I’m wondering what tips you have for easing in and out of dismissal on that first day of school. Sure, school situations and classrooms vary, yet I’m guessing most teachers face similar concerns. Who is authorized to pick up whom? Which students are permitted to walk home? Which kids are in afterschool programs? Are bus…
Classroom Routines
It’s Monday!
Sometimes Mondays can be a drag, can’t they? I admit that, this morning at 5:30, I wasn’t really ready for Monday. But once I got rolling (thanks to a hefty dose of caffeine), I perked right up. Monday? What’s so bad about Monday? I love Mondays! 🙂 Here’s what I’m wondering. Do you find your…
Five Must-Dos for Back-to-School
Okay, y’all! I’m thinking some of you are already preparing (or thinking about preparing) your classrooms for the start of school. Perhaps others of you have teaching jobs, but no one is saying what grades you’ll teach or which classrooms you’ll occupy. And, hopefully, there aren’t too many of you who are still waiting to…
Million-Buck Giveaway Reminder
Ha! That title drew you in, didn’t it? You’ll have to read yesterday’s blog, “End-of-the-Day Chaos,” to get the scoop. And, if you’ve already posted, I encourage you to visit the blog again. Julie has a request. Susan has a question for Sarah. And who knows, after reading the comments, you might think of another…
Student Portfolios
I have a bunch of questions about student portfolios! In fact, I have so many questions that I think it’s only fair to make this a giveaway post! My first question is this: do you collect work samples for student portfolios? I’ll admit that as a teacher I wasn’t very consistent when it came to…
Student Homework
So what’s up with homework these days? Do you assign your students homework? Do you have a weekly homework plan? Does your school have a homework policy? Around our office there’s a fair amount of homework-related chatter. It’s interesting because I see it as the flip side of homework. I know students groan over homework—been…
Eyes and Ears, Please!
Since it’s back-to-school time, I’m thinking a quick warm-up of teacher phrases might be fun! I feel certain y’all have some great ones. What are your favorites? Here are a few I gathered from my colleagues: “Keep four on the floor” (chair legs), “Sit crisscross applesauce,” “Be loud and proud” (when sharing in front of…
Book Drawing Countdown
Happy Thursday to you! How’s it goin’? My day got off to a bit of a shaky start. I overslept, jumped out of bed, and immediately stepped on my cat’s tail. Not a great way to start the morning. However, all is fine and dandy now. Smiles all around—and, Theo, if you’re on the computer,…