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 ...
4 Time Wasters to Stop as a Teacher
The beginning of the school year is when we have the best intentions for how the school year will go. Let’s keep this energy up by committing to stop doing these 4 time wasters. These time wasters lead to stress and burn out - I can personally attest! LISTEN ON: APPLE PODCAST | SPOTIFY Point 1: Stop Bringing Your Work Home This may seem like the opposite of a time waster since ...
How to Teach Word Problems
Word problems can be a challenge to teach. Perhaps, it is because we are trying to teach students to problem solve: think about, observe, investigate, and reason through situations. Which, in my opinion, is quite the task! In today’s episode, Noelle discusses why problem solving is so important for our students and provides some strategies to get students thinking. LISTEN ON: APPLE ...
How to Teach Routines & Procedures that Stick
You may have the best routines and procedures planned for your classroom, but if you don’t effectively teach students HOW to implement those routines, then you and your students will not reap the benefits of time and energy saved. LISTEN ON: APPLE PODCAST | SPOTIFY Step 1: Brainstorm the Routines You Want to Teach The first thing you as the teacher need to do is KNOW all of ...
First Day of School Routines and Procedures
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 ...