Teaching English online has become more and more popular in recent years. Through the following courses below, we will show you how to adapt your existing skills and knowledge to suit this specific area of the teaching world.
You know those grammar errors your students make in 4th and 5th grade and are still making in high school? Yes, those.
Secondary Classrooms: 18 Things to Consider When Decorating
In the aftermath of a post covid society, it's important to take a step back and learn how we can relieve anxiety over things we cannot control. The idea of "locus of control" has been
In this six part series on How to Teach Spelling, this third post discusses and provides teaching resources for teaching the eight conventional spelling rules.
The Anger Iceberg represents the idea that, although anger is displayed outwardly, other emotions may be hidden beneath the surface. These other feelings—such...
Recently I saw this infographic depicting an iceberg as a metaphor for culture- most of the culture is 'underwater' or rather, more in depth. It is a great graphic! However, at the elementary level, where young children are first being introduced to and learning about the concept of language and culture (often for the first time!) finding tangible, concrete aspects of culture to include in the classroom are key, in my opinion, and typically fall under the 'surface culture' part of the iceberg. As they gain experience and the mental ability to comprehend deeper culture as more than a fact about a group of people they have never met (such as concepts of self, attitudes, and such) these can be added into Spanish class. . One of the most tangible and authentic ways I have brought culture into my elementary classroom, which I believe hits both surface and deep culture at the same time, is the tradition of Ratoncito Pérez, the Tooth Mouse. It is a celebration of sorts, that wonderful and magical experience of losing a tooth, and a coming of age moment for little kiddos. Recognizing and celebrating it in Spanish class via an adorable mouse (not a fairy!) has always been the most remembered, understood and delightful aspects of culture my students interact with. And, because kiddos always have loose teeth or one has fallen out, Ratoncito Pérez is part of EVERY class! Talk about keeping something fresh in their minds! Here are ways I integrate Ratoncito Pérez in my classes: *Right from Kindergarten kiddos learn how to say 'Tengo un diente flojo' and 'Se me cayó un diente'... they are encouraged to share their 'tooth news' with me anytime *I have tooth chart posters featuring Ratoncito Pérez where I record each kiddo's name when he/she loses a tooth (they have to tell me in Spanish or their name doesn't go on the poster :) ) *I teach an entire theme about Ratoncito Pérez in Second Grade, where we read our book 'El diente de Javi' (see the link to our store at the end of this post) and then imagine what Ratoncito Pérez looks like (color and size) and what mode of transportation he uses to get around. After they have practiced this, they then write and illustrate three sentences describing him with this vocab. Super cute! *I hand out certificates celebrating the lost tooth *I read books I have collected over the years of various authors imagining adventures with Ratoncito Pérez-go to Amazon and type in 'Ratoncito Pérez' or 'Ratón Pérez'...a whole load of books will come up. My favorite is 'Cartas al Ratón Pérez'! (Note: most of these are in Spanish and with vocabulary far too advanced for my students to understand so I translate in my head and read it out loud in English) *I have printed out lots of illustrations from Google images over the years which I put around my classroom...he is always present! There are also two full length movies about Ratón Pérez made in Spain- if you are able to get ahold of a copy and can play it, what fun that is! And here's a great link of an article describing what el Ratoncito Pérez might "give" to children: https://www.heraldo.es/noticias/sociedad/2017/11/30/que-puede-regalar-ratoncito-perez-cuando-cae-diente-1209813-310.html If you are interested in integrating Ratoncito Pérez into your classroom and don't want to start from scratch, please check out our Activity Pack in our store on TpT! It is full of printable activities, posters, 'El diente de Javi' minibook, props for retelling the story, and more! Ratoncito Pérez Printable Minibook & Activity Pack You can also watch me introducing a comparison of the Tooth Fairy and el Ratoncito Pérez here:
5 key reasons to teach students to analyze differing perspectives
People who recognize their own strengths tend to be happier and have greater self-esteem. However, when a person uses their strengths every day, they can...
Find the perfect word and tell us exactly how you feel.
I was in a heated IEP meeting one time, and a teacher angrily blurted out, 'What do you want from me? Do you want me
Autism is a group of developmental brain disorders collectively called autism spectrum disorders, or ASD. Dr. Craig Erickson, a psychiatrist and assistant…
Brain Balance Center of Greater Philly shares an inside look at ADHD. Click on the social media buttons below to share these awesome visuals!
Depression is one of the leading causes of disability in the U.S., according to the DSMA. There is no definitive cause for depression.
One of the most significant faux pas I have made as an English teacher occurred during my year of student teaching. My mentor teacher, thankfully, was not above
I wrote a big post tonight on how I introduced the lesson (author's message) in a story to my students on Friday. Hop on over to read all about it and link over to my TpT store where you can find it for free! I hope it make sense, and I hope it's something you can use!
"Why would you eat gravy with biscuits?!"
~Click here for a list of prepositions. ~THE ENGLISH CLASSROOM ARCHIVES: ~ Well vs Good ~ Mastering the Semicolon ~ Word of the Week: No. 3 - accoutrements &nbs
Working with kids and young adults who are oppositional can be challenging. Being oppositional might mean refusing to do work, breaking rules, and engaging in other challenging behaviors. The truth is, many kids can be oppositional from time to time, so many of these strategies work with all learner
A crisis plan (sometimes called a safety plan) can sound intimidating, but think of it like a tool: a gameplan for navigating the worst days.
I LOVE saving figurative language until June - it's such a fun language unit ... and perfect for our "dreaming of summer brains". We finished up our EQAO testing mid week, and this onomatopoeia activity was the perfect break from testing. How fun is that??? Students chose two contrasting colours - one for the background and one for the word and border "bursting out of the page". They also needed newspaper (cut just a fraction smaller that the "bursting out of the page border" and glued the newspaper on top. They glued their word on top of that (we had brainstormed a lot of onomatopoeia words, but for some reason most of them chose SPLAT for their word). I also had them do a little shading under their letters for that little extra POP (see, I know some onomatopoeia words, too). ;) I had seen this awesome idea on Pinterest and followed it back to Artisan des Arts. Her examples are FANTASTIC!! We also wrote simile poems this week. I found a little template HERE for the students to use for their rough copies. When students were finished their templates, I had them write out their good copies, and illustrate a few lines with a small image. I hung these up, too ... LOVING our bulletin board switch up ... even this late in the school year!!! (I have two of these "smART class" bulletin boards side by side in the classroom. 15 more school days left ... I think I can ... I think I can ... Happy Friday!!!
A cheat sheet of education theorists and their research based teaching practices.
If you are looking for our teacher memes, you can find them here: 1. Classroom Memes: Class Rules 2. Customizable Teacher Memes 3. Editable memes for elementary classroom 4. Teacher Problem Posters…
3rd Grade Thoughts: A teaching blog by Stephanie Van Horn
Many people struggle to learning new things. But what if I told you the problem might not be with what you are learning, but with how you are learning it?
Financially savvy kids are future leaders!
This introduction to poetry gives teachers ideas on teaching poetry minlessons that make a difference in how your students think about poems.
Infographic by Global Digital Citizen
How to Write Circular Gallifreyan (Doctor Who): Today We are gonna learn how to do the easiest form of Circular Gallifreyan!
What’s one thing I can do for student behavior that I can see almost an immediate response? Incorporating quick and easy preventive strategies into your
Metaphor, simile, onomatopoeia, alliteration, hyperbole, personification, and more!
Have you ever had a class that just tried your patience day after day? Have you ever felt like you could walk away from teaching forever tom...
Every English language arts teacher needs a variety of successful, student led discussion strategies that will provide opportunities for student learning.
It is common knowledge that the brain has two hemispheres and that they are bridged by a bundle of nerves that travel across the corpus callosum. However, because this overpass exists, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it is always used. In fact, you will often hear of people claiming to be right or left brain dominant, and many people function quite well using predominantly “half a brain.” But if we could learn to unite the power of both hemispheres and assimilate experiences for optimal learning, wouldn’t that be great? This can be achieved by doing either cognitive or physical activities. Cognitive activities can be used as mental warmups or remedial activities. I like to use The Working Memory and Hemisphere Integration Bundle because it offers fun, game-like activities that help students exercise attention, strengthen working memory and engage both hemispheres of the brain. Many of the activities were created with the Stroop Effect in mind - named after John Ridley Stroop who first researched and published the effect in England in 1935. Later, his findings inspired the Stroop Test which has been shown to measure selective attention, cognitive flexibility, processing speed, and executive functions. Click on image to learn more Brain Gym by Dr. Paul E. Dennison and Smart Moves, by Dr. Carla Hannaford offers the physical tools, as well as some scientific research to back these claims. What they have uncovered, by uniting the fields of Applied Kinesiology, Educational Kinesiology, Developmental Optometry, Biology and Neuroscience, are movements or exercises that enhance communication across the hemispheres. Many of these activities continually cross the midline (an imaginary line that descends down through the body from the corpus callosum) so that both hemispheres are activated, and they must communicate for proper execution (See image 2). Other movements involve procedures that help to relax and refocus the mind and body by using acupressure or trigger points and other simple motions. The authors claim that the activities can help improve academics, focus, memory, mood, and even remediate learning disabilities such as dyslexia and dysgraphia. The bottom line is that many students remain physically inactive in classrooms for much of the day, and integrating simple movements between lessons, can provide the needed physical release. Image 2 I would love to share some specific exercises, but they are protected under copyright laws. You can learn more by purchasing their books linked below. Cheers, Dr. Erica Warren Dr. Erica Warren is the author, illustrator, and publisher of multisensory educational materials at Good Sensory Learning and Dyslexia Materials. She is also the director of Learning to Learn and Learning Specialist Courses. · Blog: https://learningspecialistmaterials.blogspot.com/ · YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/warrenerica1 · Podcast: https://godyslexia.com/ · Store: http://www.Goodsensorylearning.com/ & www.dyslexiamaterials.com · Courses: http://www.learningspecialistcourses.com/ · Newsletter Sign-up: https://app.convertkit.com/landing_pages/694000
If you struggle with classroom management no matter how many different strategies you try, there's a chance you're doing something to get in your own way.
This free printable Do Re Mi staircase is a brilliant visual aid and teaching tool for introducing small children to Do Re Mi and interval recognition.
A mini office is a particular application of lapbooks. Each child can make his own mini-office -- a lapbook filled with reference pages for his own learning. The sky is the limit on what you can include. Fill the mini office with the charts that...
People often find the distinction between metaphors and similes a difficult concept to master. Teaching these subjects using fun activities makes the challenging topic easier to learn. These activities do not take much preparation, but get your whole class or group involved. Be sure to provide your students with lots ...
