Eighth graders often get the short end of the stick– they aren’t the “newbies” at the school, but they aren’t the “olders” either. I suppose they are the middle children of junior high. But here’s the thing, they are so much fun. Of all the grades I taught, eighth grade was my favorite. Because they weren’t the newbies, they were a little more confident, a little more mature, and because they weren’t the olders, they typically didn’t have a “better than thou” attitude that sometimes comes with being the oldest in the school.
They were in the sweet spot of still kind of holding onto childhood, but ready to tackle deeper thinking and issues. This made it fun to choose the books we read for our class novel studies. We’d typically read a couple of non-fiction books together, one of which was Chasing Lincoln’s Killer by James Swanson.
The book details the 12-day manhunt for John Wilkes Booth after he assassinated President Abraham Lincoln. It’s full of action, and is told in a story-like format, which makes it more enticing to junior high students. It’s also fairly short– only 208 pages. Its 14 chapters contain photos and documents from the time period and chase, letting the kids really get a feel for what the people and places looked like at the time. They can immerse themselves into the story and learn new things while they do so.
If you’re interested in teaching this book to your classes, but just don’t know where to start, don’t worry! I’ve got you covered. Below you will find a couple of resources you are welcome to print off and use to help students stay organized as they read the book. There are lots of events and people in the book, and these resources will help your students keep track of the who, what, when, where, and why of the book.
**These resources are for classroom or personal use only. They may not be resold, reposted, or claimed as your own.**
It might feel like Spring is a long way off, but it will be here before we know it! I always look forward to Spring– the warmer temperatures, blossoms on trees, and flowers in bloom. Spring also brings us closer to our Build A Better Future Scholarship application deadline!
This is a reminder to all graduating seniors who are planning to apply for our scholarship. We offer the chance to get feedback on your project prior to the final application submission. Applicants can fill out an OPTIONAL Strategy Plan where they can tell a bit about their project and process and ask any questions they might have.
This is not required, and does not at all influence our decision when it comes time to choose the scholarship winners. It is simply an opportunity for applicants to ask questions and get feedback should they need it.
You can find the form here, and the deadline for this form is due March 9, 2026.
Since students learn in so many ways, it’s always a good idea to switch things up every now and then. This way, you’re able to help all your students learn in the way that they learn best. Some students learn really well through visual representations, especially in math. Rather than using numerals to add, subtract, etc., some kids may prefer to use some kind of picture or symbol. While this is not feasible for every kind of math, it is a good way to introduce basic adding and subtracting skills, as it can be easier to add or subtract when you can actually see the numbers all laid out.
To help you with this in your classroom, I’ve created a couple of Valentine’s Day themed math worksheets. The first is heart addition and subtraction, and the second is comparing sets of hearts to determine which set has more, less, or if they are equal in number.
This free resource is for classroom or personal use only and may not be resold, reposted, or redistributed.
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!
It’s no surprise that I’m a fan of holiday themed classroom fun! Valentine’s Day is just a few short weeks away, and it’s time to start thinking about some fun activities for your class to do. When we can combine fun with something educational, it’s a teacher win!
I’ve created a fun Valentine’s Day Word Unscramble that you can print off and use in your classroom or at home. Use the letters in the word “valentines” to make as many new words as you can. Use it as an individual activity or turn it into a group activity and game.
** This free resource is intended for classroom or personal use only. Do not resell, repost, or redistribute. **
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.
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. **
