TL;DR: Communicating with students and their families is necessary to fully support students. Tools for digital communication include Remind, Google Classroom, emails, Seesaw, Flipgrid, Google Meet, ClassDojo, ClassTag, and more! When we think about a normal school day, we as teachers spend hours each day with our students. Then our students go home and spend hours with their families. This … Read More
Assessing and Addressing Student Needs
TL;DR: 3 steps to ensure we are addressing the needs of our students, including tips for assessing the situation, coming up with a plan, and re-evaluating. Assessing where our new students are using a Google form, and using that information to meet their individual social and emotional needs. I LOVE the first day of school. It is something that I … Read More
Reflect Better: My Great Driving Passion
TL;DR: Introduction to a new series: Reflect Better. Reflect on your practices by focusing on the why, considering where you started, and valuing relationships. Reflecting can help inspire greatness and lead to personal growth. In the years between 1994 and 1997, I began listening to some powerful content. I think it was my mother who got me onto these audiotapes; … Read More
Using Google Sheets to Promote Reading Engagement
TL;DR: Using Google Sheets to log reading can promote reading engagement. Shifting our former practices can help us inspire lifelong readers. This post includes a link to an online interactive reading log. The use of technology is growing substantially in our society, thus in our classrooms. I definitely see the value of doing some things the “old-fashioned” way, without the … Read More
Grading in the New Normal
TL;DR: Maintaining student motivation and accountability in a gradeless classroom. Using grades to communicate and provide feedback. Grading practices that promote a passion for learning, a willingness to take risks, and an increased investment in progress. Education has undergone monumental shifts over the past few months. Whether you are in the classroom, in a leadership role, a district office, or … Read More