Last week I had a conversation with teachers from across the country. There were Social Studies teachers and Language Arts teachers, middle school teachers and high school teachers, plus Laurie Halse Anderson (author of one of my favorite books, Speak). This conversation wasn’t in person or over the phone. It took place on Twitter. …
Category: Blog
Energy Breaks
I teach 6th grade which means I’m working with kids with an attention span of about 12 minutes (if that) and as anyone who has spent time with adolescents knows they haven’t developed tact yet. They make it very clear when they are getting bored. Sometimes it is my fault for not planning an engaging…
Talking to Bill Gates and the Hour of Code
There are some days when everything clicks and there are other days when everything goes wrong. Then there are those days like I’ve had this week which are indescribable. It kicked off on Monday when, as a part of the Hour of Code created by Code.org, my students had the opportunity to video conference with…
6 ways to get materials/technology for your classroom
“I can’t believe I have all of this extra income just sitting in the bank…My paychecks are HUGE…I have everything my students could ever need…” said NO teacher, ever. We all know the statistics. Teachers spend large portions of their income on things for their students. I’m constantly finding things that would improve my students’…
Moveable Workspaces
Where do your best thinking? Your best work? Do you like isolation or being in a large open room? Do you like to sit in a comfortable chair or at a desk? Depending on the task, I alter my work environment to be the most productive. If I need to focus on something, especially reading…
Why I don't read blogs before bed…
When I first started brainstorming ideas for an end of the school year blog post, I came up with a long list of things I wanted to reflect on. I wanted to write about all of my successes and all of my failures. I wanted to reflect on the kids who inspired me, and the…
Why I’m Putting QR Codes on Everything
You’ve probably noticed the black and white codes that look like a bizarre bar code everywhere and on everything. If you haven’t, then you will after you read this article. They are on everything. Yesterday I saw one on a flier for a maid service, my cup at McDonald’s and an Entertainment Weekly magazine article. …
Editing essays using my iPhone
One of the things they don’t warn you about when you decide to teach Language Arts is the overwhelming pile of papers that overflow your desk all year. I’m always looking for ways to provide relevant feedback efficiently, creatively, and in a way that students will actually appreciate. I think I found a new method…
Introductions
Welcome to my first blog post… I’m hoping to use this blog space to share some of the new ideas/tools I’m using in the classroom. I’ll try to credit the sources for my ideas (I’ll be honest I borrow most of what I use in the classroom from other great teachers). Enjoy!
