You Have Two Seconds

John VanDusenBlog, Connect Better, Engage Better, Innovate Better, Lesson Plan Better, Manage Better, Reflect Better

TL;DR: You have two seconds to grab and hold your students’ attention. They have conditioned their brains to consume content they wish to consume for short periods of time. Students lacking attention, focus, and respect for elders is not something new so how do we become better teachers tomorrow than we are today? Three principles that help us be better … Read More

Spice Up Your Writing Block

Becky SchnekserBlog, Connect Better, Differentiate Better, Engage Better, Innovate Better, Lesson Plan Better

TL;DR: Here is an inspirational, engaging writing activity to spice up your literacy program. Provide images for students to write creative captions. Provide an image for students to craft a news story or article for the newspaper. Compose captions for short stories with photos for students to match. Provide a photo and ask your learners to compose a conversation that … Read More

Real Talk: How to Be a Great Teacher Without Losing Yourself 

Holly BlackBlog, Connect Better, Engage Better, Manage Better, Reflect Better, Self Care Better

TL;DR: Being a great teacher doesn’t mean you have to completely lose yourself in the process. We can sort through what things aren’t serving us and curate a meaningful workplace for ourselves. Learn 9 quick tips for how to be a great teacher without losing yourself. For some reason, the idea of “good” teaching seems to equal a run-down, tired, … Read More

Integrating Earth Day in Your Learning Space

Becky SchnekserBlog, Connect Better, Engage Better, Reflect Better, Teach Further

 TL;DR: For learners to connect with their environment, create time to be outdoors to develop care and concern for our Earth. Integrate Earth Day with nature journaling, diagramming and modeling with nature materials, engineering, design thinking, STEM or STEAM challenges, scavenger hunts, and nature walks. These ideas can be integrated anytime, not just for Earth Day! Earth Day is the … Read More

Student Voice: The Power of the Experienced Curriculum

Steven WeberBlog, Connect Better, Engage Better, Innovate Better, Lesson Plan Better, Reflect Better

TL;DR: The written curriculum and taught curriculum are different from the experienced curriculum. Teachers should find ways to obtain feedback from students on their experienced curriculum. Hundreds of books and articles have been written addressing the curriculum in schools. Teachers and administrators have read books describing the written, taught, assessed, enriched, prioritized, or guaranteed curricula. In addition to these common … Read More