Is there anything you would shy away from when teaching special education students about phonics and using individual syllables?

What’s a good assessment for a standard in deaf education about second grader’s learning colors in sign language?

How would you plan a lesson for a standard about identifying the differences in the perspectives of characters? Do you have any good texts to help me teach that topic?

How do you deal with the “Sunday Scaries”? Are there any routines or things that you do to help you relax before beginning a new week?

How do you include science in an already crowded day? Here’s one way I do it!

What are you planning to do in your classroom for 9/11?

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.

What advice do you have for teaching EL students in 3rd grade in a gen ed setting?

How to you increase fluency practice in your classroom?

Answer: Whisper Phones

How do you support phonemic awareness in your classroom? What simple activities do you include with your early learners?

Answer: Sound Cubes! Sound cubes are wooden or foam colored cubes that can be used to help students manipulate the sounds in words.

What techniques do you use to help students retain and use new vocabulary in their speaking and writing?

Answer; Many school district utilize a word of the day approach for this. They tailor daily or weekly activities that focus on opportunities for application of these specific words. Our school uses the Leader in Me curriculum for SEL and it is integrated into daily routines. There is a designated - and universal - list of age appropriate words for each unit. These words are shared through daily announcements, board messages, classroom discussions and even in some assemblies. Our school Speech and Language Pathologist posts a fun word puzzle each week and she also utilizes Word Genius and Word Daily - as this is sent to her email each day/time.

Does anyone have a Maker Space in your schools and how is it run? Do you incorporate Maker Space into your classroom spaces?

As teachers, you already use a variety of engagement strategies in classroom instruction. However, given students’ special needs and different learning styles, many teachers may struggle with finding the right approach and the time to engage all students fully. As teachers, we become able, often through trial and error, to identify strategies that work within a particular group or ability level.

Can you describe a specific memorable lesson or activity when most of your students were engaged or worked particularly well for a particular student or group of students?

Resilience - The capacity to withstand or to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness.

Teaching requires more emotional resilience than most other professions. Lacking resilience is a common thread that creates burnout and leaving the profession. Resilience is not something we are taught in school, but there are things that we can do to strengthen our resilience.

Don’t isolate yourself in your classroom. Get to know other teachers in your building and your students’ parents. Building relationships with your co-workers and parents can strengthen your resilience. Take care of yourself. If you’re worn out and not feeling well, you are more likely to isolate and avoid others.

What is your resilience level?

How do you promote student leadership in your classroom? One way that I promote leadership with the students is by giving a list of Leadership Axioms. During the first days of school while review policies and procedures, the axioms are introduced. We use these to help us become a better leader.

What are some engaging ways to teach young students about environmental sustainability?

What advice do you have for preparing the portfolio and reflection components of the National Board Certification process?

What professional development opportunities have you found most valuable in your teaching career?

How can I design hands-on, inquiry-based science activities that engage young learners in exploring the world around them?

What are some common misconceptions that first year or newer teachers have?