This school year has been unlike any other school year ever. I think we can all say that while we don’t know what next year will hold, we can do our best to finish this year strong. I was thinking about how I normally would end the school year. Our grade level participated in an end of year field trip after STAAR, my students would pie my face based on a test prep incentive they were ...
Search Results for: test prep
Algebra 1 EOC Cheat Sheet for Teachers
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, ...
TEKS Math Curriculum
ALIGNED AND ENGAGING STUDENT-CENTERED MATH LESSONS WHAT IS INCLUDED IN A TEKS-ALIGNED MATH CURRICULUM ? NOTES | HOMEWORK | HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES | ASSESSMENTS UNIT OVERVIEWS | TEACHING TIPS | EDITABLE UNIT TESTS | AND MORE 1 STUDENT-FRIENDLY NOTES Scaffolded notes that allow students to obtain the content in a step by step manner. Each unit is organized ...
5 Tips for a Successful STAAR Review
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 ...
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 ...
3 Math Review Games to Get Students Moving
During a very long professional development, my principal looked at her watch and said, “We have just hit 75 minutes -- the length of a class period.” I was shocked at how much my body just wanted to escape my chair for a walk or a stretch break. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, “Movement increases the heart rate and stimulates brain function, ...
8+ Ideas for Using Study Guides
When preparing my students for an upcoming unit assessment, I consider it due diligence to spend at least one day reviewing the material from the unit. Our unit study guides make review days so much easier! Here’s why: Marissa breaks down some of her best practices for using the study guide: Here are some (more) ideas from the teachers in our community (and a few from ...
Seating Charts for Middle School
Seating charts for middle school classrooms are essential! They are the foundation of classroom management. Be prepared for day 1 of school with a completed seating chart. Let’s talk about why. Why Should You Have a Seating Chart In a perfect world, all students would be successful no matter where they were sitting in your classroom. We don’t live in a perfect world or ...
Smartphone and Social Media Solutions: What Teachers and Parents Can Do
Let's talk smartphones and social media solutions! Welcome to our book study on The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt! In part 1, I wrote about the harmful effects of smartphones, technology, and social media on today’s adolescence. Today I will be summarizing recommendations that the author outlines in the books for what we can do as parents, teachers, and schools to combat ...
Keeping Up with Absent Students
Absent students - it’s that time of year! Managing absent students’ make-up work, incoming parent emails, catching them up when they return - it is a lot! (In fact, as I write this post, my daughter is missing school due to Flu A and strep.) Here are some tips for preparing for all the inevitable, seasonal absences. Stay On Top of Planning This is my advice for just about ...