Tag: 21st century

Posted on

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.

Posted on

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
Posted on

January Might Be the Longest Month of the Year

January is one of those months that seems to drag on and on and on. There aren’t any big holidays to look forward to, and the weather is usually cold and dreary. As a teacher, inclement weather typically means indoor recess, and depending on your class, that could mean extra chaos. If you need something to keep your kiddos entertained in such an event, look no further! Attached below are two Winter Find & Count worksheets– one in color, and one in black and white– that you are welcome to print off and use in your classroom. (Parents, also please feel free to use in the event that the dreary January days get a little extra long and you need a quiet minute!)

** This resource is strictly for classroom or personal use. Do not resell it, repost it, or claim as your own. **

Winter Find & CountDownload
Posted on

Classroom Management: A Tale of Trial & Error

Managing a room full of students can be challenging. You quickly find that what works for one student doesn’t work for another, and sometimes you feel like you are spinning in circles trying to find something that works. It can be frustrating, for sure. 

Management styles and methods vary from teacher to teacher, and can be dependent on many factors. Teacher personalities can influence the kind of management techniques that are used. Student personalities can also largely determine how a teacher manages the classroom. Another factor that definitely plays a role is the grade being taught and managed. Kindergarteners and first graders are typically going to eagerly respond to management techniques that involve silly, catchy little rhymes or actions, such as “One, Two, Three, Eyes On Me!”, sticker charts, and so on. Younger grades tend to also be very highly motivated by external motivators: give them a chance to earn a tootsie roll or a sticker, and you will grab their attention quickly! Upper elementary grades also usually respond to similar methods, but often aren’t as quick to do so. 

Secondary classes can be trickier to find successful management techniques. For the students who truly need behavior management help, offering a sticker or piece of candy probably isn’t going to do much. Forming a connection and being kind, however, will go a long way.

I recently surveyed a handful of teachers about their classroom management techniques. I found a good variety of answers and ideas. Keep reading to see what they had to say!

What is one classroom management technique that you have found great success with?

  • Connection (9th grade)
  • I have a 120 chart and kids put small sticky notes on it as they are caught being good. When the chart is full we spin a wheel for the winners! I pick 5 or 6 kids. Then we take them all off and start again! Winners get a prize from the prize box! (1st grade)
  • Focusing on positive behaviors, having a type of behavior system for individuals, groups/tables & whole class (4th grade)
  • Reinforce positive behaviors (Kindergarten)
  • Classroom money with a class store linked with prizes they actually want. (2nd grade)
  • My students absolutely love being called out for making good choices and signing a chart. Once the chart is full we do a class drawing to win prizes or other things. (3rd grade)

What is your biggest struggle with classroom management?

  • Adapting systems to each class. Every year is different! (4th grade)
  • Students unable to communicate. (9th grade)
  • When I cannot find what motivates certain kids and it seems like NOTHING works! (2nd grade)
  • It is so hard to give a consequence to a student you know will not take it well. (3rd grade)
  • Defiance- straight up telling me no. (1st grade)
  • Noise level. (Kindergarten)

What classroom management advice would you give to new teachers?

  • Consistency is key, even when you know the student might take a consequence badly. Also sometimes what’s fair for one isn’t fair for the other. It’s ok to make tweaks in expectations for students that need it. (3rd grade)
  • Have class, individual, and group systems. (Money, table points, whole class parties they work together to earn) and just know these kids are built different so it is harder! (2nd grade)
  • Connect with your kids, they will do anything for you if you form that connection from the start. Set high expectations, but give grace. (9th grade)
  • Think of your behavior management plan and then explicitly teach it to kids! State expectations clearly and then hold them to it. (4th grade)
  • Keep at it! It takes time and patience! (1st grade)
  • Keep kids busy and working. (Kindergarten)

Great advice all around! These teachers shared some great ideas as well as some encouragement– something we can all benefit from!

When it comes to finding what works for you as a teacher, it can be a lot of trial and error, and it may take some time to settle into a groove that works for you and for your class. But if there’s one thing that I’ve learned about teaching, it’s that any time spent trying to help your students be their best selves and to succeed is time well spent!

Posted on

Paid Prep Time for Teachers

At this point, you’re likely into second and final week of your Winter Break. You’re probably at a point where you are still enjoying your time off and don’t really want to think about going back quiet yet. But yet, somewhere in the back of your mind, you’ve got a quiet voice reminding you that you only have so many more days until you’re back in the swing of things in your classroom. I lovingly refer to that feeling as the “end of break yuckies” and know all too well how they feel. So believe me, I get it! 

We drove past a school yesterday while heading out to the grocery store, and there were several cars in the parking lot. My daughter immediately asked if they had school today. When I told her that they still didn’t have school for another week, she then wondered why there were teachers at the school. I mean, it was a valid question. A question that made me start to think about my time in the classroom and how much of my break time had been used to prep for future lessons at home or actually going into the building to get my classroom in order for my students to return. While I tried to avoid going into my classroom or prepping lessons over breaks, I usually had to in order to avoid chaos on the first day back. 

As was evidenced by the cars in the parking lot yesterday, I know I’m not the only one who has had to use break time as work time, and that begs the question: why are we not giving teachers more paid prep time around big breaks? 

What if, instead of teachers and students returning all on the same day, we gave teachers a paid prep day before students return? That way, teachers would be able to more fully enjoy their break without having to sacrifice a day of their time off to get things ready for their students to return. A professional development day of sorts, but no meetings, no trainings, no “team building” exercises. Just a day for teachers to come to the building— in their comfy clothes if they want— to get stuff done: make copies, make worksheets, plan lessons, sanitize their desks, reorganize supply bins, change their bulletin boards, and so on. If budget allows, the school could provide lunch for the teachers, and teachers could simply get stuff done without having to take breaks for meetings. 

I know there are teachers out there who would greatly appreciate a day like this, and would have such a relaxing yet productive day. So, I want to know— does your district offer a day like this every now and then? If not, would you utilize it if it were offered? Let me know in the comments! 

Posted on

Christmas Break Is Coming– Are You Ready?

Winter Break is fast approaching, and while that means a break for teachers, it also means lots of time at home for the kiddos. If you live in a place that has colder temperatures, Winter Break can be tricky. Cold, wintry weather makes it less likely kids are going to want to go outside and play. Screen time is great for a minute, but too much of that usually means grumpy kids afterward. Indoor activities can be a life saver for times like this, but sometimes coming up with ideas is difficult. 

But no need to worry! I’ve got a handful of ideas for you to use that will keep your kids entertained AND keep their minds active.

Snowflake Math

Draw and cut out several small snowflakes (or any other winter shapes you want). Use the cut out shapes as math manipulative by having kids create various math equations and to experiment with addition and subtraction. 

Indoor Scavenger Hunt

Using the free file below, print out the Winter shapes and hide them around the house. Give kids a copy of the list of pictures to find. As they find the hidden pictures, they can removed them from the hiding place and check them off their paper. This game can be adapted to your kids’ ages, needs, and abilities.

Winter Scavenger Hunt-2Download

Christmas Tree Speech Practice

Use the file below, or draw a blank Christmas tree on a piece of paper. On a separate paper, draw several ornaments. On each ornament, write a word that contains the sound your child is working on in speech. Cut the ornaments out. You can hide them around the house, in a sensory bin, mix them up in a bowl, or just lay them out on the table or floor. As your child finds or chooses each ornament, have them say the word on the ornament before they can place it on the tree. 

Christmas Speech TreeDownload

Paper Gingerbread Houses

Don’t want the mess of real gingerbread houses? I don’t blame you there! Rather than graham crackers and frosting, use construction paper shapes and glue to create a gingerbread house. You can put the pieces/shapes into a bag and have kids reach in to pull one out a time and build the house piece by piece. 

Another fun option is to “Roll A House”, where you assign a house element to each number on a die, and when that number is rolled, your child can add or draw that element on to their house.

Christmas Puzzles

Using the free file below, print and cut out the Christmas strip puzzles. Mix up the strips and have kids put the pieces in the correct order to make the picture. These are great quiet activities and are a good way to help kids with spatial reasoning. 

Christmas Strip PuzzlesDownload

And there you have it– Winter Break survival ideas! Happy holidays!

Posted on

So You Want to Apply for Our Scholarship?

Applying for scholarships can feel daunting, especially when there is a project that is required. From deciding what project to do, planning and executing the project, then documenting everything and filling out the application, it can be a lot! I reached out to some of our previous scholarship recipients to get their input— after all, who better to ask then people who have been through the process themselves?!

Here’s what they had to say!

What are some things you learned about organization and planning during the process of completing your project?

I learned that successful organization starts with listening. Understanding the unique needs of immigrant ESOL students helped me prioritize goals and structure activities that truly mattered. Planning required flexibility, some events needed to be adjusted based on language barriers or transportation challenges. I also realized the power of breaking the project into phases and involving others made everything more manageable and impactful.

I learned how important it is to think about all the steps of the process before starting, so issues are minimized. Many projects don’t get completed because of issues that happen along the way so I made sure to think about problems that might occur and find ways to mitigate them before they happened. Have a clear general plan before starting your project and you should be set. 

I also learned that planning can be improved upon along the process. I did my project for 2 years and I was able to see the more difficult parts from the first year and change my process to be improved. 

Also as a general note: keep track of the whole process. My memory is bad so I made sure to take notes and pictures and that really helped me so I could continue the project each year. Also it helps to have those stats and photos when applying for this scholarship to really demonstrate your impact.

If you could go back and do anything differently with your project, what would you do?

I would stop over-planning. I wanted every detail to be perfect before taking the first step, which slowed down momentum early on. If I could go back, I’d embrace progress over perfection and start sooner even if the plan wasn’t flawless. I’ve learned that action creates clarity, and sometimes the best ideas come once you’re already in motion. That shift in mindset helped me grow as a leader and made the project more responsive to real needs.

I would find a way to implement new high schoolers to take over for the future. The project was really great for the community and I really wish I was able to pass it onto someone else so it continues each year. I moved for school and I can only help the project when I come home now. I plan to find someone to take it over soon though because my community still really needs it.

Applying for a scholarship can feel intimidating. What advice would you give to someone who is doing a project and planning to apply for the Build A Better Future Scholarship?

Start by connecting your project to your personal values. Applying to this scholarship isn’t just about what you did but it’s about why it mattered to you and how it made a difference. Keep notes and pictures during your project to capture moments of growth, challenge, and impact. When it’s time to apply, those reflections will help you write with authenticity and more confidence.

My biggest advice is to apply!!!! Even if you think your project is small, if it is making an impact, it is not small. You are actively helping the community and it never hurts to apply for a scholarship. I thought I had no chance of getting scholarships but I still applied to this one and it has really helped with my schooling, so please apply. I promise it’s worth it 🙂

Do you have any other words of advice or encouragement to this year’s seniors as they work on projects and work toward applying for our scholarship?

Don’t wait for perfection and start with passion. Your project doesn’t have to change the world overnight. What matters is that it reflects your heart and your effort. Stay consistent, ask for help when needed, and remember that small actions can lead to big change. You’re building something meaningful, even if it doesn’t feel huge at first.

Knowing what you know now, what would you tell yourself during the project and application process?

Trust the process. There will be moments of doubt, but they’re part of the journey. Stay focused on who you’re helping and let that guide your decisions. When it comes to the application, don’t overthink it. Speak from the heart and let your story shine through.

What great advice! It’s appreciate these previous winners sharing their thoughts and experiences with us. I hope these wise words can help you as you plan and carry out your projects in preparation for applying for our scholarship! We can’t wait to see the amazing things this year’s applicants do!