Learning
And the Answer Is…
From the desk of Carol C… I’ve thought a lot about the role of questioning in our classrooms and its effect on students. Questioning, if used to help students think more critically is a vital part of any high achieving classroom. Lately though I’ve started thinking about the answers we give children. Whether kids are…
Read MoreWhere Did You Get Your Eyes?
From the desk of Hope… I was in a kindergarten classroom last week and a student came up to me and asked, “Where did you get your eyes?” Hmmm. I wasn’t quite sure how to answer but it didn’t matter because she was quickly shooed off to do her seat work. She promptly got busy…
Read MorePerfectionism
From the desk of Carol C… If you look up the definition of the word “perfectionism” you will find something that looks like this. Perfectionism: “being displeased with anything that is not perfect or does not meet extremely high standards”. While this definition makes perfectionism sound like something to avoid, perfectionism does have both positive…
Read MoreThese Kids
From the desk of Alice… It’s the spring semester and even though the weather says it is still winter, many schools I work in have their eye on the end of the year. Specifically, the end of year assessments that are high stakes. This year, the assessments are a little fuzzy… we have the Common…
Read MoreWhole Class Novels
From the desk of Carol C… Read an education journal or a book about teaching reading comprehension (no matter the grade level), you will find a myriad of strategies to use with your students. You’ll, also, find a difference of opinion on whether to teach these strategies using the same novel for your entire class…
Read MoreAcademic Difficulty at School
From the Desk of Carol C… In the last few days I’ve read a blog article entitled “Comprehension Issue or Assignment Issue?“. It captured my attention and created questions in my mind. (Good reader!) Is this an example of parents overreacting? Are the children refusing to do homework or rushing through something they view as…
Read MoreLearning Experiences
From the desk of Carol C… Maybe it was because I didn’t have younger siblings to show me the way. Maybe it was because I was shortsighted. Maybe…well the maybes don’t matter. The bottom line is that when I first started teaching, I didn’t understand what went on in the minds of children. One of…
Read MoreComprehension Issue or Assignment Issue?
From the desk of Hope… I write this blog as a question hoping to get some interaction and feedback from you. Recently I’ve had three parents approach me about “issues” their children are having with reading comprehension. Before I go into the “issues” I would like to describe these children to you as I know…
Read MoreGetting a Great Start in the New Year
It’s the new year and almost third quarter. This can be the hardest time of the year for teachers and students. We’re just coming off of two big holidays, snow can disrupt any routine we have, and spring break seems far away. What can we do to decrease our chances of finding ourselves in the…
Read MoreThe Anti-Workbook Classroom
From the desk of Alice… I recently had a conversation with someone about instruction in the elementary school. In that particular school system, a program is in place that requires reading workbooks for Kindergarten students. If this happens to be the case in your school or system, I am so sorry. Having our youngest learners…
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