Learning
Student Talk Boosts Learning
“Communication is the essence of human life.” -unknown Teachers are lovers of learning and language and usually very skilled communicators. We know that language is the key to how we think, speak, and make sense of the world around us. Classroom talk can be powerful, but think back to a time when you were confined…
Read More2 Teaching Tips for 2016
“Teachers need to be evaluators and activators.” – Professor John Hattie We hope the New Year finds you ready to step back into the classroom invigorated and energized. At ERG we believe effective teachers learn from their own teaching, so we would like to suggest two simple tips as you prepare to activate meaningful learning in…
Read More4 Ways to Promote Quality in the Classroom
As educators we want to provide quality learning experiences for our students. We also want to instill an expectation and appreciation for quality work from them. To simply complete a task is not the goal – but to create a product that extends thinking and shows exemplary effort – that is time well spent. It is a…
Read MoreWhat's Your Best Lesson of 2015?
What comes to mind when you think back on your instruction in 2015? Would you say you played it safe or you took risks? Did you try a strategy multiple times so you could tweak it or did you knock it out of the park on your first try? Whatever the lesson, it is worth…
Read More7 Ways to Refocus and Recharge
A packed schedule + rigorous standards + assessment outcomes + the expectation to maintain a quality learning environment that supports and motivates every student = STRESS! Sadly our schools are filled with stressed educators and students. Stress was a survival skill for our ancestors, but today we are faced with stressors that fill us with…
Read More5 for 5 – Take Five for a Brain Break
Brain research has shown that movement in the classroom improves our students’ focus, memory, concentration, and creates better overall attitudes. When you see your students getting a little restless – try one of these quick brain break activities to stimulate your team of young learners. Take five for a brain break! Copy My Pattern – The…
Read MoreFlexible Math Groups – Flex Math Muscles
Successful math students are the ones who have developed a deep understanding of concepts, are fluent at computation, and are able to use what they know to solve real problems. Flexible math groups allow students the chance to flex the math muscles that build these skills in meaningful ways. Teachers can effectively differentiate instruction using…
Read MoreOnline Support for Differentiation
Our students are each unique and each comes with individual needs, learning styles, varied backgrounds, and interests. To be effective in our classrooms we must differentiate instruction to respect the specific learning needs of each of our young learners. As Carol Ann Tomlinson puts it, “Differentiation is responsive teaching rather than one size fits all…
Read MoreProfessional Books Worth Studying
At ERG we believe it is important to be a lifelong learner. One way to continue to develop yourself professionally when you have limited time and resources is to do a book study or just read a professional text on your own. Depending on what your area of interest and expertise is, there are many…
Read MoreFine Tuning the Routine
“It is significant to realize that the most creative environments in our society are not the ever-changing ones. The artist’s studio, the researcher’s laboratory, the scholar’s library are each kept deliberately simple so as to support the complexities of the work in progress. They are deliberately kept predictable so the unpredictable can happen.” Lucy Calkins,…
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