As students continue their journey with opinion writing, they need to learn to write an introduction or to introduce the topic. Whether students are writing a single sentence in younger grades or a full paragraph in older grades, it is paramount to teach students how to take a step back from their writing and let … Read more
How do you teach students to support their opinions with strong reasons? Most students can tell how they feel or think about something and give their opinion. Some students struggle with supplying reasons that support their opinion. Here are a few teaching ideas that you can integrate into your opinion writing unit. This blog post … Read more
Writing is one of the most important skills students can learn in school. Writing skills are linked to reading skills and to overall academic achievement. Luckily, there are loads of interesting and engaging websites to help make writing instruction fun. To help you get started, here’s a list of the best writing websites for teaching … Read more
Once it’s begun, you can’t fully separate the person from the task. When the artist is painting, the painter and the act of painting become a single ‘thing.’ The painting becomes a part of it all, too. As a teacher, your ‘self’ is embedded within your teaching—which is how it goes from ‘job’ to craft. … Read more
Twice exceptional students, or 2e students, are learners who are identified as exceptionally bright but who also have disabilities (for example ADHD, mild autism, dyslexia, or other learning or behavioral challenges) that need specialized attention. According to a report on twice exceptionality by the National Association for Gifted Children, there are approximately three million gifted … Read more
We’ve all been guilty of it. We look at our assessment data, see a good portion of our class mastered the assessment, and move on because our pacing guide dictates that we do. We know we have those kiddos that need more support before they’ll get to mastery. There’s also those that will struggle to … Read more
Dear WeAreTeachers:I was so excited to finally welcome parent volunteers back into my third-grade classroom after such a long time. This one mom has been asking to help all year, and she just had her first day in the classroom. I gave her a bunch of tasks, like making copies and stuffing Friday Folders. She … Read more
Elementary teachers looking for lesson plans and activities for Islandborn will love this post. It includes resource recommendations, information about the book, and teaching ideas. With themes of staying on task, focusing, and active listening, this Islandborn picture book by Junot Diaz is a favorite in 1st, 2nd and 3rd grade classrooms. You and your … Read more
contributed by Michael Catelli Educators know that students need hands-onengaging activities to help enhance their learning and the right video games are the best way to offer this opportunity. When I played Portal 2 a few years ago I found the game thought-provoking and fun, but I was incredibly excited when I heard my students … Read more
Students’ fact fluency is a pain point year after year and with nearly every grade level, it seems. Getting students to master their multiplication and division facts can be a challenge. A great way to build fact fluency with multiplication and division is through playing games. Through repetitive and engaging practice, students build their recognition … Read more