Every year at this time, the pressure of the the spring, the lack of breaks, and then the lingering of the standardized test starts to set in. Here in Texas, students take the STAAR test in March, April, and May. Today, I wanted to share 6 STAAR review ideas to help get you geared up and to help prepare your students. This is the last of three posts about test prep, so ...
Goal Setting and Test Prep: Helping Students Achieve More
One of the realities that teachers face today is the prevalence of assessments. We assess at the school level, at the district level, and at the state level. I won’t go into the politics of assessment, but I will address the fact that we as teachers want our students to be successful on these assessments. If you haven’t checked on the first test prep post on how to keep it fun and ...
Making Test Prep Fun for Students and Teachers
Preparation for any standardized test is a daunting task. Preparing 100+ students for a standardized test is quite a feat! You want students to buy-in to the content, even though they will claim they “already learned” it! You can accomplish this by making test prep fun! It is a challenging job, but as a teacher, it is exactly what we have to do. This is the first of three ...
Work Life Balance for Teachers
Work. Life. Balance. Those three words are the pinnacle of what all teachers hope for. If you are a first year teacher, you are probably consumed by the “work” piece. If you are a teacher with kids, you are probably consumed with the “life” of you and your family. The best analogy I have heard lately about work-life balance is to think of it as a pendulum. At various points ...
5 Classroom Management Books for Middle School
Earlier in the year, we talked about the various different routines and procedures that are beneficial within the middle school classroom. I mentioned the essential classroom management book, The First Days of School, as a resource and reference of the post. I know that classroom management can be a point of tension, especially at this point in the year. So, I wanted to seek out some ...
7 Ways to Use Khan Academy
Khan Academy is an incredible resource for your classroom! You can see how some tips for starting Khan Academy in your classroom, and I have outlined ways to use Khan Academy for differentiating instruction. If you aren’t ready to take the full plunge into the world of Khan, dip your metaphorical toes into the shallow end with these ideas. NOTE: All Khan Academy content is available ...
The Techy Teacher Gift Guide
The techy teacher is the go-to teach guy or gal in the school. He or she has great little gadgets, waits hours in line to get the latest iPhone, and can be counted on to get the projector up and running in the case of an emergency. Check out this techy teacher gift guide for suggestions from stocking stuffers to full fledged gifts! Techy Teacher Gift Guide 1. AUDIBLE SUBSCRIPTION I ...
Tips for Using Khan Academy
I have posted about how I have implemented Khan Academy when working with small groups and when differentiating instruction, and we have received comments asking for more Khan Academy know how. I am certainly not an expert, but after tinkering around with it for about two years, and seeing what has worked and not worked, I have a few tips for using Khan Academy in the ...
Stylish and Comfortable Shoes for Teachers
A couple of years ago, I bought a pair of Steve Madden ballerina slipper style flats. They were neutral, and at the time, they seemed like a great investment in comfortable shoes. I had just started teaching, and my college Chacos were not considered professional, so I needed to find a pair of shoes that I could wear to work. Enter the neutral flats. They had such potential, and maybe ...
Open House in Middle School
The thought of open house immediately triggers memories of the busy first few weeks of school, long days, and an even longer night. Open house in middle school can take on different forms and fashions- whether that be before school begins, a few weeks in, later in the spring, and whether parents follow their students schedules or not. Today, I want to share four tips for a smooth open ...