I’ve been doing so much “serious” blogging lately that it’s starting to get a little stuffy around here! It’s time for some teacher humor! You know when you’re on a roll, checking things off your teacher to-do list like a boss, and then suddenly everything comes to a screeching halt because you can’t find….the GOOD…
Reading Strategies What reading strategies do students need to learn, anyway? It would be so nice if the standards would just spell it out for us! Unfortunately, I’ve never seen that. I’ve racked my brain and made this cheat sheet of the reading strategies I’ve frequently seen in teacher’s guides, professional books, and trainings. Click…
I will never forget my first day of student teaching when my host teacher put a 2-digit by 2-digit division problem on the board and asked the kids to mentally solve it. I’m not sure what her point is here because I’m sure they’ll all be stumped. After a couple of minutes of silent “think time” she…
Inside: Teaching writing DOESN’T have to be complicated! With these simple strategies, you can improve students’ writing without having to work so hard. M rs. Braun? I turned around to an outstretched notebook in a kid’s hands. “I don’t know what to do next,” said the student. I leaned closer to decipher the…
Everything you needed to know about teaching phonics, you learned in college….right? Wrong! My professors were great, but there really wasn’t a course dedicated to teaching phonics. Once you have your own classroom it doesn’t take long to realize that the phrase “sound it out” will only get your students so far. Don’t worry! I’ve…
Research and best practices for teaching vocabulary in the elementary classroom. I’m back this week linking up with #TeacherMom for her Building Back to School series. This week we’re talking about language tools. I’ve done some digging to see what research tells us about teaching vocabulary. Here’s what I found: A Strong Vocabulary Is…
Back to School Tips I’m linking up my back to school tips with some other great bloggers today for the Back to School is as easy as 1, 2, 3 link up. After 8 years of teaching the one thing I wish I would have known from the beginning is this: I tend…
A list of activities that build number sense in the elementary math classroom. Especially for 1st and 2nd graders. This post contains affiliate links. “Mrs. Braun?” a second grader asked. “What comes after September?” With a smile, I responded, “October,” but my stomach tightened like it does when I realize I’ve left my curling…
You know, staff meetings bring out a lot of things in people…not all of them good. I distinctly remember one line that was said at a staff meeting that brought out some panic in me. But let me back up to say that I (and I bet probably you, too) got into teaching to have…
Teacher Humor – I used to work in a smaller town that had one WalMart and that’s where you’d find everybody on the weekends. The second I got cranky with my kid, tried to pick out some underwear, or looked for any health and hygiene products…”HI MRS. BRAUN!!!” Ahhhh! It’s all fun and games…