Classroom Calendar Connections – March 2020
CategoriesPi Day, the Ides of March, St. Patrick’s Day, March Madness, the spring equinox…these are just a few of the many teachable events of March!
P...
Classroom Calendar Connections – February 2020
Categories100th Day of School – The Actual Date Varies by School Calendars
Congratulations on making it to the 100th day of school (give or take a few days)! Students of all...
3 Ways to Prepare Students for State Standardized Testing
CategoriesIt’s almost that time of the year again… Whether your students are in Illinois taking the IRA, in
The beautiful and fulfilling task of teaching project-based curriculum
CategoriesRead the lead-up to this article here: The Den & the Project...
Classroom Calendar Connections – December 2019
CategoriesDecember is filled with significant events to be incorporated into the classroom curriculum beyond the traditional holidays that one might typically think of. This article features National H...
Classroom Calendar Connections: November 2019 - Veteran’s Day and Thanksgiving
Categories“In November, some birds move away, and some birds stay.
The air is full of good-byes and well-wishes.” – Cynthia Rylant
Happy November, Educators! I hav...
Tips for Successful Parent-Teacher Conferences - Before, During and After
CategoriesParent-teacher conferences can be a great opportunity for meaningful conversations about how students can reach their full potential in school. To help ensure meetings are positive and productive f...
20 Ways Fellow Educators Manage their Stress
CategoriesThe trees are changing colors, pumpkin spice is back, sweater weather is here, and school has been in session for about a month already. How are you feeling? Hopefully you’ve hit your school...
Classroom Calendar Connections – September 2019
CategoriesFor many educators and students, September is the first full month of the new school year. It’s a busy month as we transition from summer to fall and get acquainted with a new group of studen...
Tried and True First Day of School Activities in the Classroom
CategoriesGoogle the words ‘first day of school activities in the classroom’ and you will discover nearly two BILLION results. Thanks, but no thanks, Google - we don’t have time to weed thr...
Fair is not Equal: Differentiated Instruction in the Classroom
CategoriesFair is not Equal: Differentiated Instruction in the Classroom
Written by Jill Rockwell
7 Practical Tools to Enhance Executive Functioning in the Classroom
CategoriesAs defined by Understood, executive function is “The ability to organize cognitive processes. This includes the ability to plan ahe...
Featured Teacher Karlee Hunt - July 2019
CategoriesKarlee Hunt has taught the third graders at Little Elementary in the Denver suburb of Arvada, CO for four years. The school is named for John R. Little, who neither of us know much about, but it&rs...
Developing and Maintaining a Growth Mindset
CategoriesAlmost 2 years ago, my family and I moved from a suburb of St. Paul, Minnesota to a rural part of western Wisconsin. After some training, practice, and several mistakes, I learned how to use a snow...
4 Ways to Refocus and Recharge this Summer
CategoriesCongratulations! Another school year is almost in the books! It’s a well-known fact, however, that educators’ responsibilities don’t end when the final bell rings. Whether you&rsq...
Thank you, Educators – We Appreciate You!
CategoriesFor opening your classroom doors every day and unlocking students’ potential – we thank you.
For sharing your wisdom with students while they share their germs with you - we t...
Maintaining Student Engagement in the Spring
CategoriesThe birds are chirping as I type, the grass is turning green, the sunsets are even more spectacular than usual - spring is here! It’s a wonderful time of the year but maintaining students&rsq...
Trust, Safety, Challenge, and Joy: Fostering a Classroom Culture Ideal for Collaboration
CategoriesAs teachers we’re encouraged to work together and share expertise, energy, and inspiration with the common goal of increasing student engagement and success in our schools. Research supports...
Social and Emotional Learning Part 5 of 5: Responsible Decision-Making
CategoriesResponsible decision-making is the fifth of the five components of social and emotional learning (SEL). (Click on the links for teaching strategies designed to support your students with the other...
Social and Emotional Learning Part 4 of 5: 5 Strategies to Improve Relationship Skills in the Classroom
CategoriesMaintaining friendships, asking for help, working cooperatively, etc. - interpersonal skills are a critical component of the development of children. When students demonstrate strong relationship s...
Social and Emotional Learning Part 3 of 5: Social Awareness Strategies in the Classroom
CategoriesWelcome to part 3 of our social and emotional learning (SEL) series - today’s focus: social awareness! (Head over to our blog archives for parts 1 and 2 which address
Social and Emotional Learning - Part 2 of 5: Self-Awareness Strategies in the Classroom
CategoriesWelcome to part 2 of our social and emotional learning (SEL) series. Let’s begin with a brief review. SEL involves teaching five core competencies to students in grades K–12: self-aware...
Social and Emotional Learning- Part 1 of 5: Self-Management Strategies in the Classroom
CategoriesHappy 2019! Are you staying on track with your New Year’s resolutions? As I type, I have a large glass of water next to my mouse, and I am resisting the strong temptation of the remaining Chr...
5 Priceless Gifts for Students
CategoriesBillions of dollars were spent by shoppers in the United States over the Thanksgiving weekend. The packages that arrived on my front porch - practically before the pumpkin pie was served - was evid...
Bullying or Conflict?
CategoriesSeveral years ago, I found myself (a special education teacher) in a meeting involving the principal, the director of special education, the school psychologist, a second-grade teacher, two concern...
RTI 101: Think Progress
CategoriesSo often I would groan when the topic of Response to Intervention (RTI) was mentioned - mainly because I didn’t fully understand the process. It turns out it’s not so complicated when y...
Activities, Lessons, and Resources for National Bullying Prevention Month
CategoriesOctober is National Bullying Prevention Awareness month. We’re here to get you prepared with a list of valuable activities, l...
Functional Behavior Assessment: The Plan for Positive Behavior
CategoriesSarah punched a student on the bus this morning. What’s the plan? Luke is disrupting the whole class. What’s the plan? Raul is refusing to take his algebra test. W...
Functional Behavior Assessment: The Whys of Problem Behaviors
CategoriesWhen my son became mobile, we installed a baby gate in our living room at the top of the staircase leading to the basement. Late that same night, our cat – Little Miss – woke my husband...
Addressing Back-to-School Anxiety: An Interview with a Veteran School Psychologist
CategoriesAs a teacher with summers “off”, August has always felt like a long Sunday. June is the excitement of a Friday with the whole weekend ahead. July is a Saturday with plenty of time to re...
3 Creative Ways for Learning Students’ Names This Fall
Categories“Sorry, I’m terrible with names,” is an apology you might often hear (or say). Since I started teaching, I’ve gotten better with remembering names by simply being more...
Four Methods for Rethinking Discipline
Categories“That’s incorrect, Johnny. T-h-e-i-r is a possessive pronoun; T-h-e-r-e refers to a place; and T-h-e-y-’-r-e is a contraction. This is your final warnin...
Mindfulness: From Ancient Wisdom to Modern Classroom
CategoriesImagine coming to your neighborhood middle school one morning to find three dead bodies dumped in the schoolyard. This is exactly what students experienced one morning when coming to Visitacion Val...