Posts Tagged ‘learning’
Modeling + Content Area = Better Writing
From the desk of Carol C… Writing in the content or subject areas has never been easy for me to teach. Part of my problem, I think, was I didn’t know what to expect from my students. After I figured that out, I struggled with how to teach them to meet my expectations. Here’s how…
Read More8 Things You Should See in Today's Kindergarten Classrooms
From the desk of Leigh Ann… Robert Fulghum wrote, “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.” As a kindergarten teacher I find that statement incredibly inspiring and do believe kindergarten is the place where a firm foundation and a love for learning are formed. Kindergarten has truly evolved over the years and…
Read More5 Reasons to Reduce Standardized Testing
From the desk of Hope… 5 Reasons to Reduce Standardized Testing 1. Learners need a substantial amount time to practice and apply the content in which they are learning. The young man learning to be a postal worker spends most of his time sorting mail and rehearsing his mail route to get ready for his…
Read MoreTeacher Brain
From the desk of Hope… It is hard to turn this teacher brain of mine off. During my beach vacation this year we settled into a nice routine of late afternoon beach time. Having 17 people in our group, the day time routine was chaotic with people having different interests; some playing golf, some…
Read MoreIt's Spring
From the desk of Carol C…. I was hoping for warm weather. I was ready for it. After all it was spring break. Instead, the weather was cold. It snowed. All was not right with my world. Then late in the week I noticed daffodils sprouting, tulips blooming, and iris stalks peeking through the dirt. …
Read MoreAnd 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 MoreLose Weight Fast
From the desk of Alice… There is an advertisement in one of my favorite magazines that suggests you can lose weight fast “and safely” by replacing all your meals for an entire week with a liquid concoction. Hmmm- I don’t think replacing my meals for a week with just liquid sounds safe. It is not…
Read MoreStrategy v. Skills
From the Desk of Hope… This strategy and that strategy. What makes this one better than the next? Strategy. Skill. I need clarification. As I am out in schools coaching teachers with literacy instruction, I am often approached about confusions with the difference between teaching reading skills and reading strategies. P. David Pearson writes about…
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