The real question of Christian discipleship is not can I be your brother in Christ, but can I be your brother in law? I first heard this statement from my good friend Rev. Dr. Gabriel Salguero in a class he was teaching. Who can’t your child marry? Questions like these help us get to the … Continued
Find out more about the author here
It is not our job to make our kids likable by conforming to others' expectations but to help them blossom within their own uniqueness. Think about that.
Happy Friday!!Here in South Jersey, were are eagerly awaiting snowageddon!! Blizzard + coastal flooding + four kids under the age of 7 stuck inside all weekend = CRAZINESS!!Anyway, before we lose power to the snowpocalypse, I wanted
We all know that students who monitor their thinking while reading do better. Therefore it follows that students who monitor their thinking across ALL subject areas will do better in other subjects as well. The problem many students face is knowing how to transition those skills to other subjects. In fact, many don't even know they can! We have to explicitly teach kids to use thinking skills across all subjects. Language of Learning Kids need to know that there is a "language of learning." This is particularly powerful with students who are strugglers, or "our low babies" as we call them at my school. This language includes, but is not limited to: inferring, thinking, determining importance, predicting, questioning, visualizing, schema, purpose, structure, monitoring comprehension, etc. These skills help students dig deeper into metacognition and actively improve their learning. I won't cover the meanings of each of these as I have previously done so on the blog. Actively Using the Language The most important role you play after teaching the skills is to model their use. No matter what subject you are teaching, use the language of learning. Help students find connections (schema) to other content areas. The brain looks for patterns, so encouraging schema helps students move new content into long term memory. Use questioning strategies to help students make inferences, predictions, and determine importance. Make sure you are using the terminology as you teach for the most powerful results. Won't This Take Too Much Time? Ah yes, the time issue. Believe me, I'm right there with you. No it doesn't take a lot of extra time at all. When you are planning, look for places you can utilize the skills in your lesson. However most of your opportunities will arise through active questioning and discussion during the lesson. That's the beauty of this, students will see the application of the skills in real time! Posters To give students a visual connection on bridging the skills from reading to math, I have created a companion poster to my Good Readers poster called the Good Mathematicians poster. This one takes the same skills from the reading poster, but targets them for math. Side by side, these will be a powerful reference for reinforcement! You can make your own posters (I used Swift Publisher 3 on my Mac), or you can download the posters at my TPT store here: Good Mathematicians Poster, Good Reader Poster. Finally I have seen the profoundly positive impact of teaching students to THINK across the curriculum year after year. If you have not yet discovered this amazing tool, I encourage to you begin tomorrow! You will be thrilled with the results.
As a reader, I have used most, if not all of the reading comprehension strategies I'm about to discuss throughout my years as a student, as I'm sure all of you have. As a teacher, I have guided students through using these strategies during whole-class reading units. Until last week…
When someone asked you, "Have you experienced the ministering of angels?" Most members would pause and need to think. They often are thinking "have I seen or heard something from an angel before?" This pause is because the most important role of angels, while taught, it is often not understood.
Assessment of ESL students does not have to be complicated. Here is a short overview of Bloom's taxonomy, what assessment is and ideas for ESL assessment.
Columnist Ben Hofmeister has learned that your perception of the typical person with MS probably doesn't reflect his reality.
We all know that students who monitor their thinking while reading do better. Therefore it follows that students who monitor their thinking across ALL subject areas will do better in other subjects as well. The problem many students face is knowing how to transition those skills to other subjects. In fact, many don't even know they can! We have to explicitly teach kids to use thinking skills across all subjects. Language of Learning Kids need to know that there is a "language of learning." This is particularly powerful with students who are strugglers, or "our low babies" as we call them at my school. This language includes, but is not limited to: inferring, thinking, determining importance, predicting, questioning, visualizing, schema, purpose, structure, monitoring comprehension, etc. These skills help students dig deeper into metacognition and actively improve their learning. I won't cover the meanings of each of these as I have previously done so on the blog. Actively Using the Language The most important role you play after teaching the skills is to model their use. No matter what subject you are teaching, use the language of learning. Help students find connections (schema) to other content areas. The brain looks for patterns, so encouraging schema helps students move new content into long term memory. Use questioning strategies to help students make inferences, predictions, and determine importance. Make sure you are using the terminology as you teach for the most powerful results. Won't This Take Too Much Time? Ah yes, the time issue. Believe me, I'm right there with you. No it doesn't take a lot of extra time at all. When you are planning, look for places you can utilize the skills in your lesson. However most of your opportunities will arise through active questioning and discussion during the lesson. That's the beauty of this, students will see the application of the skills in real time! Posters To give students a visual connection on bridging the skills from reading to math, I have created a companion poster to my Good Readers poster called the Good Mathematicians poster. This one takes the same skills from the reading poster, but targets them for math. Side by side, these will be a powerful reference for reinforcement! You can make your own posters (I used Swift Publisher 3 on my Mac), or you can download the posters at my TPT store here: Good Mathematicians Poster, Good Reader Poster. Finally I have seen the profoundly positive impact of teaching students to THINK across the curriculum year after year. If you have not yet discovered this amazing tool, I encourage to you begin tomorrow! You will be thrilled with the results.
Understanding characters can be tricky! Learn my favorite strategies for helping students master character traits and changes.
Author David Pulsipher explores Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf recent teaching that “some of the most beautiful parts of our world are created through conflict” but that contention should be avoided.
All of us have an inner narrator that describes the scene and characters of our lives. If your inner narrator writes a script of your partner and marriage in a negative tone, it’s easy to make assu…
Asking a question can be a scary step into the void. How do you create a culture of using questioning in the classroom?
We all have our breaking point. And one 6-year-old girl has successfully pushed her sitter to it.
I love books. Always have. I’ve devoured so many of them and have learned so much. I’m guessing if you’re reading this right now that you feel the same way. But every now and then you come across a book that’s truly special. And it’s not necessarily because it’s super entertaining, popular, or ev
A collection of 25 journal prompts for self-knowledge and self-discovery. Personal growth and personal development always start with self-reflection, and these prompts are perfect for this. They can also be used as guided meditation prompts or morning pages prompts. Journaling and writing is a great
Teach students to think critically as they learn about rhetoric (ethos, logos, pathos), persuasive techniques, and media literacy. Blog post.
Start with the idea of why a teacher should tweet with students (literacy, citizenship, etc.), then move to the idea of a 'routine.'
One of my first teaching experiences, over a decade ago, was in a HeadStart program located in a dense urban area. I loved working with my students’ families and became pretty friendly with a parent who would often confide in me about personal and financial issues. She told me how she had trouble paying her … Continued
Parents around the world would love the magic formula to encourage kids to do their homework. Alas, it's not as simple as waving a wand, but there are some methods for encouraging your kids to develop and stick to a regular homework...
Question: Does Cognitive Behavior Therapy Include Insight?
