When I was a classroom teacher I had my fair share of challenging students. Through the years I taught had quite a few students with social-emotional issues, learning disabilities, and discipline problems. I've had students hide underneath desks, crawl on the floor of the classroom, and who've screamed at classmates when things haven't gone their… Continue reading An Inspirational Professional Text + A Giveaway
Category: responsive classroom
Don’t Fall Apart Now!
This-coming weeks marks the time of the year that I recall a few of my former students falling apart. Why? Thanksgiving, which marks the beginning of the holiday season, falls out in the last week of November. When I was in the classroom I quickly came to learn that any child who had a home… Continue reading Don’t Fall Apart Now!
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Praising Kids. Talking to Kids. Questioning Kids.
I've been doing Pilates since August 2008. I started it in order to get stronger after some surgery I had in 2007. I've been doing it three times a week for the past few months. While I have nothing even close to Madonna's physique, I have certainly become stronger. My Pilates Instructor is very cautious… Continue reading Praising Kids. Talking to Kids. Questioning Kids.
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A Mentor Text that Deals with Social Issues
We’ve all had that kid in our class. You know who I mean. It’s the kid who sticks out like a sore thumb because of his weight, because of his hair, or because of the way his voice sounds. I had that kid in my class each year… sometimes more than one per year. That… Continue reading A Mentor Text that Deals with Social Issues
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Professional Talk: The Walls of Your Classroom
Each week I receive, The Big Fresh, an e-newsletter from Choice Literacy. This week's feature is entitled "There's Room for Me Here." As I began reading through the article, it resonated with the Responsive Classroom Training I received three summers ago. Essentially, the bottom line is to make your classroom feel welcoming for your students,… Continue reading Professional Talk: The Walls of Your Classroom
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It’s Hard to Believe the School Year Is Winding-Down!
I made my final News & Announcements Charts of the school year this morning. It's hard to believe that I won't be making these next year (since I'll be consulting). I calculated how many of these I've made in the past three years, which is how long I've been doing Morning Meeting, part of Responsive… Continue reading It’s Hard to Believe the School Year Is Winding-Down!
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End of Year Letters BACK TO My Students
My Hope and Dream Letter Originally uploaded by teachergal I can hardly believe there's only five school days left even though I've been going through my students' end of the year reflection letters, and responding to each of them in writing, this past week. It takes awhile to do it well. Therefore, this is the… Continue reading End of Year Letters BACK TO My Students
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End of Year Classroom Rituals
I've noticed that a post I wrote last June, about letters I have my students write to me at the end of each school year, has been getting a lot of clicks lately. Since it seems like a lot of people are looking for ideas with how to end the school year with the same… Continue reading End of Year Classroom Rituals
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Back to Basics: Sharing (Part of TWT’s Big Picture Series)
Katherine Bomer said, “Writing celebration is the most important part of the writing process” (TCRWP Key Note Address, 7/8/08). Bomer suggests that this is because every writer writes for the purpose of having someone listen to what they’ve written. Therefore, when students share their writing with their peers at the end of a writing Workshop,… Continue reading Back to Basics: Sharing (Part of TWT’s Big Picture Series)
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“But I don’t have time to teach grammar!”
Ever feel like you need more time for grammar instruction, but just can't seem to find the time? That's certainly how my colleagues and I feel. Hence, one of them went off on a search for a solution. I think she found it. The solution? Getting Grammar: 150 New Ways to Teach an Old Subject,… Continue reading “But I don’t have time to teach grammar!”
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Well-Wishes for the Holidays
All warpped-up with positive social-emotional wishes Originally uploaded by teachergal This year my classroom has had an "It's not easy being green" theme. (And yes, I felt a bit old in September when the kids informed me they weren't familiar with that Kermit the Frog Song!) The reason is that I went back to using… Continue reading Well-Wishes for the Holidays
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Sharing (at Morning Meeting)
I spent the first few weeks of school modeling how to share during "Share Time" at Morning Meeting. I did this so that my students would have a greater sense of how I expect sharing to look. Every Wednesday, the share theme revolves around the Writer's Notebook. Every now and then I stick in an… Continue reading Sharing (at Morning Meeting)
