At-Home Learning · handwriting · spelling

Resources Teachers Can Share With Families: Spelling and Handwriting

Here are a few tips for supporting spelling you might share or adapt for families.

writing workshop

It’s Tuesday! Welcome to the Slice of Life Story Challenge.

Write your post. Share it. And then leave your comments for other writers. We are glad you are here.

classroom environment · collecting · community · COVID-19 · engagement · flexible seating · independent writing · motivation

Three Ways to Find Joy & Keep Writing

We are now entering week seven in our school district. At the start of the year, there was much to think about and much to worry about.  There were many questions to be answered and all of them seemed continuously uncertain. “We don’t know that yet” or “I’m not sure” were phrases that often seemed… Continue reading Three Ways to Find Joy & Keep Writing

blogging · COVID-19

Adapting to Our New Reality

The 2020-21 school year is one of those times that we must adapt, adjust, and rearrange our lives to fit with our new reality.

COVID-19 · occupational therapy · remote learning · technology

Easy Ways to Create a Healthy Ergonomic Set Up for Your At-Home Learner

For years, therapists have known that body positioning to increase attention and upper extremity stability is important. But those strategies have focused on children that have been seen by therapists in classrooms and clinics to address decreased attention span, core stability, and handwriting concerns. Today, Karen Reale, an occupational therapist, provides tips and tricks that can be applicable to any child who is learning in a classroom, hybrid setting, or at home this fall. This quick, informative post will help teachers educate caregivers on the importance of healthy positioning at home or wherever their child does their schoolwork.

literacy · professional books · Read Aloud · reading workshop · reading-writing connections · writing workshop

Layers of Learning: A Review and Giveaway

Our instructional minutes count more than ever this year. Read on to discover a new professional book that will help you maximize your teaching in reading and writing while helping your students grow in character and mindset. JoEllen McCarthy's new professional book, Layers of Learning, is a must read! Comment on the post for a chance to win your own copy.

Distance Learning · personal narrative · small group

Virtual Small-Group Instruction

I have learned from Meghan Hargrave, "Hold tight to what we know works and let go of concerns that we can't control."

slice of life · Slice of Life Story Challenge · writing workshop

It’s Tuesday: Welcome to Slice of Life Story Challenge

Welcome to the Slice of Life Story Challenge. You are invited to write a slice of life from your week, share it with others by linking below, and give comments of your own to three other bloggers.

change · COVID-19 · digital tools · digital writing · Distance Learning · remote instruction · remote learning · writing workshop

My Three Remote Teacher Survival Tips

As we all venture into another week of instruction, no matter what that may look like, I have three tips for surviving and thriving in these times.

challenges · middle school · writing process

Supporting Writers Across the Writing Process

For every writer, the writing process is a little bit different. As teacher writers, we all struggle at different points and our students are no different. Today I offer a few tools for supporting writers at different points of the writing process . . .

assessment · volume · writing workshop

Interval Training With Writers

Interval training has added movement and fun to the classrooms I've seen try it out. Everyone appreciates a change of pace, and sometimes, this is a great way to add that change up into the classroom repertoire.

COVID-19 · stamina · volume · writing workshop

Resources Teachers Can Share With Families: Increase Writing Volume and Stamina at Home

Teaching my own kids is humbling to say the least. At home, I am not the special visiting teacher. I'm not even the teacher. At home, I'm mom, and it is the understatement of the century to say that it is a challenge to teach my own kids.