Whenever it was time to begin reviewing for the STAAR (the state standardized test in Texas), I spent hours planning what I was going to focus on before I even thought about the activities, assessments, or individualized student plans that would fill my daily plans. You see, knowing what skills to focus on is just as important as actually reviewing those skills. As teachers, ...
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Math TEKS Resources for Middle School Teachers
Over the past two years, we have developed a math curriculum that is engaging, student-centered, easy to implement for teachers, and aligned to the TEKS! Hooray! As a Texas teacher, it can be difficult to find resources that truly meet the rigor and depth of our Texas Math Standards. One of the things that I am passionate about is the alignment to the standards and alignment between ...
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 ...
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 ...
Teacher Planner Alternative – The Flexi
It’s September! And with that, the initial shock of THERE IS SO MUCH TO DO AND THE CHILDREN ARE COMING has ended. Since we are no longer in panic mode, it seems fitting to discuss how we are going to accomplish tasks on our to do lists in the most time saving, efficient, productive, helpful, organized, and prettiest fashion. :) I have finally landed on a system that works for me, and ...
Determining What to Review
March 1st always brings about two things: the impending countdown to spring break (yay!) and the daunting task of test prep review (eek!). In my years of teaching, testing season began immediately after spring break. Different grades and subjects were state tested towards the end of March and throughout April. First and foremost, I support best teaching practices, which involve ...