A couple of weeks ago, all of our elementary schools in our district had an incredible day to celebrate our year of pro-kindness efforts with our K-4 students. During this morning, a student from each campus spoke and explained how his/her school has changed and the positive impacts it has had, and here is where …
Thinking about my class and students this year, I have been blessed to have worked with these guys for several years. I first met them through teaching them kindergarten gym, taught some of them in grade one and two, and am lucky enough to have several again in their final year at our school in …
It’s hard to think of summer when I awoke to large, fluffy snow flakes accumulating quickly on the ground this morning. And yes, it is May 3. Whether you’re staying in town, going on a traveling expedition, or spending time with your family and friends, it seems as educators we always find ways to integrate …
On April 21, I attended my first ever EdCamp. Not really knowing what to expect, but hearing the rants and raves about how great edcamps are, I figured it had to be a win-win situation. Needless to say, I wasn’t disappointed in the least! The day began with coffee and networking in the morning. It’s …
A few months ago, I was introduce to the app called Zite, which is deemed as an intellectual magazine. I didn’t do much with it until the last couple of weeks, and intellectual may in fact be an understatement to describe the capabilities of this program. When you initially sign up, you choose five areas …
Yesterday, my assistant principal gave my a booklet of a story entitled “Who Moved My Cheese,” by Dr Spencer Johnson. It’s an interesting approach on how people respond to change through the life of four characters: 1) Sniff – A mouse who “sniffs” out change early. He’s ahead of the game. 2) Scurry – A …
It has been my own personal goal this year to learn and understand more about the idea of “Genius Hour,” and how and what it would look like in the classroom. It is a constant buzz word that always includes the ideas of passion, engagement, and self-directed learning for students. Genius hour is a relatively …
Every student comes to us with a different story, a different life, and different experiences. No two are alike. It’s our job to learn their stories, which can be a challenging task on its own, but also allow that to influence our teaching. The best teachers are the ones who build strong relationships with their …
I have always been an avid reader and would still consider myself one today, although recently I’ve felt like the amount and quality of books that I have read has been limited. I’ve been focusing on academic literature, and as much as you can learn many new things, at times some chapters can be difficult …
Removing the “teacher hat” can allow you to reflect and contemplate the varying aspects and teaching methods within your classroom. Being on spring break has allowed me to do just that. What’s working? What would I change? What skills do the students need before the end of the year? How can I integrate technology to …
Out With Erin 