It can be difficult to find creative ways to teach vocabulary. Check out this list of 17 creative ways to teach vocabulary from 2 Peas and a Dog.
Are you teaching creative writing? Here are some tips and suggestions to help you plan a successful, fun creative writing class.
Let's dive into some new options to teach vocabulary, for those who have the time and energy to pursue them. In this post and podcast, I'm sharing ten ideas for making the study of vocabulary something students might even look forward to.
From mint tins to cereal boxes to "wanted" posters.
Looking to develop your Canva confidence so you can create beautiful handouts, flashcards, and models for your ELA classroom? Great! Find help in this post.
These are easy and fun online teaching ideas that will keep your students engaged, build connections and make class more fun. You will love number 10!
Did you know that our creativity tends to decline as we get older? This is a huge problem since creativity and problem solving are essential skills for STEM careers. Scientists, computer programmers, engineers, and mathematicians all need to be able to think creatively and brainstorm solutions quic
I love teaching and taking creative workshops. I love getting to explore creativity in new ways, I love watching people learn, I love hanging out and chatting with people who love creativity. Creative workshops are the perfect way to do that. I had the pleasure of teaching an Introduction to Waterco
Use the Tug of War Strategy for making thinking visible: Over the last few years my teaching has been heavily ingrained with inquiry based learning, problem/project based learning and open ended questioning.
The toughest part of writing is often getting started. Jump the hurdle with these kid-friendly writing warm-ups that spark creativity!
Welcome to the How-To Guide for First Year Art Teachers where I give you my 10 Steps for Success! Congratulations! You got your own classroom. OH MY GOSH, you have your own classroom. Your mind and stomach start racing, both with extreme excitement and panic because now, it all just got real. You will have a lot of students, a lot of planning, and a lot of classroom to keep organized. Figuring out where to even start is a huge stress and will require a tea (or a beer) and a nap (probably some Netflix too).
When you walk into an interview for a teaching job, you want to feel confident in your skills but also your ability to show them off! In some careers, a resume’ listing experience might be enough, but in teaching, I think it’s a huge boon to go into an interview with a portfolio that really shows the details of that “elementary teacher” position you’ve had (or student teaching). It’s been awhile since I added my On The Hunt for a Teaching Job series, but I know seeing others’ portfolios really helped me (especially as a new teacher!) so I want to share mine. For my portfolio, I picked up a professional binder. Yes, it’s expensive, but you want the cover to say, “I’m credible and you need to look at me!” I used a pre-made Word template to make a cover page and added a photo of me with my class as well as my contact information. In the pocket, I include a resume, and the inside has a matching cover page that works sort of like an informal cover letter. I started with my favorite teaching quote, and used it as a springboard to describe my passion for teaching. I didn’t rehash my resume’ here- but instead wanted to get them interested in me. (Note: Please feel free to use something similar, but please DON’T copy exactly what I wrote. You want it to be unique to YOU!) Another option is to make a brochure. This is really great to leave after an interview, especially if it has a picture so they remember which face goes with which name! Inside, I use dividers to make it clear where I can find certain things. Notice that I said “I can find,” not “the administrator can find.” Administrators may never ask to see your portfolio or have time to do much with it, but if you happen to be in for an interview, a portfolio can be SO helpful! You can see my dividers here, now that I have a few years of experience: Here, you can see my dividers before my last update, when I hadn’t taught in my own classroom. In the past, I just stuck in pages of things I’d done. Most were printed out worksheets, assessments, parent notes, etc. And that was okay, but this time around I decided to show a little more. One HUGE benefit of blogging is that I take lots more pictures of the things going on in my classroom. So, for instance, when I wanted to show my creative lessons, ta – da! I wanted to showcase classroom management, and again, I already had the photos. It’s a great way to not just tell what I would do, but show it. I want principals to be able to imagine me and my classroom in their school! I still kept examples of work and other things behind each section, but these pages made it look really polished. Even if you’re not going to post them on a blog, I’d recommend finding a cheap point-and-shoot camera (or even a smartphone, if you have one) to take photos of your classroom and projects you do. It really helps when a principal wants to imagine you not in a suit, sitting in the office, but in classroom working with students. What’s really great about these pages is that you can print another copy (or go to FedEx Office for more color copies if you just have way too much money) and leave a mini-portfolio at schools without having to leave your nice binder. I used these mini-portfolios when I dropped off resume’s in person, too! When you consider what to include, make sure you think about the basics (classroom management, reading, math, engaging instruction, differentiation, assessment and data, organization), but don’t forget to include a section with your credentials and any honors/ certificates/ professional development/ licenses you may have! (Page protectors will keep you from having to hole punch those important papers.) Think about what makes you unique as a teacher. When they say, “What are your strengths?,” what will you show them? Don’t be afraid to make it unique and bright! For some other professions, you might not want to add color or any element of cute, but I think as long as it looks professional, colorful works really well for standing out. If you’re new here, be sure you check out the rest of this series and my new teacher tips! Next in the On The Hunt series: How to Stand Out (Even Before a Teaching Interview) Thanks for visiting!
If you're looking for a creative way to have fun, then check out these ideas for DIY board games you can make!
Dear all the teachers everywhere, As the founder of Curiscope, it’s been a huge perk of my job to meet and speak with so many passionate, talented and hardworking educators from all over the globe. I learn so much from each and every one of you….and as a result, I felt the need to share awareness of a specific challenge you all have to tackle each and every day.
Time to inspire and motivate your students with these 4 fun bulletin board ideas that are perfect for schools, classrooms, or libraries!
Start the year out right.
I love teaching about trees because there’s much to discover all year, during any season. From bark to leaves, trees are amazing wonders of nature! If you’re planning on studying trees …
Write with a fidget spinner activity, lesson, or summer learning activity that kids actually want to do in class or at home!
STEM activities are a lot of fun and educational, but the best kind of STEM activities are open-ended, allowing children to think for themselves. In this paper plate maze STEM challenge, kids are challenged to make a marble maze using household materials. They must follow all elements of a real design process, including brainstorming, blueprints,
The biggest barrier to teaching coding is the misconception that it is another skill that needs to be taught. In reality, coding is simply a tool that can be leveraged to teach standards in a more powerful, creative, and connected way!
Want to teach art at home or in your community? Here's how to find the right venue to teach your craft and get started on your career as an art or craft instructor.
105 creative writing exercises to get you writing again. Try these short, 10-minute creative writing exercises to beat writer's block.
The biggest barrier to teaching coding is the misconception that it is another skill that needs to be taught. In reality, coding is simply a tool that can be leveraged to teach standards in a more powerful, creative, and connected way!
I recently applied for a first grade position in a neighboring district. The employment in that district is highly competitive. I fortunately landed an interview at a school there and knew I needed something to take with me to showcase my talents and passion for teaching. I had read that teaching portfolios had helped many others in this situation. I have always kept a portfolio each year to meet our state's professionalism rubric, but I needed something a little more tailored to the needs of an interview. I decided to create my own that highlighted some important areas of teaching and that would serve as evidence to questions asked during the interview. Since I was going after a primary grade teaching position, I wanted the colors to be bright and colorful. I think it's also important to put your contact information on the cover, as well as your picture. They might want to keep your portfolio to look over while making their decision. Your picture will help remind them of you and your interview. I also wanted to take them on a tour of my classroom. They should be able to envision me in their building. Since I am a blogger, I have lots of photos of my classroom. I included a blog post after this page in the portfolio that took them through my learning space. You could even add a layout of your classroom from a website that allows you to create those. That would show them that you value classroom layout and like to plan ahead. Classroom management is an area they will definitely want to know about. What is your system? How do you ensure a smoothly run classroom? How do promote positive behavior and desired expectations in your classroom? I included information along with photos of these areas. Not only did I incorporate my latest strategies, I also added strategies of the past that I had tried with my students. Lesson plans should also be included. I have taught kindergarten and second grade, so I included examples of both. If you do visual plans, definitely incorporate those! They are attention grabbers and look great in your portfolio. I included a copy of my current classroom schedule. I wanted them to see that consistency and routine were vital to my learning environment. One section in my notebook was all about lesson plans and creative activities I had incorporated in my classroom. I divided that section up into some effective best practices. In each section, I included the strategy, brain research to support the practice, and photos of them being incorporated into my classroom. I also included some units I had created along with photos of students engaged in activities from those units. Another section in the portfolio highlighted assessment and data. Education is so data-driven these days that I knew I had to incorporate this. I listed all of the assessments I had experience with, included data from assessments I had administered (do not include student names), and showed how I used the data to drive my instruction. You may be asked about parent communication in your interview. In this section, I included newsletters and various other ways I communicated with parents and got them involved in their child's education. I also took the time to break down what my reading and math blocks looked like. I made sure to mention the five components of reading, curriculum I had experience using, and student work samples. I made sure to highlight how each of these areas drove student success. Finally, I had sections for professional development and important documents. You should include any professional development you have attended, as well as any you have led. Be sure to also include documents such as a copy of your teacher license, praxis scores, and a college transcript. There are many more components to my portfolio that you will have access to if you purchase this Editable Teacher Portfolio. I am confident it really helped me receive the first grade position. It provided easy evidence for me to refer to during the interview. The file is a PowerPoint, but you could also save it as a PDF when completed to send digitally to principals. Since it is editable, you can add or take away any pieces to fit your needs. It will definitely make you stand out in your teacher interview! I hope this portfolio is beneficial to you and lands you that perfect job! Happy teaching and best wishes!
Art Lesson Plans for Art Teachers to save you time and restore your work/life balance. Let The Arty Teacher do the work for you.
Write with a fidget spinner activity, lesson, or summer learning activity that kids actually want to do in class or at home!
Teachers are humans. They are not infallible. They make mistakes. Even the best teachers. And they learn from their mistakes and become better educators. So before I share the mistakes that I think many teachers make, I want to preface by saying that teaching is one of the toughest jobs on the planet. I have
Need ideas to teach English to children? Looking for English activities for kids? Read this post for 5 creative, fun ways to teach English to kids so they love every lesson, and key mistakes not to make!
Book reports don't need to be painfully boring. In fact, they can be a ton of fun! Here are 10 creative book report ideas to use in your classroom.
Discover the best crafts to teach. Whatever your skill, some craft projects will be a better fit for a classroom than others. Here's how to think through your own craft skills and discover the best type of project to teach to a class.
So, I failed to get the Friday Flashback Linky up yesterday. What can I say? I didn't get home until 8:00pm yesterday and the brain was officially fried! If you were in the same boat, I hope you'll link up today! Here's a peek at our week... We've been LOVING poetry in room 205! This week we made these precious Poetry Pops to show that our Poetry is popping with onomatopoeia!! And, to review alliteration, we created these Alliterainbows! We've had a lot of fun locating these literary devices in poems that we're reading and also learning to use them in poems that we're writing! Both of the above activities will be in a new Poetry Packet that I'm finishing up now (as in today, I hope!) We've written a LOT of different types of poems over the last two weeks using our Poetry Styles #1 Unit and being inspired by authors that we've read. Here's a look at a few that are ready to be published. We've got even more styles to learn about and write next week, but once we're finished we will be publishing them into hard-bound books. They are always SUPER excited about this! Here's a look at a few of their covers that they worked on designing this week... I got a TON of these hardcovers from a grant I wrote YEARS ago and they have been fabulous. Unfortunately, I have now almost depleted my supply! {Maybe another grant needs to be in my future?} They are from Lintor Publishing if you're interested in them. They come with the binding paper to use with them. Poetry + Music (see my last post about my new Kidz Bop CDs) = student love.... This one put a BIG smile on my face because it was from a student who is not prone to writing "love" notes. And this one was extra special because she referred to a poem we studied in class about question marks being sea horses. And, well, because she loves me like her mom. Boy, do they know how to make you feel better after a L-O-N-G rough week! :)
Looking for ideas for teaching vocabulary? Here are 21 activities for teaching vocabulary in the classroom, along with links to other sources and ideas.
In this quick post, I'm rounding up a bunch of ideas for you to tap into next time you are scheduled to have an observation. Of course, you can also use them any time you want, whether or not anyone's coming to visit. These are great, engaging lesson ideas to showcase your teaching superpower.
One of my favorite topics to teach in my art class, no matter what the age or skill level, is divergent thinking. What is divergent thinking? One of my favorite videos to introduce divergent thinking to my students is the lecture by Ken Robinson. Divergent thinking is the ability to come up with multiple solutions
Are you looking for creative book report ideas for your middle school or elementary classroom? Take a look at this post containing a great idea for a reading project for language arts! Students and teachers alike will love this Book Buffet - you NEED to click through and see the desserts! ;)
Art History & Seasonal Crafts Phonics & Word Work Sentence Building Kits Fairy Tales Sets Poetry Sets Printing Workbooks Sight Words Sets Writing Prompts Thanks for the wonderful feedback! This best seller is a collection of 12 lessons about art history, ranging from […]
14 years ago I walked into my very first art room, full of so much excitement but also feeling totally overwhelmed wondering where to even begin!?
It's Spring! So it's time for a fun Spring learning idea. I created a printable set of Fraction Flowers that includes fractions through 1/10. This can now be purchased in my shop. Fraction Flowers are a
The most adorable miniature banjos made from recycled jar lids and loom bands. This is a great way to upcycle and a fun STEM DIY toy for kids!
These engaging strategies to incorporate movement in the classroom are perfect for the fidgety students & kinesthetic learners in your class!
As our students use more and more images to enhance their digital products, they need to learn how to respect other people's creative ideas and privacy.
Before we jump in: check out this quiz! It reveals your Interview Type and gives you a step-by-step action plan to help you rock the teacher interview and job
Create colorful mosaics of all your favorite characters from the new movie Dolittle!
