Before rushing headlong into summer, it’s instructive to take a look back. To reflect on what went well during the past school year and what didn’t. Because, unless you know where you need to improve, you’re destined to experience the same frustrations year after ... Read more
Do you teach learner(s) who need extra support with spelling? Then, you’ll LOVE our updated spelling folder. This spelling folder, made with two folders put together, changed everything for my second grader. *Find spelling folders for US readers, Canadian readers, UK, and Australian readers at the very end of this post. Already a subscriber? If ... Read More about Spelling Folder with FREE Printables
Beautiful Travel Photography to Decorate Your Home, Office, Business, Classroom etc! You will receive a high-resolution JPEG file, that can be printed in any size up to 18" x 24". This is a digital item. No physical items will be received. Instant downloads are available immediately after payment processing. HOW IT WORKS: Purchase the listing. Payment will be confirmed within a few minutes. After payment has been confirmed you will receive a download notification email from Etsy. This email will include a link to refer you to the downloads page. Files are not emailed, just the link to your Etsy receipt. Download the files onto your computer. Please note that files can only be downloaded on a computer. The link will not work if you attempt to open on a smartphone/tablet. If you need to re-download your orders again, they can be found under: --- Your Account - Purchases & Reviews - "Download Files" A helpful tutorial on downloading digital files can be viewed here: www.etsy.com/help/article/3949 HOW TO PRINT: Print at home, at your local copy shop, or upload to an online print shop. Frame as desired! Enjoy! :)
In this post, you'll discover the significance of using Assistive Technology in your classroom, from basic tools to advanced devices. Find tools to help kids!
Wondering how to get paid to travel and make money while traveling the world? You've come to the right place! I've been a full-time traveler who's made all of
instagram.com/theparisapartment good morning and happy sunday all! it’s a bright and early morning and another chance to have a great day. sometimes that means lounging around and other times…
So, are you itching for winter break to get here or what?!? I am drowning here, people! Between report cards, conferences (for my students and my own kids!), shopping, baking, parties, wrapping... DROWNING!Don't get me
Whether your students are lethargic or super-charged, adding movement to your lesson plans will help to solve both issues. Not only is it healthy to move throughout the day, but it can also help students focus and become more engaged with the content they are trying to master. Due to the nature of English classes, ELA ... Read More about 10 Ways to Add Movement in the ELA Classroom
Peek inside my traveling Orton-Gillingham Dyslexia Therapist bag to see what Orton-Gillingham materials I bring with me to sessions!
Want to teach online? Candace shares her thoughts on online English teaching as a full-time job or side hustle.
You aren't making these teacher mistakes in your special education class, are you? Here's 6 mistakes teachers and paras in SpEd make PLUS 5 easy fixes too!
Too Tired to Teach? It happens to the best of us. We all have those days where we stay up too late grading papers, planning fun lessons for the next day, organizing materials for science experiments (or binge watching your favorite show on Netflix). Then you pay for it the next day when you have […]
Your new favorite teaching strategy: This pared-down version of learning stations keeps the movement, interactivity and variety while minimizing the prep work.
I'm student teaching with a resource teacher, which means that I often get to push into other classes and observe what is going on in the general education classrooms. I had the pleasure, while taking data last week, to witness the most hilarious lesson I think I've ever seen! Apparently the students had been experiencing difficulty with following directions so to assess who could follow directions and who could not, the teacher and student teacher in this classroom made a list of directions to follow, the first of which was to read all the directions before doing anything and the second direction was to simply write their name on their paper followed by a list of ridiculous directions. Students had privacy folders up so they couldn't copy one another and I will say that all the adults in the room enjoyed watching the students folding their paper, tearing things, banging on their desks, etc. Not a single student followed the directions correctly and I liked this assignment so much that I made my own version of it!
Anyone looking to analyze the epic poem "Beowulf" must first understand Bards, paganism, the warrior king culture, and Anglo-Saxon Christianization to form a complete analysis of Beowulf.
As an ESL teacher, I often hear from classroom teachers that they don't always know where to start when it comes to working with beginning English language learners (ELLs), or newcomers, in small group instruction. In this post I'll share a typical "guided reading" lesson that I would give to my beginning ELLs, as well as a glance of at what a typical week would look like. Let me start by saying, the very first thing I do before I start instructing my newcomers is, I assess what they already know. First, I see if they have literacy skills in their native language...can they read and write? Then, I see if they know alphabet letter names and sounds. Next, I assess their reading level. Since they don't have English literacy skills yet, their reading level typically starts at level "A" (emergent). I can say that most students do have some literacy skills in their home language, and often times, many know some letter names and sounds. So now I've got my starting point! When I first begin working with my newcomers, the main components of reading that I typically focus on are building vocabulary, phonological awareness/phonics and sight words. So a typical week would encompass all three of these skills. Down the road I add comprehension skills, but they are not ready for that yet. Step 1 - Choose an appropriate book. I carefully select books that have relevant vocabulary. For the most part, my main focus is to build their vocabulary. The literacy skills in their native language will transfer to their new language, however, they have an extremely limited vocabulary, so... vocabulary, vocabulary, vocabulary! I chose this book because I wanted to teach my students the word "big." It's also about animals, and I know that most kids are interested in reading about animals! I used gestures to SHOW them what "big" means. It's important to be mindful of your students' age when picking out books. You don't want to give 4th-6th graders books about bunnies or teddy bears. Try picking age appropriate books; which I know can be a challenge if the selection is limited, but you don't want your students feeling embarrassed. Step 2 - Preview the book. Point to and say each animal's name and have the students repeat the names back to you, keeping in mind to speak clearly and to enunciate the sounds in each word. It's important for them to hear how to pronounce the names. A side thought...Think about "A" level books... they are not created with English language learners in mind. "A" level books have repeated sentences, which are GREAT, but they also have very specific vocabulary that students are expected to decode using picture cues. In the book my students read last week, the repeated sentence was, "We go to the _____." The pictures show the family in different locations like the pool, park, library, soccer game, etc. In one picture the family is standing in front of a large fish tank. If I asked English only students where the family is, some might say a fish store or they might even guess aquarium, depending on their background knowledge. Then they'd cross check their thinking with the word and see that it begins with the letter "a" and hopefully they'd say, "It's an aquarium!" But our newcomers don't know what a big fish tank place is called in English, so it's important for us to support our students by saying the names of each vocabulary word. Step 3 - Choral reading! Newcomers feel more comfortable in a choral reading setting. They need help pronouncing the words. They need to hear YOU pronounce the words. Choral reading helps to keep anxiety levels low. (In a few weeks, the choral reading decreases and I will start focusing on decoding.) Step 4 - After reading, review the animal names. Point to an animal and see if they can remember the name. Perhaps make a matching activity with animal pictures and names. Support as needed. Encourage a LOT! Step 5 - I always provide a guided writing activity based off of the book we just read. I use sentence frames to support their thinking and writing. Sometimes I create my own, like the picture below, and other times I'll use a graphic organizer as a follow up activity. On this day I wanted them to understand the meaning of "big," so their writing supported this goal. As they finish their writing activity, I'll ask each student to read some of their writing to me. Then they'll draw a quick picture, which I always ask them to label. I know that my newcomers don't understand every word in the book, and that's OK! They are being exposed to new words and ideas in a repeating format. I want them to get used to the structure of our lessons so that they know what's expected. So, here is what a typical week of small group work entails for my newcomers. Knowing what the focus is each day helps me to zone in on their learning goals. The variety keeps it fun and interesting, yet it's consistent so they know what's expected. As you can see, on Tuesdays I include direct vocabulary instruction, either using the vocabulary from the book, like the animals, monthly themed vocabulary, or content area vocabulary. October Themed Vocabulary (along with sight words and phonics review) One vocabulary activity I have my students do is called the K.I.M. Strategy. In their notebook they write the key word (K), important information (I), sketch a memory clue (M) and write a sentence (S). For my newcomers, I leave out the (I) portion. They are not ready for adding "information." Right now the goal is for them to learn the names of things and simple sentence structure. My higher ELLS definitely include all components of the K.I.M. Strategy in their notebooks. This is what the K.I.M. Strategy looks like. And this is how it looks modified for my newcomers... On Thursdays, I focus on building sight words. When teaching sight words, it's important to teach them in context. Your beginning ELs need context in order to make meaning of the words. I pull a sight word from our books and I include an extension activity with that word. (A link to this resource is provided at the bottom of this post.) I do teach sight words throughout the week, but on Thursdays we always have an extension activity for one of them. As an "exit ticket" I have them orally use the sight word. Today, I asked each student, "What can you do?" And they responded with "I can _____." Then they get a high five, a sticker (big kids like stickers too!), or some encouraging praise. I also include Word Study activities in my small group work. I like using the sorts from Words Their Way. Each Monday they receive a new spelling pattern. Remember, I assessed my students to see what they already knew. Most already knew initial sounds, so I started them with word families. If they did not know initial sounds, I would've started there. I do have one student in this group who does not know many initials sounds, so I spend a little extra focus with him on initial sounds. This resource is from "Words Their Way." My newcomers use this activity to learn spelling patterns AND vocabulary. They are introduced to their new word list on Mondays, then they have independent activities to do with their word list throughout the week in their gen ed classrooms. (It's so important to set newcomers up with meaningful activities that they can work on independently during Reader's Workshop.) Below is their Word Study Activities list. It gets glued into their Reading Notebook. On Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays they work on their independent activities. Friday is Word Study Quiz day! FREEBIE - Click Here And that's what small group instruction looks like with my newcomers. To recap, assess what students can do to evaluate your starting point. Focus on building vocabulary, sight words in context, word spelling patterns and choral reading to start. My guided reading lessons usually looks like... preview the book, front load main vocabulary, choral read, and end with a guided writing activity with sentence frames. Here's a TIP: Many times I make my own guided writing activity based on what I want the students to learn from the book. I'll write the activity in my notebook, make copies, cut them to size, then have students glue it into their notebook. Keep this notebook! You may get a newcomer next year, and when you do, many of your guided writing activities will already be made. You'll just need to find the book that goes with the activity. My notebook where I write out the guided writing activities. I know that many school districts lack ESL resources and often times the classroom teacher is the only one providing instruction. Knowing where to start with beginning English learners is probably the biggest challenge. I hope that this post gives you some ideas about where to start and what to focus on with your new students. To read more about the K.I.M. Strategy, click here. Affiliate links below for Sight Words and Word Study.
Money is available to help fund teachers’ professional trips. Here are some resources to help you find and apply for grants and fellowships.
In this virtual Japan tour you can explore the highlights in famous cities such as Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, and the Fuji Five Lakes Area all from home.
A finely designed world globe with intricate details and geography. Classic spinning globe with metal stand that is more durable and great for office, study room, kid's bedroom, and classroom desktop decoration. It will also make a great gift for your relative and friends. Globe Diameter:14cm/5.52inch Base Diameter:11.5cm/4.53inch
You spend hours marking and commenting on student work, and then they don't even read your feedback. The solution is all in how you time it.
20 ways to make teaching and learning the wonderful world of grammar fun.
Read 12 facts about Christmas in Germany, including German Christmas traditions and interesting ways that Germans celebrate the season.
Develop speaking, listening, thinking and reasoning skills with these twelve fun verbal games to play with preschoolers, kindergarteners and bigger kids.
Teens in the 80s had a lot of posters, the ultimate way of creating the perfect bedroom!
32 sentences to correct. You can practise verb forms (present, past, future), modal verbs, questions, comparatives, pronouns. Key included. Hope you find it useful. Have a nice week, mada :) - ESL worksheets
Our Spelling dictation words this week are focusing on plurals. I'm a bit worried about introducing this concept with ELL learners, so I th...
What types of accommodations can help students with ADD and ADHD? Here are some classroom accommodations to talk over with your child’s school.
Here's a template for all your hangman playing needs! Of course, you don't need a template at all. My kids and I have played hangman on various bits of scrap paper found in my purse, including receipts! But having a template is fun too and helps when playing with younger kids. The version above includes the outline of the hanged dude and outlines for letter blanks. These make it easy for kids to trace. The version below has no outlines which allows players to make longer words, phrases, or even more complex hanged dudes! Hangman really is a game of unlimited fun! If you need directions on how to play Hangman, About.com has thorough instructions. Just click on the Hangman templates, and you can download them from GoogleDrive. After downloading, feel free to print them as many times as you like!
You can squeeze a surprising amount of information into 140 characters. I’ve used twitter for several years, but my use of it changed once I made an account for my blog. It became a quick, easy platform for sharing my life in Germany with other bloggers, expats, and curious travelers. I looked back over everything I tweeted during our year in Germany and now I’m sharing the best and most informative tweets here. I tweeted about what we learned, dealing […]
Learning German? Find out how you can easily avoid the most common German mistakes with these super simple fixes in under 10 minutes!
The more languages we know, the more we laugh.
This study guide and infographic for Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels offer summary and analysis on themes, symbols, and other literary devices found in the text. Explore Course Hero's library of literature materials, including documents and Q&A pairs.
For those who learned French in the classroom, I'm guessing the teacher was not willing (or able) to teach students how to properly and thoroughly cuss in French. So, in that vein, here are some of my very favorite French curses. These are the things you hear spilling out of cab driver's mouths, accidentally being shouted by a grandmother when she drops the milk, or accompanied by grimaced faces and occasional hand gestures in the streets of Paris. Now, before you go around dropping the French equivalent of the F bomb on your next trip, keep in mind that language plays an immensely important role in French culture. In fact, being articulate and well spoken is considered to be an extremely valuable asset and characteristic, and while the French also like to curse a lot, the term most often associated with curse words is "unrefined." However, in the right place, with the right people, you can impress your French friends (and make them giggle) by appropriately using these very useful and colorful curses. Julie's 10 Favorite French Swear Words 1. Merde!(maird) This translates quite literally as "shit." You'll definitely hear "merde" used in France in as wide of a context as "shit" in English. Sometimes, for extra emphasis, you'll hear people say "MAIR-duuuhhhh" instead of the more accurate "maird". 2. Putain!/Pute!(Poo-TAHN)/(poote) This word packs a serious punch, so use it with caution (and maybe not in mixed company). Putain literally translates as "easy girl" but tends to be used more like the word "fuck" in English. Not only can it be used as an emotional reaction to something, like "Fuck!" in English, you can also direct it at someone in particular, "ça pute" (that easy girl). People joke that the word "fuck" can be used as every part of speech in English, and in French, putain functions much the same way. 3. Chiant/ça me fait chier(CHI-ant)/(sa meh fey CHIay) This word is most commonly used in the context of "ça me fait chier," which translates as a more vulgar version of "that pisses me off." 4. Salope! (sal-OPE) You'll most likely be directing this one at someone in particular, rather than as an angry expletive shouted in response to something. It translates as "bi***," and is used pretty much exactly the same way the word is used in English. Also, like in English, you can incorporate this word into a a phrase like "fils de salope" (son of a bi***). *salop (pronounced sal-OH) is the masculine version 5. Foutre/ Je m'en fou (FOO-truh)/(Juh men foo) Again, although you may hear this dropped around a lot, use it with caution as "foutre" is the verb for "to fuck." You'll most often hear this in the phrase "je m'en fou," which essentially means "I don't give a fuck." This also became one of my favorite phrases while I was living in Pairs and it was another one that would make my grande tante (great aunt) cringe when it slipped out at home. 6. Con/conasse/connard (cohn)/(con-ASS)/(con-ARD) This is often used as "ass" in French, though it is also sometimes translated as a milder "idiot." There is a famous movie in French titled "Le Dîner des Cons," which is about a group of Parisian businessmen who each bring a "con," or an idiot, to dinner and then the favorite "con" is chosen at the end (i.e. the guy who makes the biggest fool of himself). If this sounds familiar, it's because it was remade in America as "Dinner for Shmucks" with Steve Carrell and Paul Rudd. 7. Nique ta mere! (neek tah mare) Watch out for this curse, as it literally translates as "fuck your mother." This phrase is not only extremely vulgar, but also very offensive and should be reserved for situations when only the most extreme curse is needed. 8. Ta Gueule! (ta-GOOL) This is just about the rudest way possible of telling someone to shut up. While it does not really have an exact equivalent or translation in English, it's kind of like saying "shut the fuck up," or "shut your trap." You'll definitely hear this in banter among friends, but it can also be used in a really insulting way. 9. Casse-toi! (kass-twah) This French curse became the center of a French controversy when President Sarkozy was caught saying this to a French citizen who had refused to shake his hand at an agricultural fair in France. This insult is kind of like a very rude way of saying "bugger off," or maybe even "fuck off." Combined with another expletive (like "con"), it can actually pack quite a powerful punch. 10. C'est des conneries! (Say-day-KOHN-ree) Clearly this curse is related to #6 on this list, and can be translated best as "this is bullshit." I particularly enjoy this phrase and find it very useful in my daily life. I also like to throw in extra words for emphasis like "C'est vraiment des conneries!" (That is REALLY bullshit). >>Check out some of our Paris resident's essential French swear words, too. So, those are my favorite French swear words and cusses. You may have your own colorful expletives. What's your favorite way to swear in French? Also, check out these juicy posts to see what it's like to live in France: More French curse words 5 French summer road trips 39 gifts for the Francophile in your life Sexy French footballers What to wear in France in the summer What to wear in France in the winter
History can be a very fascinating and exciting subject to study, but it can also be dry and boring if not done the right way. Most textbooks focus on teaching children the highlights and dates, but making history come to life is important. That’s why I encourage using living books to teach history. There are …
THE GREEN WORM GOES TOWARDS THE GREEN GLASS.
One of the most frequent questions I get from friends, family and readers is “what are your kids doing for school?” This should really be answered in a 10 piece series or something, but
German is a great language for learning by podcast. There is a big selection, so I've gone and selected 9 of the best shows for you to discover. In this article, you'll find German Podcast Courses from Deutsche Welle Podcasts in Slow German German Video Shows Story-Based and German Cult
Why your child's brain needs the right sensory input for better motor output to enhance learning in the classroom.
Learning how to read German doesn't have to be a painful undertaking. It can be fun! The trick is to remember that the process takes time, commitment and patience. Don't expect to learn everything all at once. But keep at it, and you'll...
I believe the best way to teach your kids about the world is to show it to them! That being said, I know there are seasons when it just isn't possible (or
