If You Give a Child a Packet…Or Sometimes a Worksheet.
Packets come in all shapes, sizes, and subjects.
I have used packets on occasion, less and less with more and more years of teaching..
Packets can be cute, fun, and/or adorable, but it doesn’t disguise its intent. Time spent on, usually, meaningless work, busy work. READ MORE…
The other day I witnessed an interaction in my classroom that made me realize that my students were where I wanted them to be, independent of me.:)
My students were writing blog posts about our trip to Frawley Stadium. They were inserting pics from a Google Folder. This was a new concept, so I taught one or two of them. Teach two, they teach the rest. READ MORE…
photo credit: Boston Public Library via photopin cc
Something I try to avoid doing in my classroom is pigeonholing my struggling students. I know they’re struggling, the rest of the class knows it, and they know it. So why add to their discomfort, frustration, and downright misery, by excluding them from challenging assignments? Why do we assume they can’t do it because they don’t read well, have difficulty solving math problems, or any of the other number of reasons, we separate them?READ MORE…
Dear Accelerated Reader,
I have a bone to pick with you!
I don’t know about other schools, or classrooms, but you are sucking the joy out of reading in my classroom.
Ok, well, it’s not really you, but it’s what you stand for. It’s also what others have made of you. So, I guess it’s not all your fault..READ MORE
While attending the 2011 PLC summit, one of the presenters told us about an experience he had while watching Family Feud. The question was, “What is the reason your child’s teacher is calling your house?” Not one of the “right” answers were positive, not one! Two of the answers were, “Your kid is failing” and “Your kid skipped school”. These answers only served to reinforce the stereotype of parent/teacher communication; we’re the bearers of bad news…Read More
DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER 