After An Educator's Journey
Out of the classroom & into the universe
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Once upon a time, I taught 2nd, 3rd, and 4th graders. Now I’m retired and working on new ventures.
Category: classroom management
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How do you define your classroom space? I like to call mine collaborative classroom design. As a follower of Responsive Classroom, I know how important it is for students to feel ownership and have a voice in designing the space we share. When I walk into my classroom space for the first time after a summer break, I…
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How do you start planning for a new school year? I begin with thinking about my daily schedule. At the beginning of my career, this was more problematic because teachers weren’t given all the contributing factors (like lunch, recess, and special schedules) until the day before the kids came. That made for a long night…
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“I can” statements are part of our lesson planning. I craft these statements for each segment of our day, direct student attention to them before, sometimes during, and after a lesson. One of the mini lessons I planned this week was to introduce students to an FQR organizer (Facts-Questions-Response). Of course that included a link…
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It rained last Thursday. Which isn’t really news-worthy unless you are a teacher with just a few weeks left of summer break. A rainy day is usually the impetus for me to start readying my classroom for the first day of school. This year I am a bit more behind the eight ball than usual…
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I recently read this post from Germantown Avenue Parents’ blog. Those behavior management tools – like the mentioned stoplight? Do they really help kids get behaviors on track? In my school, we are required to hang a pocket chart. Each child has an assigned number and flips cards through a series of colors – green…
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In the upcoming school year, I will be changing grade levels and classrooms. Honestly, I am not sure which of those two is more scary – learning a new curriculum or moving my collected treasures. The move to a new classroom is at once exhilarating and deflating. I do welcome the chance to vigorously downsize…
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When you ask kids about their favorite subject in school, one of the most popular answers (after lunch) are “recess” and “gym”. Why is that? Kids seem to inherently know they need some physical exercise. They know they feel better when they get to move around. Brain and body breaks aside, kids need to exercise.…
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This week my principal approached me with an intriguing question – would you be willing to loop to fourth grade with your students? I needed a little time to think about that, but not for the reasons you might assume. My hesitation had nothing to do with a repeat year with my students, some of…
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In a past life I was a musician and a music teacher. While I lacked the talent and drive to become a professional musician, music has always been something I’ve enjoyed. In our classroom, when students need to complete a transition from one activity to the other – for example, universal breakfast clean up to…
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Lots of schools districts – including the one in which I work – have been revisiting safety procedures since Newtown’s tragedy. That’s a good thing. But as with many suggestions for educators, there are some incredibly myopic ideas out there. Recently I heard the suggestions that educators plan room arrangements so that bookcases can be…
After An Educator's Journey 