Child-Centered Reading Conferences

…today? Will you explain how this strategy is helping you be a better reader?” Smiling and hoping to jot some notes on our charts or report card forms, we hope…

The Power of Praise

…– yet now they have to struggle to make good grades. Interestingly, my older daughter Wendy discovered the New York Magazine article herself the other day and forwarded it to…

Green Companies? Let the Jury Decide!

…company switch to plastic if it’s not good for the environment? Could it be that plastic is cheaper? Could it be that reducing the product’s weight makes it cheaper for…

Move to Learn in Science!

Brain research supports the need for students to get plenty of movement throughout the day – but that’s something every teacher knows! In Teaching with the Brain in Mind, Eric…

Classroom Awards Make Kids Feel Special!

…a few minutes of time for this each day over several days because this step does take time. Collect the completed Classroom Award Nomination Forms and look through them to…

5 Tips for New Teachers

…that year. Sometimes I just didn’t think I could go back into that classroom another day. I wish I could blame those students for the difficulties I encountered, but I…

Power Reading Workshop and The Daily 5

…instruction, it can easily be implemented in an hour a day. The D5 program includes five different components of literacy instruction, including word work and spelling, and it requires several…

Favorite Read Alouds for November

…read aloud when comparing and contrasting Thanksgiving today with the traditions observed by the Pilgrims. Children today will find that Thanksgiving long ago was much different from the holiday we…

Creating a Caring Classroom Family

Guest blog post by Barbara Gruener Now that it’s time for a new school year to begin, life finds me increasingly eager for the first day to arrive. My students…

Walls for Language Learners

…first day of school. Still inviting right? But also, completely open for the world of possibilities the year will bring! Now one may ask, what is it that I should…

12 Ways to Motivate Reluctant Readers

…of time today….” Leave ‘em wanting more! Let them choose their own books. The biggest turnoff to reading is being required to read boring books. Provide a wide variety of…