Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a well-behaved class always? Having good relationships with your students could eliminate 90% of the issues, but there will still be the 10% that requires classroom management. As a new teacher who is starting out or if you are switching grades, you will need a classroom management plan. Perhaps…
#Supermuch started by accident in January, 2018 at a CUE Rockstar TOSA camp in Agoura Hills, California. As two of my co-presenters (Ann Kozma and Cate Tolnai) and I were getting into the car to head to the event, I attempted to say, “I am super excited for this weekend!” What came out of my mouth was, “I am…
The below ‘S.M.A.R.T.’ template is published under Creative Commons. Feel free to share on your own blog, school site or social network. Over a 150 years ago, Abraham Lincoln said “a goal set properly is halfway reached.” However, it’s harder to set a actionable goal rather than express a feeling or dream about the future….
“I just can’t get her to read!” I often hear protests like this from parents when I suggest that their child read more for fun. Because it’s an important lifelong habit that I want my students to cultivate and because I know reading more will have a huge impact on their success in school, I…
Most evaluation tools and curricula arrange skills according to the way a typical child might acquire them. Essential for Living by Patrick McGreevy, PhD BCBA-D et al takes a different approach. They group skills into categories of “must-have,” “should-have,” “good-to-have,” and “nice-to have.” This instrument also identifies deficits in functional skills that might be the…
Sometimes it’s just quicker and easier to show someone an idea or concept rather than try to say it to them. Other situations demand that you present an idea in multiple formats. I know when I was in school (back in ancient, rotary-phone days), it would have been really helpful if my teacher could have sent…
As our society ages, and bureaucratic ossification creeps into our lives more often, we often need to remind ourselves change can be good. I took that to heart this month. During April, I decided to try something new. Our writers possess so much intellectual and experience-driven firepower waiting to be tapped, yet I’ve never really…
I’m a big believer that everyone can benefit from practicing mindfulness. While there are some differences in what that means to different groups, all generally agree it involves taking time out of the day to calm the mind and concentrate on experiencing and living in the here and now – not the past, nor the…
Growing up, our generation did not use words like ‘Google’ or ‘Siri’. We were the pioneers of the tech era. We played Oregon Trail, asked Jeeves questions for our research, and waited for hours while Napster downloaded our favorite music. Now, children are digital natives. Children as young as two are utilizing iPads, exploring the…
We’ve all sat in those meetings wondering why on earth we are still debating what color to paint the staff restroom. So maybe not that exact debate, but something equally inconsequential in the lives of students and staff. I remember going to monthly whole-staff meetings as a classroom teacher. They would usually begin with housekeeping…
As education stands at the moment, exams are part of the curriculum. While this might change in the future, for the moment we as teachers need to ready our students for the stress and slog of end of year exams. This means the dreaded revision period is inevitable. What’s worse than cranking out an essay…
Anyone outside of the education realm, or who does not regularly interact with children, might assume that a fidget spinner is some sort of spaceship contraption or an obscure item found on the shelves of a home improvement store. However, teachers, parents and, of course, children know all too well what a fidget spinner is—and…
![Appreciating What, Where and How Boys Read [Infographic]](https://cdn.fractuslearning.com/q:ultra/retina:false/webp:false/w:1/url:https://www.fractuslearning.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Boys-Read-copy1-e1496237958433-360x216.jpeg)
Unfortunately for many boys, what gets in their way of reading for pleasure are very well-intentioned adults who try to steer them in the “right” direction. That’s why the greatest gift we can give boys this season is an appreciation of their reading preferences! Using and Viewing the Graphic The above infographic is published under…
Within all of us, there lies a desire to explore. It can be as simple as trying a new cuisine or as complicated as diving into the depths of an ocean to see the vibrant colors of coral reefs. It drives us to push past our comfort zones and reach for the stars. Learning how…
Over the past few years, there has been an increase in visits to my office by parents with young athletes between 11–13 years of age. At first, this seemed like a positive movement, perhaps motivated by a desire to introduce mental skills training to help their children get ahead. However, there is one glaring dilemma…
Teaching for conceptual understanding is one of the strong themes running through many articles on this site. There is a world of difference between students being able to “do mathematics” and students understanding the mathematics they are “doing”. Tweet It is clearly advantageous for learners to be both proficient in mathematics as well as to…
To expand on a popular saying: Give a man a fish, and he’ll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he’ll pass a fishing test and then forget how because he wasn’t all that into fishing in the first place. Inspire a love for fishing, and he’ll fish for a lifetime. I…
“For generations, recess has been considered by many students in elementary school as their favorite part of the day.” Recess is a cornerstone of childhood. For many children, it’s a breath of fresh air, an opportunity for pretend play, a chance to socialize with peers. Despite the documented benefits of playtime, many children in the…
It was a weekday night much like any other in my house. Pick up the kids, arrange them at the dining room table to work on homework while I try and cobble together something for dinner as my husband finishes the last of his work calls. Like most nights, this one was not without its…
There was a time early in my 20+ year teaching career when I didn’t plan ahead or think about what aliterate preteen/early teen boys needed from me to become self-directed readers. I truly believed that if I provided quality reading instruction and time to read, plus access to and choice in what books they wanted…
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