This weekend I presented a couple of different sessions at the MiAEYC conference and someone was inquiring about the following: tunes to help students learn the correct spelling of their names - does anyone have any resources for this?
What does this look like in an ideal situation?
What FREE curriculum based measurement resources do you utilize in the general classroom or in intervention?
There is a FREE CBM assessment series located at easycbm.com and it is very similar to DIBELS, Acadience, or Aims Web - the free version gives you 9 probes for a variety of reading and math skills. You can upgrade for more options.
A new (to me anyway!) site that I recently learned about is Youcubed! I have linked specifically the tasks section of this website because there are so many great ideas here for engaging students in real world math experiences. It appears to be for K through 12th grade, which is awesome! (https://www.youcubed.org/tasks/)
Any other amazing math task websites I need to check out that maybe I haven't?
What have been your most positive experiences with mentorship? Both as a mentor and mentee?
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Has anyone used wordless books to help students retell a story? I have found them to be very helpful and engaging for the students. I have had my students to write out the story or verbally retell it. I have used the books Found and The Umbrella to help teach retelling.
What are some common misconceptions that first year or newer teachers have?
How can I integrate social-emotional learning (SEL) into my daily lessons without it feeling forced or out of place?
Who are some lesser known scientists that you share with your students? What are their names and contributions to science?
A couple of years ago I taught a GT (Gifted and Talented) group of 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders. One thing about gifted students is they love a good project that they can create from scratch. As a way to keeping them engaged, I did some research on passion projects (https://keepemthinking.com/2020/09/discover-the-power-of-passion-projects/ I had a brainstorming sheet I had created, but I cannot find it! This website explains what it is and gives some great ideas on how to get started.) My students absolutely took this and ran with it. At the end of testing season, they explained their projects (attached picture is one of pure joy!) and the students were in awe of each other. It was one of my favorite days of teaching ever!
How do you build community in a new school setting as a new teacher? It seems like other teachers have already formed their own groups.
How do you structure your prep time to get through all of your tasks?
How do you manage difficult parents that seem to blame teachers for their child's behavior and absences?
Do you reach out to past or present students mid summer? If so what do you include?
March is reading month! This year our reading month theme is - board games! What theme is your school using for reading month? And do you have a family night - if so, what type of evening do you plan with your families?
How do you know when to and how to refer a student to a study team?
What’s a good assessment for a standard in deaf education about second grader’s learning colors in sign language?
This is a chart we use in our building when students come for support - during support time. They put it in one of those clear pockets (heavy duty) and write on it with a dry erase marker. We call it What I Need time
Introducing essays to 3rd graders can be a rewarding experience when broken down into manageable steps. I’ve found that starting with personal narratives works best since kids are more comfortable writing about their own lives. Using tools like graphic organizers to help them structure their ideas, and modeling the writing process as a class, are key ways to ease them into it.
For example, teaching them the basic structure of an essay (introduction, body, conclusion) is crucial, but I focus on just a few sentences at first so they don’t feel overwhelmed. Sentence starters like “One time I…” or “In my opinion…” also help students get over the hurdle of that first blank page.
Peer review sessions are another great way to make writing feel like a shared experience instead of a solo task. This also gives students a chance to see how others express their ideas and can encourage growth in their own writing.
What strategies have you found most effective for getting students excited about writing?
