Education
True confession....I am a bookaholic. Yes, it is true. I am surrounded by books in my home and in my classroom. My home office has been designed to hold two large built in wall shelves and three genero
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I'll admit I am like a kid when back to school time roles around. I love to peruse the new selection of planners and purchase one for the new school year. However, after much reflection upon how I've p
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As an educator, I rely on Amazon for many things for my classroom, but also for my personal care and household. It is an easy way to find what I need in little time and have it delivered to my home. I'
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"Poetry is nearer to vital truth than history" words to ponder from Plato. I remember as a kid only appreciating the humor in limericks or poetry that was funny. It wasn't until I began studying Americ
As an elementary 5th grade teacher I teach all subject areas, and each one requires its own learning configuration. Peer to peer learning has proven to be one of the most effective strategies in inter
Two years ago, here at MiddleWeb, I wrote the article How We Pumped Up Our Math Vocabulary Study, in which I shared my action research on the language of math. I discovered that as the math curriculum
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Educators at all levels know that stress is real. Whether you are preparing for an observation, dealing with the politics of the curriculum and process, or with the never ending emails,meetings, etc.
Each year as the math curriculum unfolds, it becomes evident that the number one area where many students struggle is computational fluency. The term “computational” to me has always meant strategies s
As I began to plan for the new school year, I explored using ChatGPT, the generative chatbot from Open AI. It was my first exploration into what was new technology for me. Beginning slowly to work with
It seems that during the school year math and language arts are the two areas that get the spotlight in scheduling and sharing ideas. As my school year is coming to an end, I began to reflect upon the
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As I began to plan for the new school year, I explored using ChatGPT, the generative chatbot from Open AI. It was my first exploration into what was new technology for me. Beginning slowly into this ne
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Recently a few things have become increasingly evident to me in my math class. First, as concepts are introduced and practiced, students still show signs of what I call “math fact fog.” This made-up te
The truest learning comes when we find the connection between what is being learned and how it applies to our daily lives. Thematic teaching is not a new concept, but most often the focus is in blendin
April is National Poetry Month and there is no better time to immerse students in reading poetry and writing original poems. I keep Sing a Song of Seasons: A Nature Poem for Each Day Of The Year with p
Whether your school year ends in May or you teach into the hot days of June, engagement in all the subject areas begins to fade. How do we liven things up? My fifth graders are ready for sun and fun, b
From my perspective as a fifth grade teacher in a self-contained classroom, it seems that during a typical school year math and language arts are the two areas that get the spotlight in scheduling and
How long is your “To Be Read” list? As the summer unfolds, my TBR list continues to grow. Most summaries were found in my local library’s online catalog or provided by the book publisher. [
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Mindful Planning Gets It Done This summer I created a simple way to plan out what I want to accomplish over the months of July and August. While I have a lengthy “To Be Read (TBR)” list that has been
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I don’t know about you, but lately I’ve been allowing myself to go down a slippery slope which affects my confidence and mindset. Now, using the term “slippery slope” can be quite ambiguous, so let m
As one year ends and another shines upon us it is a great time to learn something new from each other. It's also a great time to catch up on a few articles that you may have missed due to your daily hu
Are you a number or word person? I never really thought of myself as either, but then life happens. The world around me tends to make me think deeply at times about a particular conversation or a recur
It seems odd to actually type this, but a few years ago I used to be able to arrange my classroom desks in groups. In today’s socially distanced classroom, that is no longer a possibility as most class
Starting my organizational journey this summer in my home office was very beneficial. It helped me to sort through files, books, and other supplies. I found not only space as I threw out outdated mater
I recently wrote about my plans for organization starting with my home office. I had made dates to organize specific areas and the first was my two drawer file cabinet. What an experience this has been
I recently wrote about the power of meditation and, in essence, how it helps to unleash my creative thoughts. What I never expected was the response from so many other writers who found a connection wi
July is here and with it the sweet days of summer! As I found more time to read, I revisited the popular book by Marie Kondo, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and
Hello weekend! What a week it has been as the last days of the school year wound down. It was bittersweet as the time had come to say goodbye and send my class family on to their next chapter. Then,
Along with the warm summer winds come opportunities for reading, writing, and growing our personal learning network, otherwise known as PLN. Here I share some books and opportunities that I think you'd
I feel pretty confident in writing that as educators, the last month of the school, whether it is May or June, ignites a sense of anticipation as the end of the year draws near. Students have that six
While some schools have called it a wrap for the 2020-21 school year, many of us are still doing the “Just get me through June” shuffle. With the summer countdown already being chanted across classroom
I love books. Do I need another book? Of course not, but my stacks keep growing, my bookcases keep overflowing, and I keep searching for that next great book! My "To Be Read" pile has now become part
According to the creators of this technique, the Right Question Institute , the Question Formulation Technique (QFT), , "helps all people create, work with, and use their own questions — building skill
It was late one afternoon as I was working in my classroom. My students had been gone well over an hour, when a former student appeared at my classroom door. It was a girl I had in class the previous
I enjoy logging into Twitter and checking out some of the thoughts and news from the many authors, educators, companies, and contributors. Take a look at a few of my great finds from this past week!#1.
As the days of April fly by, creative ideas are flowing in the classroom. My students are loving what is commonly called “Black Out" poetry. If you are not familiar with this form of poetry, it is an i
I am so excited to share two finds with you this week. One is a "game changer" digital resource that takes class review to the next level! The other is an awesome Etsy shop that you must check out! Wha
I never really thought much about being a writer. I knew I liked the peace and thoughtful wonderings that putting my pen to paper allowed me, but I never thought to give myself the title of "writer". A
April is my favorite month of the year as it brings the promise of renewal, spring, and is the national month of poetry! There are so many poetic forms to share allowing not only creativity and stude
As 2021 dawned , the hope of a new beginning was on the horizon. January historically is the month of renewal, resolutions, and an observation of a great man who fought for equality for all people with
Over the past two years I've added a new way to hook my students into using their story element skills. Podcasts are a wonderful way to engage students in a story that is told in an audio format. Stude
One of my guilty pleasures is purchasing the Sunday edition of The New York Times and reading it throughout the week. Many newspapers offer so much more than timely current events. Let me share with yo
Setting a goal is the start to creating a pathway to personal growth. If you type the words "personal growth" into Google, you'll produce pages of key areas of personal development. The most common fiv
Momentum and motivation are closely related words when it comes to a writer’s life. During the school year I am focused on lesson planning, giving feedback to my student writers, and writing narrative
Welcome to Mindful Teaching Moments! Mindfulness is key to clearing the way to new learning and growth. Here is where my adventure begins...My podcast and website are born of my reading, writing, and w
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