In This Post: Everyone is happy when those expectations are met and we LOVE it when our students exceed our expectations! If we are working daily to offer our students opportunities to meet these expectations the vast majority will, at a minimum, meet them. By setting the bar high, being consistent, and offering our students feedback on their progress, we … Read More
Creating a Rockin’ Classroom Environment
In This Post: Creating a rockin’ classroom environment is about creating an environment students love walking into. Using music to create an experience for students can be power. Music calms us, creates focus, and inspires us. Which teacher’s class did you anticipate and love walking into everyday? For me, it was my high school history teacher’s class. He always had … Read More
Lose The Levels – Reconsidering Leveled Libraries
In This Post: Leveled libraries in classrooms is a good idea taken way too far. The level system was created to match readers to texts that best met their reading levels. It has become a rigid system that hinders text choice. The level system is often applied to inappropriate instructional times. The text level-creators themselves – Fountas and Pinnell – … Read More
Moving to Dynamic Learning
In This Post: We need to create classrooms where students are the ones defending and explaining their ideas, rather than regurgitating facts. We need to make projects, and classrooms in general, more dynamic. Tech tools, such as Seesaw, Flipgrid, and others, can be used to make ordinary experiences more dynamic. This only works when combined with the endless creativity and … Read More
5 Ways to DESTROY Intrinsic Motivation in your Students
In this post: Intrinsic motivation is a powerful tool. Intrinsically motivated students are typically more able to overcome challenges Here are a few ways you can destroy intrinsic motivation in your classroom: Not providing students with ownership Not removing fear from your classroom Not being authentic Not building relationships Not focusing on learning Intrinsic motivation is a powerful tool that, … Read More