Tips for National Boards Prior to Submission
Trying for National Boards is challenging. Here are some of the steps I took prior to submission to make the process smoother.
Easy Closet Makeover Without Any Drilling
My youngest daughter is my kind hearted, funny kid, but when it comes to keeping her things tidy, that is not a strength. She likes to collect artificial plants, rocks and so many other small knick knack items. We do bedroom clean outs usually every year before Christmas. The room is small, and each year, it tends to need a little organizational TLC.
Easy Classroom Environmental Changes to Regulate and Curb Behavior
Environment manipulation is one of the easiest ways you can curb unwanted behavior and encourage emotional regulation.
Education and Teaching Books for New Teachers
Reading educational and teaching books is important because it provides a way to gain knowledge, deepen your understanding of topics and develop teaching skills. Here are some books for new teachers as they begin their journey as a teacher.
Classroom Management – Start with the Small Stuff
Let me be honest – classroom management has never been my strong suit. I am soft! I admit it! As a young teacher I loved my students and I just wanted them to “like” me. I couldn’t be “mean”. Big mistake! I am also soft spoken so getting students to “hear” me was difficult. Being tough just didn’t come naturally, but slowly year after year I learned and improved.
“It’s Time to Go!” How Morning Routines Save the Day
If you are a working mom or dad trying to get your children out the door in the mornings, you understand this title.
How our Homework Routine Saved my Sanity
In my morning routine article, I told you a little bit about my son, Jayce. He was my easy going, laid back, big hearted child; but when it came to getting things complete, he waited until the last minute. Being the opposite, I thought I would lose my mind. When it came to homework and our busy schedules, I had to come up with a routine to make sure everything was completed. This article will explain how I managed to do that.
“Dirty Laundry, Dishes, and the Never-Ending Spin Cycle!”
When the kids were younger, it was hard to manage cleaning the house during the week. In the beginning, I would wait and do everything on Saturday. Then Sunday rolled around and I was preparing for the week. It was as if I didn’t even have a weekend break. My Saturday was consumed with cleaning, washing and folding a lot of clothes. My Sunday was spent preparing for the week. All of my kids were active in sports and dance. When Kayla started playing soccer, her games were played on Saturday. As a result, my all day cleaning did not happen. At that point, I knew I had to come up with a better plan that worked for my family. I decided that each day after work, I would choose something to do. Of course there were things that needed to be done daily such as the floors swept, dishes, etc. The other items, I decided would be separated and one completed each day.
Organizational Systems in Small Group Learning
In all aspects of teaching, it is important to be organized and ready for each transition. When I moved from the regular classroom to the EC resource position, I found that my organization had to look different. In this article, I am going to share how I organize my materials for the many transitions I have throughout my day. I know not every technique works for everyone and even after six years, it is still a work in progress.
Dynamic Collaboration: Team Teaching Through Rotating Stations
Joy and I are the only two resource teachers at our school. It has taken us a few years, as our EC (Exceptional Children) population has grown, to figure out ways to fit everyone into a schedule. Covering service time, as well as building in time for our transitions, is always a challenge.
Creating Success: How to Hold a Positive and Productive IEP Meeting
If you teach special education, it often feels like teaching is a part time job compared to the amount of paperwork and meetings that you have to hold. I have found that an organized meeting is an art. Perfect this and you will find that you have more time as well as better relationships with your parents and team members. The following have been tips and tricks that have helped me over the years.
“What Time is Practice Again? Tips for Managing a Busy Schedule”
One of the most asked questions besides “What’s For Dinner?” at my house. My life is organized by a calendar. I have two that I use, one being my google calendar and the other being the calendar on my refrigerator. My google calendar is mainly for me because I get alerts about meetings, appointments and practices. The calendar on my refrigerator is for my family and it fills the need for them to ask me 20 questions about the schedule for the week. Originally, I had a wall calendar (nothing wrong with that) but I found the refrigerator is what is used the most and it is right there for everyone to see every time they open the refrigerator.
The Pencil Problem
You know what I am talking about don’t you…
In a 4th grade classroom pencils disappear on a daily basis like snow when the sun comes up and the temperature rises, like snacks in my snack bowl when the clock strikes 9:30, like a piece of meat on the counter left unsupervised with a 90 pound German Shepherd in the house – well you get the idea.