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Teach Like Yourself, Part 2
Note: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means that I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means...
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Teach Like Yourself, Part 3
Having balanced and healthy relationships are key to teaching like yourself. According to Abraham Maslow's hierarchy, belonging and connection is a basic human need. Even in our school environments, we...
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Teach Like Yourself, Part 4
What emotions come to mind when you hear "Teacher PD"? Joy is probably not one of them. We've all sat in a teacher professional development where the presenter is droning on and on. There are always...
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Teach Like Yourself, Part 5
I can't believe it's the last week of our summer book study! Although this book is short, I love how it is set up to make the reader stop to reflect then take action.Chapter 7 was all about teaching...
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Getting the Most out of Distance Learning
It's hard to believe the new school year is just around the corner! Anxiety and emotions are running high with all the unknowns: In-person? Masks optional? Virtual? Hybrid? When my district announced...
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What's Saving My Life Right Now
Hey, friends! Okay, I know this title: "What's Saving my Life Right Now" sounds a bit dramatic, but. . . I feel like I've been living in a hole for the last 5 weeks and only keeping my head above water...
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A Peek into Learning
For all the grumbling about distance learning (and there is a lot of grumbling!), there are also some perks! I have a love-hate relationship with classroom bulletin boards. They are such a pain to...
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Virtual Math Games to Engage Student Learning
We made it! 2020. . . the longest year ever! LOL! I'm trying to finish all my grading this weekend so I do not do any school work during winter break. #goals One of my struggles during distance...
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Bringing in the Experts
Anyone else tired of hearing your own voice? Or constantly looking at yourself on Zoom or Google Meets? When teaching in person (remember back in the good 'ol days?), I loved taking students on field...
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Helping Students Navigate Tough Times
Over the past 10 months, we know Covid, politics, and civil unrest have taken a toll on us as adults: mentally, physically, and emotionally. However, children often have a difficult time processing...
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Tried & True Fraction Freebies
What are you teaching in math right now? We are exploring fractions but doing this virtually has needed some thinking outside the box! Here are some of my tried & true activities and websites to...
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Let's Hear it for the Women!
Although March is designated as Women's History Month, we obviously learn about women who have made a difference throughout the year. This was a quick and easy group assignment: Women's History...
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The Power of Words, Sound and Rhythm
I'm embarrassed to admit that I used to think of poetry as boring or rambling. Or silly rhymes in a sing song pattern. Never before has poetry been so mainstream and "cool". With the passionate...
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Celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Month
Did you know there are 23 million Asian Americans and 1.6 million Pacific Islanders living in the United States? Did you ever learn about the contributions of Asian Americans or Pacific Islanders...
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The 3 Rs of Summer
We've all been through collective trauma these past 15 months. As teachers, we have been put to the test: overworked, overwhelmed, faced with constant uncertainty, changing schedules, long hours and...
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Back to Basics: 3 Tried & True Place Value Games
And we're back! We just finished our fifth week of school(!) and it looks different. It feels different. But it is SO good to be back in person, masks and all. It's a tricky balance of remembering "how...
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Multiple Ways to Multiply
This post is an oldie (hence the maskless students) but goodie: When we spend enough time early in the year on place value and number sense, teaching multiplication and division go much more smoothly....
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The Best Gift of All: Connection
Anyone else relate to this dinner scenario?"How was your day?" "Fine."(Eat in silence or while scrolling on phones) One of the biggest challenges I've noticed since being back in school in person is...
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New Year, New Focus
First week back after winter break. . . what a week! With our classroom numbers fluctuating due to students quarantining or testing positive, and so much uncertainty, diving right into the curriculum...
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Creating Classroom Culture
You've heard the saying that you can't teach subjects until students know you care. This year, especially after the last two years of uncertainty and inconsistency in schools, it is even more crucial...
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The Best of the Back to School Round Up
By the end of last school year, I was completely burnt out. Very unlike my "usual self", I made the conscious choice to NOT spend my extra time during summer to plan, go to workshops or conferences,...
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Four Tried & True Review Games
Keeping students' attention and motivation is always a challenge. Here are four tried & true games that kids love to play while learning!As I was trying to think of ways to review information...
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Counting Conversation Hearts
Love is in the air! Valentine's Day is always an exciting time for students and I love it because it gets them to focus on others, rather than on "getting". In the spirit of this heart-filled day,...
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For the Love of Literacy!
For years, on March 2nd, we used to don red & white striped hats in honor of the Cat in the Hat and Dr. Seuss' birthday. In recent years, the National Education Association (NEA) has expanded from...
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Self-Awareness for Student Success
Self-awareness; is it just the latest buzz word or too "woo woo" and touchy-feely? Does is have a place in the classroom setting? Particularly since coming back to school in person after Covid, I've...
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