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Gritty goals help elementary students connect something they care about with a plan they can keep working on. Instead of stopping at “I want to get better at math,” students choose a specific next step, practice it, and reflect on what to try when they get stuck. If you’re wondering
Are you constantly searching for ideas for making learning stick in your classroom? Does this sound familiar? You taught a solid lesson on Tuesday. By Friday, half your students look at you like you’ve never mentioned the topic before. Here’s what I’ve learned after more than four decades in classrooms:
If you’ve ever looked out at your class and thought, “Why are they rushing through this?” or “How do I get them to actually care?”—you are not alone. Many teachers are searching for student engagement strategies that go beyond compliance. The truth is, worksheets and routine assignments often don’t inspire
Words are, in my not-so humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic. – Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Let’s face it, gifted kids and high flyers love big vocabulary words. They’re natural sesquipedalians (yep, that’s a big word lover!) in the best way possible. Whether they’re cracking
Whenever I step into a classroom, I can’t help but notice the diverse group of young students. Some kids are great readers, devouring books with ease, while others struggle and find each sentence challenging. This difference in reading ability is a common occurrence in almost all classrooms. Traditional teaching methods
Using a poem of the week routine has been proven to be an effective way to build reading fluency, but it’s also useful for other skills as well. For years, I have implemented weekly poetry lessons, and I firmly believe that my students’ growth in reading stemmed from this powerful
Unleash the magic of math and boost creativity with math menus! Get ready to learn about math menus and how they can spark your students’ imaginations. You’ll also learn how to use these menus to help students love math and get their creative juices flowing. Math menus are a valuable
Looking for fun brainstorming activities for kids? These nine classroom ideas give students in grades 3–5 different ways to generate, share, and develop ideas. Try SCAMPER to redesign an everyday object, mind mapping to organize a topic, or brainwriting to give students quiet thinking time before a group discussion. Brainstorming
As the winter chill sets in, it’s not just our bodies that need to stay warm and active; our brains also crave stimulation and challenge. While the cold weather might tempt us to hibernate mentally, it’s actually the perfect season to ignite our student’s critical thinking skills in fun and
Teaching gratitude becomes a focus of my instruction as soon as November’s golden leaves signal the onset of Thanksgiving. One of the most valuable ways of teaching gratitude is through sharing. This year, I am thrilled to collaborate with 16 devoted teachers who share the mission of nurturing gratitude and
Not all kids celebrate Halloween; therefore, I plan several engaging alternative Halloween activities during the month of October. As teachers, it’s our responsibility to offer a variety of learning experiences all our kiddos can enjoy, regardless of their background or beliefs. In this blog post, I share some exciting activities
National Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated each year from September 15 to October 15. This is an excellent opportunity to introduce students to the rich tapestry of Hispanic and Latino cultures and sprinkle some color, history, and stories from these communities into our lessons. But it’s more than just adding