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 »
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 »
What do most 3rd graders know that most Ivy League grads don’t? (…or at least, for as long as the unit is being taught…) I was sitting in a teaching science methods class in university when my professor showed us a video of Harvard and Yale graduates being asked a very basic science question: “Why
Tackling Student Misconceptions 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 »
Using the GRASPS Model for Authentic Learning I remember sitting at an education conference, sipping lukewarm hotel tea, when I was first introduced to the GRASPS model for authentic assessment tasks. Honestly, I thought it was just another acronym to learn and promptly forget (we’ve all been there). But friends, this one stuck. It didn’t
Taking GRASPS of Real World Learning Read More »
Let’s be real—teaching can feel like juggling flaming swords while riding a unicycle on a tightrope. Add in curriculum standards, student needs, and the eternal mystery of where all your pencils went, and it’s a lot. That’s why I believe that when we connect learning to the real world, everything just clicks better—for students and
10 Tips for Bringing the Real World into the Classroom 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 »