October is just around the corner! While there are so many fun things that autumn brings, it can be a challenging month to be a teacher. Let’s dive into some ways that we can thrive during this month. LISTEN ON: APPLE PODCAST | SPOTIFY Why is October so challenging? October is just days away. Labor day was 16 work days ago, and Thanksgiving is approximately 30 work days ...
Organizing a Substitute Binder
Preparing for a substitute used to be so easy! Ha - I am joking, of course. We had no idea how easy it used to be. Now with COVID, quarantining, and technology, it is pretty complicated. Schools have a variety of procedures regarding substitutes, and I also know that you might be lucky to even have a substitute. There are schools out there that rely on teacher’s planning periods ...
4 Ways to Make Math Relevant
We encounter math on a daily basis, but it can be a challenge for students to connect what they learn in class to the outside world. Here are 4 ways teachers can engage students by making math relevant to their lives. LISTEN ON: APPLE PODCAST | SPOTIFY 1. Share Your Enthusiasm The key to modeling what it looks like to be a math person is to share your excitement! Excitement is ...
Teacher Desk Supplies You Need to Survive
Teachers spend 8-10 hours a day at school. We need to be prepared for anything and everything. We also want to keep students from having to make unnecessary trips to the office for things that we can easily store in our classroom. Maybe you will use these items never or 100 times. It doesn’t hurt to be prepared! (Check out the comments for some more great suggestions.) Listen ...
Are Digital Interactive Notebooks Right for You?
Let’s talk about interactive notebooks - both physical notebooks and digital notebooks! Do you use them with your students? I tried an interactive notebook one year while teaching math, and I couldn’t handle the glue consumption. Now that I am seeing so much talk about digital interactive notebooks online, I want to ask the question -- are they right for you? Are Digital Interactive ...
20 Must Have Teacher Supplies
If I had to draw one very broad generalization about teachers, it would be that teachers love school supplies. To this day, I am exhilarated by walking down the school supply aisle. I have compiled a list of my favorite teacher supplies, all priced under $20. These are all supplies that I have found useful in my classroom, along with some great ideas for incorporating them. Some ...
Teaching Proportional Relationships
Proportional relationships are ingrained in our everyday. While most students pick up on the process to solve proportions fairly quickly, there is so much foundational conceptual knowledge that we do not want to skip over. Today, I am sharing how proportional relationships go far beyond just solving for a missing number and how to set a foundation for success in Algebra. Here ...
4 Ways to Use Nearpod in the Classroom
As teachers, we want to meet all of our students’ needs. But in a classroom of 30 or more students, it can feel overwhelming. EdTech tools like Nearpod make meeting your students’ needs a little bit easier. Not only is the website easy to use, but creating lessons is simple, and there are many built-in tools available within Nearpod to use to differentiate instruction in your classroom. ...
Health Insurance Alternatives for Teachers
One of the most highly discussed items that is currently impacting educators across the country is the rising cost of health care. Insurance plans that school districts are able to provide include extremely high deductibles and very high premiums (especially if you are carrying your children or entire family). Today, I want to share my personal experience with health insurance ...
GimKit: Up Your Student Engagement
Kahoot, Quizizz, Quizlet... Have you tried them all? When the weather turns nicer and your students are dreaming of summertime, their attention starts to wane. Whew, it is hard to keep students engaged! It is the perfect time to introduce something new into your classroom. One of my favorite new games to play in class is Gimkit! Gimkit was created by a high school student for ...