TL;DR: Be authentic in the classroom. Make connections with children through purposeful activities such as games. Develop classroom norms together and review them often. Take time daily to self-reflect and make a plan for the next day. Justin joined Rae on the Daily Drop In to chat about teacher authenticity. Click here to watch! Be Authentic We often hear about … Read More
“Tough” Love: The Risks, Rewards, and Resilience of Teaching At-Risk Kids
TL;DR: Working with at-risk students takes a desire to understand who they are. A revelation of working with at-risk students: They don’t mean it. They don’t see it and don’t realize what they are doing. Developmentally, they may not be able to see you. Ruby Payne’s book “A Framework for Understanding Poverty” helps us see “hidden rules” and how they … Read More
Random Acts of Kindness Day
TL;DR: Bring kindness into your classroom on Random Acts of Kindness Day. Setting up your classroom to show kindness all year long can have many positive benefits. There are various resources available for activities and lessons. Random Acts of Kindness Day is on February 17th this year. The phrase “Random Acts of Kindness” (RAKS) was originated by a California woman … Read More
Teaching Kindness & Communication in Challenging Times
TL;DR: Kindness is a big focus in our classrooms this year. Make sure to teach children to be kind to themselves too. This post shares picture books you can use with your students to teach social-emotional skills. The Year of Kindness Kindness has been a big focus in my class this year. We focus on kindness every year, but this … Read More
Let Them Know You: Substitute Teachers
TL;DR: Introductions are important when subbing. Clearly introduce yourself to students right away and start to show your investment. Form relationships with others in the building by introducing yourself to them, as well. Substitute Teacher: Let Them Know You I walked into a classroom and began to get prepared for the day. Students began to enter and then one student … Read More