The first weeks of school are long past, and your class has likely settled into a rhythm. This is a great time of year to reflect on how things are going. Are routines running as smoothly as you’d like? Are students growing in independence as they navigate
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For a long time, when I wanted to give students positive feedback about their work or behavior, I began with some version of, “I like the way you…” “Jeremy, I like the way you’re working so hard on that math challenge!” “Hey, everyone! I loved the way
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One student can change the feel of a whole classroom. John throws a tantrum whenever things don’t go his way. Alicia enters the room each morning with a deep scowl exuding negative energy. Allen has way too much sexual knowledge and seems to say something inappropriate whenever
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Every now and then, I come across a letter from Uncle Curmudgeon, an old retired teacher, to his niece, Kennari, an aspiring new one. I’m happy to pass another along! Dear Kennari- Ah! The beginning of a new year! Flowers are fading in the garden. Trees
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One of our primary goals at the beginning of the school year is to get to know our students. This is important for several reasons.First, the better we know our students, and the more they know we know them, the more invested they become in school. Also,
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As I work with teachers on helping students craft effective and supportive rules at the beginning of the school year, a question almost always comes up: “What do you think about using the Golden Rule as a classroom rule?” It’s a question that my own students would
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In my first two years as a classroom teacher, I used an incentive system to try and motivate and manage students. At each cluster of four student desks, there was a plastic dish. When groups were working well, paying attention, acting kindly, etc., I would throw a
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Independent student research is making a comeback! After years of moving away from student-centered learning, due primarily to the over-emphasis of standardized testing, the movement toward differentiated instruction and personalized learning has reignited teachers’ interest in helping students conduct research on topics and themes that they find
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Mikey V. was a challenging fourth grader. He broke down in tears often in the beginning of the year. Reading was hard. Math was hard. Recess was hard. Everything was hard. He crumpled work papers, fought on the playground, and teased other kids. It was even worse
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Every now and then, I come across a letter from Uncle Curmudgeon, an old retired teacher, to his niece, Kennari, an aspiring new teacher. I’m happy to pass them along from time to time! Dear Kennari, Greetings. It’s another slow day here at Sweet Meadow Acres
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