If you’ve ever walked into a classroom where students don’t have strong social skills, you know it can feel a little like stepping into a reality show—lots of drama, constant negotiations, and one or two kids trying to be the star of the episode. The truth is, teaching skills in the classroom isn’t just about […]
Planning Guide for Teaching Social Skills in the Classroom Read More »
Every summer, teachers everywhere sit down with big dreams of perfectly mapped lesson plans for the year. Color-coded calendars. Units that flow seamlessly. Students who will obviously follow along without missing a beat. (Cue the laugh track.) The reality? No matter how much we plan, teaching is messy because kids are real people, not neat
Rethinking Lesson Plans for the Year Read More »
The first day of school is always a mix of excitement, nerves, and “Wait…how should I fill all these hours with meaningful activities?” (Anyone else still have that dream where you show up with no plans and 27 pairs of eyes staring at you?…Just me?) At my school, we don’t have specials on the first
My First Day Lesson Plans for Upper Elementary Read More »
Imagine Being the New Kid We’ve all been the “new” something at some point—a new teacher at a school, a new face at a staff meeting, a new parent in a school community. It’s awkward. It’s exhausting. And even when people are kind, it takes real effort to feel like you belong. Now imagine being
Welcoming New Students the First Day of School Read More »
One of my favorite systems for teaching accountability, responsibility, and time-management is also one of the simplest: Friday Folders. I started using Friday Folders after noticing something that will probably sound familiar: some students just weren’t finishing their work. It wasn’t always about ability—it was about priorities. For some, there wasn’t much motivation to use
Keeping Student Accountable to Finish Classwork with Friday Folders Read More »
Let’s be honest—handing over any part of unit planning to students sounds like a fast track to chaos. It sounds like one of those lofty, Pinterest-worthy goals that real teachers with real time laugh nervously at during staff meetings…That being said, I would like to share with you why having students help plan a unit
Students help Plan a Unit: How Real-World Skills Can Help Engage and Motivate Students Read More »
The Dizziness of Teaching Business Let’s be honest—teaching business to kids sounds intimidating. Like, am I suddenly supposed to have gotten an MBA alongside my teaching degree and be prepared to give a lesson on quarterly earnings. This was the anxiety I faced the first time I had to teach a business unit to 5th
Teaching Business to Kids: Unit Plans Read More »
Hi there, and welcome to my very first blog post! If you’re here, you’re probably a teacher, and if you’re a teacher, I already like you. You’re my people. You’re probably also juggling more than one human should, trying to make lessons meaningful while meeting the demands of curriculum, admin, parents, and that voice in
Teaching Beyond These Walls Read More »