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articles to motivate, educate & differentiate
30+ Things I Wish I Knew My First Years of Teaching
If you are like me, I wanted to be a ROCKSTAR in my first years of teaching, but got immediately overwhelmed. I wish I knew half of the teaching tips,... Read More
How to Improve Student Writing With Writing Checklists
Checklists are used for many academic tasks, and writing is a common one. Are they really effective? Absolutely! This post will explore why checklists are used, research results, and how... Read More
6 Successful Strategies for Teaching Colonization
Do you need ideas for teaching colonization? Here you will find book suggestions, comprehension ideas, projects, crafts, activities, and more. These lessons are also included in one of my best-selling... Read More
What Happens When You Let Students Lead Your Conferences?
Are you looking for an effective way to conduct parent-teacher conferences? Why not have your students be in charge? Student-led conferences will not only strengthen an open communication between home... Read More
How To Build Character in the Classroom Every Month
Are you looking for ways to build character in the classroom? Bringing character education into your classroom will give children a sense of community and teach them core values. It... Read More
Step-By-Step Reading with Interactive Notebooks
Step-by-Step Reading is a series of effective reading units used in thousands of classrooms. It is full of engaging lessons and resources. A scaffolding approach helps students understand what they are reading.... Read More
Step-by-Step Writing Program with Interactive Notebooks
Step-by-Step Writing® is an effective writing program used in thousands of classrooms. It is a complete writing curriculum full of engaging lessons and resources for writer’s workshop. Using a scaffolding... Read More
5 Essential Things Every Writing Center Needs
When setting up a classroom or homeschool writing center, there are five things that I found useful for writing success. These items provide your students with the necessary tools to... Read More
How to Teach Theme
Are your students having trouble identifying theme within a story? This step-by-step process scaffolds through several reading comprehension skills to help students get a thorough understanding of theme. Students will... Read More
Arctic Region Igloo Craft
Do your social studies standards include studying the indigenous peoples of the Arctic region? A fun way to celebrate their fascinating culture is to do an igloo craft. This post... Read More
Step-by-Step to Effective Poetry Analysis
Are you looking for ways to help students analyze poetry effectively? This post will share step-by-step ideas to help your students with poetry analysis. When you are finished, they will... Read More
Teaching the Character Trait Honesty
Honesty is one of the most important character traits that children should learn and be able to grasp at an early age. Although any time is a good time to... Read More
A Series of Step-By-Step Writing Mini Lessons
Are you looking for ideas to help your students become successful writers? This post outlines the table of contents for 30+ writing mini lessons that has proven to help students... Read More
TEACHING THE CHARACTER TRAIT PERSEVERE
Although any time is a good time to teach children how to persevere, I think of this character trait at the beginning of The New Year. Character education can be... Read More
Why Language Arts is the Art of Communication
Language arts is one of the most critical components in any youngster’s educational training. It encompasses the various ways that people communicate including speaking, writing, and reading. Although having many... Read More
How to Make Poster-Size Anchor Charts from a PDF
Are you lacking the creative skills to draw your own anchor charts? Don’t stress over having a perfectly drawn, colorful anchor chart. This post will show you how to take... Read More
17 Ways Kids Can Be Thankful
The holiday season is a time people reflect on gratitude and giving. November especially is the month that many teachers introduce the character trait of thankfulness for their character education... Read More
Why Language Arts is Integral to STEM
Every generation has its own idea about how to educate children and prepare them for the future. The newest trend in educational theory is something called STEM. STEM is a... Read More
Writing Mini Lesson #38 on Final Copies
Are your students ready to write a final copy? It is the step following peer reflections in the writing process. This writing mini lesson is part of a series of... Read More
Writing Mini Lesson #37 on Peer Reflections
Do your students particpate in peer reflections? Peer reflection is a step in writing process after revising and editing a rough draft and before the final copy. It is one... Read More