What are some things you do at the start of the school year to build relationships with students?
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.
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How do you use your PLC time? How is it structured? What roles to different members have and how does your meeting time flow?
I’m noticing that more behaviors are arising in class at this midpoint of the year. I am continuing to evaluate our practices and my interventions, but not quite understanding why this seemingly sudden shift in how my students are responding. Any tips?
What are some effective ways to integrate technology into lessons without overwhelming students or losing focus on the core content?
Time Management
Do you often feel that there is never enough time to get things done?
This is often a big challenge for teachers, causing stress which can lead to negative consequences. If this is you, know that you are not alone! The good news is that there are ways to increase efficiency and productivity in the way you plan and execute your day-to-day work. Using adequate time management can allow you to have a balanced professional, personal and social life.
Before you start your day, create a To Do List:
Make a list of all the tasks you need to complete and the amount of time you spend on each.
Put them in order of importance with things that must be done at the top. If you have large tasks to do, you can break them up – you don’t have to do them all at once.
Look at your day and see where you can schedule these tasks throughout the day.
Commit to the schedule – find a place to work away from distractions or have 3 set times of the day to check your phone.
You can’t add more time to the day but with some tips and tricks, you can make good use of your time.
We are beginning an economics unit this week. The students are learning about needs and wants. They earn play money for coming to school which is their job. I tell them that this would be their paycheck in the real world. They take the money that they earn and use it to rent their desks and chairs. They are fined for not raising their hands or not doing their homework. This has been a great way to teach my students about the real world. What activities do you teach in your classrooms that relate to teaching students about economics?
I will be having a student teacher join my classroom in August. What do you wish you knew from your mentor teacher when you student taught?
What are some analogies you have used to make connections with the students? For example:
I am the Costco sampler person. I give you a little taste (the content limit of standards) and hopefully you will buy more (looking deeper into the subject)
I am an academic mechanic, I have to diagnose the issues and solve that problem.
🌱 "Story Roots" Project
What it is: Families trace a favorite story or folktale from their cultural or linguistic background.
How to use: Students share the origin, language, or meaning behind the story and retell it (via video, audio, drawing, or writing).
Bonus: Builds home-school connections and honors multilingualism.
This is one of the projects our upper elementary students are using with their families.
What unique projects are families in your area doing?
What assessments do you use to help determine what students need for reading intervention? I use 95% group at my school district.
I came across this a few years ago, and started implementing in my classroom! My students loved it and I saw immediate engagement. When I had a homeroom, I would also put a positive attribute that students exhibited throughout the week (or weeks) on their name tag on the desk. This also engaged students! How do you build a strong community with your students through the year?
I will be absent next week and need to write plans for teaching point of view (first and third person) to fourth graders. Anyone have activities to share?
Which social media account do you find the most useful for networking with other educators?
I was introduced to Magic School over the summer. Have you used it with your students? How have you used it? I learned how to app smash it with Book Creator, but I am looking for some other suggestions.
What are your favorite summertime professional development reads?
I’m finally able to sit down and read The Anxious Generation and it is so good!
What other books would you recommend?
How do you teach 2nd graders place value?
