known as Back-to-School Night or Meet the Teacher) can be stressful! Just getting through a normal week of instruction is hard enough but when you add the extra layer of preparing for Curriculum Night, it can feel like you are drowning in a pool of tasks. But getting ready for Curriculum Night
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When you teach, I can guarantee that many of your students are not listening. Don’t take it personally (I know I don’t); we are working with children. It happens. So what can you do to hold their attention and get them to listen? Guided notes are the answer! What are Guided Notes? When you are
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The first day of school is always a bit nerve-racking. The moment your students walk in, you can feel their nervous energy. To relieve their nerves (and yours too) it’s important to have a lesson plan that is easy to follow. The first day of school is a crucial time to set the tone for
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Working at a Title 1 inner-city school, where many of my students are English Learners has taught me a thing or two about working with striving learners. Some of my students are 2 years or more behind in the core subjects of reading and math. How do you differentiate your instruction for these students while
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Educating students about multiple perspectives is key when teaching Social Studies. Upper elementary students learn about the European Explorer and Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes without learning much about the powerful Aztec emperor Moctezuma and the perspective of the indigenous people of Mexico. When teaching students about Hernan Cortes it is imperative to also include in
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The first day of school is always a bit nerve-racking. The moment your students walk in, you can feel their nervous energy. To relieve their nerves (and yours too) it’s important to have a lesson plan that is easy to follow. The first day of school is a crucial time to set the tone for
First Day of School Lesson Plans for 5th Grade Read More »
Teaching students simple geography lessons about oceans and continents is a must-do. A few times I’ve asked my students what country and state we live in, and I get responses like, “We live in the country of California and the continent of Mexico.” I’m dead serious! (I teach in Southern California) When I heard this,
Simplify Geography: Continents and Oceans Lesson Plans Read More »
Every teacher knows that an icebreaker is an essential activity that needs to be done on the first day of school. Returning to school after a long summer break causes everyone a bit of anxiety. Students are nervous about who their teacher is going to be and whether they will have friends in their classroom,
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