My number 1 tip for teachers as we plan to head back into the classroom is my favorite thing most of all. It’s all about developing a positive classroom climate that fosters respect, understanding, and an environment that encourages learning in the most open way. #1 Setting Up A Positive Classroom Climate: There are several […]
Back to School Planning Tip #4: Getting Organized
Once the year gets going, it’s very difficult to slow down and make sense of things. You need to have a system from the start before you hit the ground running. That’s what brings me to my fourth critical back to school planning area: Getting organized. There are so many elements to consider about being […]
Surviving the Last Few Weeks (or Days) of School
Most schools in the U.S. are on the verge of ending school sessions for the summer. It’s an exciting time for both teachers and students. Sometimes I think the teachers are more excited than the kids! With the excitement, though, comes a lot of craziness and uncertainty about what the end of the year will […]
The Power of Positive
Psychologists have researched for years to try and find a perfect ratio of number of positive to negative comments. These researchers have investigated the power of positive comments at work places, in marriages, and at schools. It was interesting to find that many researchers agree on a ratio of around 5 positive comments to every […]
Helping Kids Get Organized!
As a middle school teacher, organization is one of the biggest areas that I see kids struggle with on a daily basis. As adults, most of us have already established our own routines that work for us and help us be organized. It’s our job as teachers to help students find those strategies and routines. […]
Keeping Positive Communication with Parents
At this time of year, everything is so busy! Everything from planning for the holidays to planning lessons through December. It’s so busy that I sometimes forget to do something critical to each child’s success in my classroom – keeping an open (and positive) line of communication with parents. One very simple way to solve […]
The Teacher-Student Connection
I would say that the most powerful item in my certified “bag of tricks” is simple: really connecting with the kids. Kids can totally see when an adult is being genuine and cares about them. They notice if you remember what sports they play, who their favorite band is, or how many siblings they have. […]
