22 Ways to Teach Poetry from the NY TImes

From the New York Times Learning Section, this valuable link will enable you to go beyond an April poem acrostic and sink into some real good stuff! 

All the NY Times Lessons!

The Learning Network from the New York Times is one of the best resources! A great go-to as you plan your lessons and need that extra article. Here's the entire lesson plan link: all lesson plans, all in one place!

Fidget Spinners - Where Do They Fit?

At first I was really annoyed by the Fidget Spinners that I saw in the store. The salesman told me that teachers hated them but he was selling a boatload of them.

I observed them in the hands of students in classrooms. Not so bad if there was a discussion going on. Not so bad if the students were watching something off the screen. This reminded me of the times that I knit and watch TV. Not so bad.

BUT... probably not so appropriate when students are asked to write, read, make, work through classroom activities. Then I'd  have to classify them as a distraction except for our special needs students who have them as part of a plan to reward or use up excess energy in a very low attention way. Maybe then.

Read more here:    Education Weekly Article 

Summer Reading Contest from the NY TImes

The NY Times Annual Summer Reading Contest

End of the Year - Ask These!

From Ed Weekly...

Five Questions to Ask Yourself Near the Year's End

The month of May sometimes feels like a stumbling stagger toward the finish line. It can also be a time to reflect. Before the rush of the school year recedes into a hazy memory, give yourself 15 minutes to ponder these five questions. Grab your computer, or scrounge up a pen and notebook, and jot down your responses. Talk about them with a friend, family member, or colleague you trust. Or take a long walk, some evening when you’re not too worn out, and give yourself a little time to ponder.

1. What have you taught? This means a lot more than the bulleted content outlined in the standards. What have you taught the children in your care this year, by your words or example, about how to be a human being in the world?

2. What have you learned? What do you know now that you didn't in August about children, teaching, and yourself?

3. What have you done well? Teachers tend to be hard on ourselves. Don't gloss over your strengths and successes, large or small.

4. What do you need to work on? Not a single teacher in the entire world has had a flawless school year, so don't beat yourself up for the ways you may have fallen short. But think about what you can change or learn to better meet your students' many needs. Seek out resources on teaching English-language learners. Resolve to speak more kindly to the children in your class, even when you're frustrated. We still have a little time left to make those changes.

5. What impact did you have beyond your own classroom? Teacher leadership doesn't have to happen on a grand scale to be significant. If you led a professional development session at your school, gave your grade-level team an idea for a project, or gave a new teacher a little reassurance and wisdom right when she needed it most, your influence extended beyond your own students.

Poems for Mother's Day

Poems for Mother's Day

Educational Specialists Day

Celebrate with Us! 

 Fist Bump

Knowing look

I just created this SPECIAL Day, May 12th and I declare it to be 

Educational Specialists Day!

Here are some suggestions for celebration rituals...

• Say "Thanks for be so Special" to all your Specialists
• Give them a light fist bump
• Flash a smile and a knowing look

Celebrate all the people in your building who are Special!