The first day of school is upon us which comes with the question - should I teach rules/expectations on that first day or do something fun? I believe that you can do both. Routines and procedures are built into everything that happens in your classroom. Whatever you decide to do on the first few days of school, teach the routines and procedures that are required for them to be ...
6 Tips for Classroom Set-Up
Classroom set-up is my favorite back to school task! It is time to deck out our classrooms! Easily one of the best and most stressful parts of being a teacher. I have some tips on how to make classroom set-up efficient and stress free. LISTEN ON: APPLE PODCAST | SPOTIFY 1. Prioritize If you want to do something magical in your classroom to make it homey and ...
Making Changes vs Staying the Course
If you are a teacher who is seeing the online teacher community buzzing with words like “grids” or “centers” and feel a little overwhelmed, then this post is for you. Oftentimes, we see other teachers implement new strategies or techniques, and think to ourselves, “Should I be doing that too?” Making changes in your classroom needs to approached with thoughtful consideration. LISTEN ...
How to Differentiate in Middle School Math
Today on the blog (and podcast), we have Marissa McCarthy! She is an amazing teacher who uses Maneuvering the Middle resources to teach and differentiate for her 6th grade students. She is a whiz at small groups and a wealth of knowledge. Marissa has just wrapped up her 13th year of teaching math in Ohio. She has earned her masters in gifted education, previously coached her ...
What is All Access Math Curriculum?
We are so excited to announce the launch of our All Access membership community for middle school math and algebra 1 teachers! Our math curriculum is receiving some fun changes! LISTEN ON: APPLE PODCAST | SPOTIFY Some Context Our MTM team worked hard to create resources that would be helpful for teachers and students when the education world changed in an instant. In the ...
The Self-Paced Classroom
We are diving deep into the Grid Method with Jodi Rookhuizen. She runs a self-paced classroom using our Maneuvering the Middle resources and the Grid Method. Scroll down to grab a Grid freebie to get yourself started with the Grid Method. LISTEN ON: APPLE PODCAST | SPOTIFY Who is our expert on the self-paced classroom? Jodi lives in Billings, Montana. She taught middle ...
Are Math Video Lessons Effective?
Teaching has changed so much in a year and a half. With many schools going back to face to face next year, it begs the question - are video lessons here to stay? Will the use of this technology continue and if so, what will it look like? LISTEN ON: APPLE PODCAST | SPOTIFY Maybe a way to phrase the question is - are video lessons effective? Effective teaching practices stick ...
Teaching the Real Number System
The real number system can really confuse students. I will admit, at times, I felt confused too! Let’s check out 4 strategies that will help you teach classifying real numbers, and will help your students master the concept. Vertical Alignment Before we jump to that, let’s take a look at the standard and how it progresses through middle school, and then take a look at some STAAR ...
Setting Teacher Boundaries
Not setting enough boundaries is potentially one of the reasons that educators feel so burnt out early in their careers. I am going to share with you some ways we can put healthy boundaries in place so that we can thrive in our roles as educators, family members, and friends. Why we need boundaries As educators, I think we are prone to struggle with setting healthy teacher ...
Professional Development & Online Collaboration
Professional development - let's talk about it! Since so many events have moved online, there really are quite a few opportunities available for teachers without the cost of traveling or hotels. Why You Should Attend One thing we know about summer is that we are in a completely different mindset than we are during the school year. When we are rejuvenated and well rested, ...