Tag: 21st century

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Hearing vs. Listening

You finish teaching a lesson and give instructions for the assignment. As usual, you ask if anyone has any questions, and you are met with radio silence. But because you’re a teacher, you know better than to believe that everyone in the class knows exactly what to do. You’ve learned that there are always questions– sometimes it’s because a student is too shy to ask in front of the whole class, and sometimes (or maybe most often), it’s because a student was not listening. They might have heard you talking, but they weren’t really truly paying attention. Repeating instructions 32 times gets exhausting! 

Students often think that hearing is the same thing as listening, when in reality, they are two different things. We hear a lot of things throughout our day. We hear people talking, noisy halls, bells ringing, music playing, and so on. But until we actively hear, we generally don’t truly register what our ears are taking in. Actively hearing – or listening – requires our minds to focus on what is being said or heard so that our brain can make sense of it and understand it. We make a conscious choice to take in the noises and turn it into something more concrete. 

In our classrooms, we can implement different strategies to help our students learn to listen rather than just hear. 

  •  After giving instructions, pick 2-3 students in the room, and call on each one individually and have them tell the class what the instructions were. Knowing they might be called on encourages them to listen more intently so that they can give an accurate answer.
  • Before students begin to work, ask them to turn to a neighbor and retell what the instructions were. They can help each other remember what is to be done. This also encourages students to effectively communicate with each other.
  • Write instructions on the board or display them through the projector– then if they weren’t listening, you don’t have to answer the same question several times, as they will have the instructions right in front of them. 
  • As you give instructions, have them write down the instructions on their own paper. Writing things down helps to create a connection between what is written and remembered. 

While it can be frustrating to have students not listen, it can be a great teaching opportunity, and there are strategies that can help students retrain their minds to be more active listeners. Not only is it a valuable skill to have within the classroom, students can learn that being an active listener is an excellent life skill to have in all areas of life– work, relationships, school, recreational time, and so on. Hearing is good, but listening is great.

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What I Wish You Knew… Teacher Edition

Unless you have been a teacher yourself, it is difficult to truly understand just how much teachers do behind the scenes– the long hours spent planning, grading, and creating, showing up to teach when you don’t feel well, or even the time spent outside of school worrying about their students. Teachers put in so much time and effort, and rarely get the acknowledgement they deserve. 

I asked some teachers to share what they wished parents knew, how parents have supported them, and what support they wish parents would give, and thought I’d share what they had to say!

What are some things you wish parents/guardians knew about you, your job, and/or your efforts?

  • I wish parents knew how many countless hours teachers spend outside of their contract hours. I wish parents knew the time and preparation that goes into setting up a classroom, planning lessons, and preparing for parent teacher conferences. I wish parents knew that I love their kid even when they are difficult. I wish parents knew the sacrifices we make away from our own kids and family to teach theirs. I wish parents knew that we really can tell if they are supporting their child’s education at home. I wish parents knew how many different hats we are expected to wear in one day. I wish parents knew the levels of disrespect happening at such a young age. I wish parents knew how much their child’s behavior affects others. I wish parents knew that we really are just trying to do our best and we are still humans with families and a life outside of the classroom.
  • I wish parents knew that teachers are not the enemy. We want your child to succeed, but when you don’t hold them accountable at home and don’t treat their education or the school’s time as valuable, your child sees it and develops the same impression. How you treat their teachers and education models how they feel about school.
  • How much screen time at home impacts student learning at school!
  • That we really are trying to do what’s best.

What are some ways parents/guardians have supported you in your classroom and teaching?

  • Asking if they could volunteer or asking how they could help, sending supplies, responding to emails or phone calls in a timely manner, giving feedback when I’ve asked for it and having open communication in general. If they know their child will be gone, help the student approach me so they learn those skills, but also help facilitate and follow through with me too. Your child is just that, a child. They need parents and teachers to work together.
  • I have had such amazing parents who have supported me in so many ways. Honestly, my favorite is just when parents are involved and paying attention to what’s going on at school.
  • Be involved. Sign up for things that the teacher puts out there. Come to parent teacher conferences. A simple thank you goes such a long ways.
  • Volunteering on field trips/class parties, donating supplies, working with their children at home on math & reading.
  • Parents have supported me by helping their child succeed at home which transfers to the classroom.

What are some ways you wish parents/guardians would offer/provide more support to you?

  • Ask their student to try and resolve the issue, whatever it may be, with the teacher first. If they need help, by all means… assist, but don’t do everything for them. Even if it’s an email to the teacher letting them know the situation and that you’re hoping the child approaches you. Model good relationships and communication between two adults.
  • Read the emails, be involved with your child’s learning, come to parent teacher conferences. Be patient with us. Teach your children respect and have that be the bare minimum expectation.
  • Continue to support their child by encouraging or setting up home routines that check their grades to keep them accountable and responsible and completing daily reading at home.
  • Making sure their child isn’t chronically absent, encouraging their child to read at home.
  • Pay attention and be involved.

Teachers cannot do it alone! Parent support is absolutely crucial for student success. Parent support is incredibly helpful to teachers, too. Not all parents have the time or resources to be in the classroom volunteering, but all parents can take a few minutes to read emails or papers sent home, as well as to be aware of what is happening at and with school. 


At the end of the day, parents and teachers both want the same thing– for students to succeed and be good people. Working together to achieve this is so much more effective than putting the responsibility all on one party. After all, team work makes the dream work!

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Book Summaries, But Make Them Relatable

Have you ever read a book so good you couldn’t put it down? You devoured the story line, related with the characters, and could imagine the whole plot in your mind- it was SO good. Then, a week after you finished it, your friend asks you what your favorite part of the book was or what it was about, and you are completely stumped. For the life of you, you cannot remember any details– just a simple plot summary. 

I know I can’t be the only one who has had this kind of thing happen to them. I think that this happens to us as adults because of a few reasons: we’re reading through material fairly quickly, which doesn’t give our brains enough time to fully process and store what we read, we have so many other things competing for mental storage space as adults that the details of a story often get pushed out, or maybe our reading is interrupted. Perhaps one of the biggest reasons this happens is that we subconsciously know we aren’t being tested or graded on what we read like we were when we were in school, so our brains kind of filter out the smaller details, without any real effort from us. When there are higher stakes, we tend to focus on something more intently, and therefore remember more about it. In school, we often ask students to write down things about their reading– because we know it will help them retain information better. 

Giving them an assignment associated with the reading makes them accountable and will help encourage more active reading. But just taking notes on a story sounds kind of boring, if I’m being honest. If we make it relatable and/or engaging, students are more likely to remember and make sense of what they read– and they are more likely to want to participate in the assignment. When students write down information, it creates a mental connection, which helps to cement information in their minds.

I’ve created two different worksheets you can print off and use. Each worksheet uniquely asks students to recall information from their reading, and does so in an engaging way. Feel free to print them off and use them with your classes. Both worksheets would be most effective for students in upper elementary grades or students in middle/junior high.

**Downloads are intended for classroom or personal use only. They are not to be sold, reposted, or claimed as your own.**

Plot SquaresDownload
Character Text ThreadDownload
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A Method to the Madness

Imagine for a minute that you are in a chemistry class. You’re learning about endothermic and exothermic reactions, and your assignment is to conduct an experiment with the end result being one of those two reactions. Rather than showing you how to do it, your teacher stands at the front of the room and delivers a lecture to the class about which elements will react when combined. Not really that exciting and engaging, right? 

There are so many things to learn about, and so many ways to teach them. Sure, a chemistry teacher could lecture about reactions, but actually showing the class how to perform the experiments would be much more effective. Similarly, a history teacher could go through a slide show of information about the Civil War, but there might be other ways to teach that same material that would create a longer lasting impact on the students. 

Students learn in so many different ways, so it makes sense that teachers need to teach material using many different methods. The methods used will vary from subject to subject, and even will vary within each subject depending on what exactly is being taught, as some topics lend themselves to one particular method over another. 

With so many methods to choose from, how is a teacher supposed to pick which one(s) to use?! In order to choose the best one, it might be helpful to know what exactly each method is, and what kinds of content it might be best suited for. 

Lecture Based

In this method, the teacher provides a large amount of information by delivering a lecture to the class. While not always engaging, it can be an effective way to get a lot of information out. This method is often used to introduce a new topic or provide background knowledge before taking a deeper dive into a topic. The use of visual aids, stories, jokes, and questions can help keep students engaged. 

Inquiry Based

Inquiry based teaching is the practice of allowing students to come up with questions, then explore various resources to find the answers to those questions. Students can conduct research, collect data, and gather evidence to support their inquiries. This type of teaching is typically most effective in science classes as well as history classes.

Technology Based

Technology based teaching is just as it sounds– teaching using technology, and allowing students to use technology to learn and explore topics. This can be incorporated into nearly any subject, and can be very beneficial to students. Devices such as computers, tablets, online programs, or even smart phones can provide students with a wide base of resources with which to learn.

Group Based

In group based teaching, the teacher provides the background knowledge, then has students work together in groups to learn more, conduct research, conduct experiments, gather data, and so on. This approach promotes cooperation and communication among students. Teachers become facilitators in this method. They are there to help students as needed, but a large portion of what is learned is done as students work together. 

Game Based

Gamification has recently become quite a popular way to teach. It’s engaging, fun, and can be used for nearly any subject. Students usually associate games with fun, so when teachers turn learning into a game type format, the brain automatically sees the activity as more enticing. There are so many online options for game based teaching. In addition to creating their own educational games, teachers can pick from several online gamification platforms to create fun, educational games for their students. Websites like Kahoot!, Quizizz, Blooket, Gimkit, and Quizlet Live are all excellent resources available to teachers. 

Individual Based

In this method, the teacher provides the content, but students become the main facilitator in their own learning. They become responsible for how and where they learn, which creates a sense of ownership. This can lead to greater confidence and deeper learning. 

Hands-On Learning

This method gives students a chance to really get into the content and experience it with their senses. Hands-on learning experiences have been shown to make a more lasting impact on student brains than lectures alone. When a student can experiment, ask questions, and form a physical product based on what has been learned, the information is much more likely to be retained. 

There are many methods teachers can use to deliver information to their students, and there truly isn’t a right or wrong way to teach material. There are certainly some methods that are more effective for some subjects than they are for others, but any teacher can use any of these teaching methods and still get results. Good teachers also don’t just stick to one type of teaching; they change their method based on what is best for the information they are going to teach, and what is best for their students. Don’t be afraid to try new teaching methods– you might be pleasantly surprised that you really enjoy one you haven’t tried. However you decide to teach though, make sure you do it with your students’ best interests in mind, and you will see your students succeed!

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Growing Pains

Yesterday I went to the gym for the first time in, well, I don’t know how long. My friend invited me to go with her, and I figured it would be more motivating to follow through if I had someone to push me. I walked in feeling pretty good, and walked, errr, I mean, waddled out, with my muscles screaming at me. It’s not like we even did anything too wild and crazy… we walked on the track for a bit, then did some sets on some weight machines. I didn’t want to push too hard and injure myself, but I also didn’t want to go too easy and not really benefit from my workout. 

My friend was kind enough to show me how to use some of the machines I wasn’t sure about, and gave me little bits of encouragement as we went along. At first, I felt kind of silly for not knowing how to do some of the exercises, and felt a little wimpy for not being able to lift as much weight as others around me. And then I reminded myself that it has literally been years since I last went to the gym, and I wasn’t going to be able to jump right back in and lift as much as I could have in the past. In order to avoid injury and frustration, I needed to start slow, knowing that I would be able to do more as I made the necessary progress. I had to remind myself that it was okay if I made mistakes and asked for help. Doing so would only help me to get better. 

As I’ve thought about this over the past day, I’ve been thinking about how we, as teachers, have the responsibility and honor to teach our students that starting slow is okay, and that mistakes happen as we learn and figure things out. It’s simply part of the learning process. 

It’s common, and even natural, for our students to feel a little silly or unsure about something when they first start learning about it. Lack of confidence can feel overwhelming to students, but as teachers, we can view it as a chance to help students grow and to gain confidence. It’s important that we take their lack of confidence and use it as a tool to push and encourage our students. We ought to be extra careful to not use that uncertainty against our students– doing so would discourage students from trying, and would eventually lead to slower progress and even more uncertainty. 

I see it like this– had my friend brushed me off and not given me encouragement, I might not have pushed myself to try new things at the gym. I would have probably stuck to the “easy” machines and maybe even avoided the machines all together. But because I had someone cheering me on and being patient with me, I felt compelled to keep going and to keep trying, even when I felt silly and unsure. 

Similarly, if we brush off our students and if we don’t give them encouragement, they aren’t going to feel comfortable making mistakes and aren’t going to want to take any risks. Progress would be halted, and confidence would stay stagnant. As we cheer our students on, they get more comfortable with the learning process and all of its parts– even the not so fun parts of the process, like making mistakes and not knowing the answers. 

So like me, with my sore muscles and slow start, our students must know that it’s okay to start slow, and it’s okay to experience growing pains and sore muscles. Once they get comfortable with being uncomfortable, magic starts to happen. And as a teacher, sitting next to them as they grow, stretch, and learn is a true gift!

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Start Low to Grow

Recently, my seven year old has started (loudly) expressing his disgust with me every time I remind him to do his assigned chore, pick up his room, help fold his laundry, etc. He is not interested in anything other than having fun, and honestly, sometimes I don’t blame him. In the midst of one of his defiant moments, he (again, loudly) said, “Mom! Why do you always have to boss me around and tell me to do things like clean my room?!” 

What I saw as a simple request for him to pick up his toys, he saw as me being mean and bossy. He saw it as a threat to his ability to choose for himself. And while that couldn’t be father from the truth, I can see why he might have thought that. As the adult, I can see the bigger picture at play here, and can see that teaching him basic skills when he is young will help him greatly as he gets older. As the kid, he only sees play time being taken away.

As his mom, part of my job is to teach foundational skills that will be built upon and that are necessary for successful adulthood. I wouldn’t expect him to plan, prepare, serve, and clean up an entire meal by himself– it would be a recipe for disaster! But, I can involve him in and teach him step by step. I can have him set the table, get ingredients out, or have him unload the dishwasher. Those are all skills he is capable of and can safely do. Learning a little here and a little there paves the way for bigger tasks later.

Teachers have a similar role with their students. We start at the bottom and work our way up. No one would expect a kindergartner to solve a three digit multiplication problem, nor would you expect a fifth grader to solve a complex equation designed for a high school senior. Doing so would just lead to frustration on all sides. Similarly, one wouldn’t expect a first grader to be able to write a detailed multi-paragraph research paper with properly cited sources, simply because they lack the necessary skills to do so. 

Providing students with the skills and knowledge they need to successfully move forward is a crucial part of being a teacher. In order for teachers to know where to start, they need to know where their students are. This is why assessments are so important in the classroom. Teachers don’t have to give a big, formal test to see where their students are, though those do have their place. Informal assessments that are done along the way can be absolutely crucial to how a teacher moves forward with what they are teaching. 

As teachers gather formal and informal data, they are able to pivot and make any needed changes to how or what they are teaching so that they are able to help students succeed. It’s similar to when you are driving a car. Your mind is constantly making observations about surroundings, then telling you to make any needed corrections to keep your car where it needs to be. Paying attention early on and throughout the process can save you from going the totally wrong direction or worse, crashing.

It’s also important that we help students see why we are teaching the things that we are teaching. Like my son not fully seeing why I was asking him to clean up his room and do his chore, students also often miss the why behind what they are being taught. As we teach them and guide them into new material, we can remind them of what they’ve already learned that will make this new content more accessible, and we can also help them see that what they are going to learn will help them in the future as they build upon their knowledge.

Teaching can be overwhelming at times, sure. But so can learning, and it’s important that we keep that in mind as we prepare lessons and teach our students. We must meet them where they are, sometimes even back tracking a little if needed, to make the progress that we know they can make. When we do this, magic happens, and things begin to click in students’ minds. And that, my friends, is when the real progress is made.

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Cold Climate Memory

Gamification has started making itself more known in today’s classrooms, and it has proven to be a fun, engaging way to teach new concepts or review old ones. As I’ve talked about before– any time you can merge learning and fun is a bonus! 

These colder winter months are the perfect time to teach your students about cold weather climates and the animals that call these places home. There is so much to learn about these habitats and climates! I’ve created a simple, yet fun Cold Climate Memory game for you to use in your classroom as you teach about colder climates. 

Click on the file below to download your copy of this fun, engaging game to use with your students. 

** This file is intended for classroom or personal use only. Do not resell, repost, or claim as your own. **

Cold Climate MemoryDownload