What is a task card? Task cards are exactly what they sound like. They are cards that contain one question or task for students to complete. Why should you use and start collecting task cards? Task cards are versatile and can be used for a variety of activities within the classroom. They can be printable …
8 Ways to Use Task Cards in the Middle School Classroom Read More »
Using choral response is one of the easiest ways to improve your student engagement. However, getting your middle school students to participate in it can be a challenge without the right routines and procedures. So, let’s chat about that. What is a choral response? Choral response is when you ask your students to repeat something …
Student Engagement: Choral Response in Middle School Read More »
The constant of proportionality is a core topic for 7th grade math in my state. Trying to get students to pronounce it, let alone to understand it, can be a challenge. In this post, I have a few tips that help my students that I would like to share with you. Tip #1 Hook the …
One of the best places to find rational numbers in the real world is in the kitchen. Many of my 7th graders tell me that they are responsible for cooking meals for the family at home. So, I like to incorporate cooking or recipes into my lessons whenever possible.
If you are reading this, then chances are it’s your evaluation year. Maybe you are a first year teacher and you’ve made it through those first overwhelming weeks of the school year and now you get an email from your principal to set up your first formal classroom observation. You start to break out in …
Formal Classroom Observations: 5 Tips to Help You Prepare Read More »
One of my favorite ways to teach probability is with playing cards. In this post, I am going to tell you about a probability lesson that I do with my students and how I use playing cards to make it more fun and engaging. Kids Don’t Play Cards Anymore One day, while I was teaching …
Parent communication is a basic skill that teachers need to cultivate. However, it is one that can also be time consuming and uncomfortable. In this post, I am going to address emails v. phone calls and give you my opinion based on my own experience. Parent Communication: Back in the Day I’ve been teaching since …
It’s that time of year when students learn how to find the area and circumference of a circle. There’s a time of year for that? Of course. Pi Day is coming. That magical date of March 14th (3.14) when teachers everywhere talk about all things related to the number pi and circles. Many teachers celebrate …
BEFORE You Teach Students to Find Area and Circumference of a Circle Read More »
Did you know that using anchor charts can improve your evaluation? Is it the year for your administrator to formally observe you and are you more than a little stressed about it? In this blog post I am going to share with you how anchor charts can help to improve your formal observation and summative …
Hang your anchor charts with clothespins. Use clothespins and a strand of twine to hang your anchor charts around the classroom. It makes them super easy to hang up and to take down when it’s test time. Your anchor charts won’t be damaged from staples or tape so they’ll look fresh for next year. You …
Time is a teacher’s most valuable resource. It seems like there is never enough of it to do all the things that need to be done. In this post, I will give you a favorite teacher time management strategy. I will tell you what it is and how to implement it immediately. One of the …
Every good teacher has a progressive classroom discipline plan. What is a progressive classroom discipline plan? It is a set of steps that you move through when students need consequences for their behavior. It is a tool that you can use to keep everything on track and running smoothly. Businesses use them all the time …
Classroom management in middle school can be difficult. Have you ever worked for hours to perfect the most awesome lesson ever? Only to feel like your students aren’t listening to you when you finally get the chance to deliver it? Is there a constant undercurrent of talking while you are talking? Do you find yourself …
Classroom Management in Middle School: My #1 Strategy Read More »
