Curriculum mapping is a process that helps teachers understand what students must know and be able to do after teaching, how content will be taught, and how learning outcomes will be assessed. Creating a curriculum map at the beginning of the school year allows...
The first few years that I was in the classroom, I spent far too much time lesson planning each week. For some reason, I thought the more time I spent planning, the better of a teacher I was becoming. If you scroll far enough back in my Instagram feed, you'll see...
If you get sick often or have children that you need to stay home and care for from time to time, you know it's always important to have a plan in place in case you need a substitute. You can easily prep ahead of time for a sick day or emergency, so at a moment’s...
Do you have tons of digital curriculum resources you never use in a school year because you forget you bought them? Or maybe your district purchased subscriptions to curriculum websites, but you forget to look for content to use with lessons. (I'm looking at you,...
Student led conferences are a game-changer. Now, more than ever, they are an important part of the educational experience for students with social distancing in place. You CAN still hold student led conferences this year no matter your situation - virtual, hybrid, or...
There's no doubt that this school year is going to start uniquely. With large gatherings being banned, it may be safer to hold a virtual Open House, Meet the Teacher, or Back to School Night this year. Even beyond the state of the world right now, a virtual Open House...
Creating a plan for back to school was always my favorite task. A clean slate and a chance to get reorganized. A new group of kids excited to learn new content and participate in all of the fun, hands-on projects you're known for incorporating into the curriculum. New...
Each year, students sit on the sidelines as their parents talk to their teacher about their academic progress, behavior, and work habits. This happens across all grade levels. The teacher may ask a question or two to the student during the conference, but they mostly...
Does your school or district have access to Google Classroom or Google Docs for your students? If so, there's a whole world of possibilities of things you can do to get your students online and interacting with the curriculum! This easy-to-follow Google Classroom...
Learning objectives play an important role in every classroom. They guide what we teach and what the students' learning outcome is. Most administrators require that we have current learning objectives displayed in our classrooms. For teachers, everything revolves...
When I moved to North Carolina and began teaching 5th grade, I was introduced to student led conferences. I quickly fell in love. It can be hard when your school requires you to hold a conference for every student. The time it takes for one conference makes for long...
Have you ever wondered what it's like to teach at a school on a year round calendar? I always wanted to and finally got the opportunity to after being in a traditional calendar school for 5 years. I share my opinions on the two school calendars and which I prefer. Let...