TL;DR: Through these difficult times, the emerging opportunities are our silver linings. Some new tech tools to try are Google Keep, Time Timer App, Kahoot, Watchkin, Padlet, and more. Teaching in a Pandemic Throughout the last year, COVID-19 has created difficult circumstances for many people in our world. For example, sickness, lockdowns, and school closures have taken their toll on … Read More
Outdoor Learning Opportunities
TL;DR: Not all classrooms have to be inside a traditional building. Connect outdoor learning to the curriculum by using natural elements to teach, documenting the learning, and collaborating and co-creating with your students. I love teaching outdoors here in Canada! Escape from the busy life of a classroom and school climate to create mindful learning moments. Embrace the weather changes … Read More
Be a Leader Who Empowers Your Staff
TL;DR: Be a leader who empowers your staff by helping each teacher see their strengths and potential. Opening up classrooms to walkthroughs gives small groups of teachers on grade and subject-level teams the opportunity to discover the cool things their colleagues are doing. Walkthroughs can have a theme around literacy, student engagement, standards-based grading, or anything else your school is … Read More
Teaching Organizational Skills to Virtual Students
TL;DR: For students, being able to organize one’s schedule and keeping track of assignments is a life skill. Being organized is a learned skill that takes some students more time to conquer than others. Students should feel accomplished after mastering organization skills, especially in virtual school. This post includes PDF copies of virtual organizers for students. As a former educator, … Read More
Preheat Your Grill
TL;DR: Grab students’ attention, interest, and curiosity to increase engagement. As you start planning your next lesson, think of ways to preheat your grill and hook students into your lessons. Give students a reason to look forward to coming back to class the next day. ‘Preheat your grill’ by using different virtual backgrounds, implementing scavenger hunts, and getting students moving. … Read More