Teaching kids reading nowadays is a juggling act, balancing a wide range of abilities and skills with confusion, engagement, and boredom. Differentiation is a must, not a suggestion anymore. Full class lessons are often replaced with guided reading groups. Planning guided reading groups Guided reading can be a bit daunting for primary teachers. When you consider all of the different guided reading activities, it's no wonder we sometimes feel overwhelmed! But guided reading doesn't have to be complicated. In fact, planning guided reading groups is actually quite simple, and the benefits are well worth the effort. Here are a few tips to get you started.First, do some pre-assessment to decide on appropriate reading levels to start with. Then, choose texts...
The primary goal of therapy is self-acceptance and self-fulfillment. This means accepting oneself for who they are and finding ways to lead a fulfilling life despite any negative thoughts or feelings. It is important to remember that therapy is a process and not a quick fix. It takes time and effort to work through any issues that may be present. However, the rewards of therapy can be great. Those who learn to accept themselves and find fulfillment in life often find that they are happier and more content with their lives. Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is a method of changing one’s private experience of stress and maintaining one’s commitment to a relationship. What is the primary goal of the...
Halloween is just around the corner, and by now, many of your students have likely already gotten into their parents' hidden candy stash. It's been my experience that students tend to have extra energy around this time of year. So much so that it can be difficult to keep students engaged in course content. You can put this extra energy to good use, however, by giving students hands-on ELA activities that get them up and moving around the classroom and working together. Over the years, I've discovered various activities that keep students engaged during this exciting time of year. I'm sharing my 5 favorite hands-on Halloween ELA activities below!1. Zombie Escape RoomThe Zombie Escape Room might be my favorite Halloween...
Having students create timelines has been a standard in the playbooks of history teachers since the beginning of history. Writing a timeline is a good way for students to chronologically summarize sequences of events and see how the events are connected. When I was a student and when I started teaching timelines were made on large pieces of paper. For someone with handwriting like mine and a keen interest in history, there was never enough room on even the largest paper to make the timeline look nice. Today's students can make timelines online and not have to worry about running out of space nor are they limited to just having text on their timelines. These are my go-to recommendations for creating...
I already said my piece when it was announced that Charles Martinet was going to be disrespectfully replaced by Chris Pratt to voice Mario Mario in the upcoming Nintendo and Illumination animated feature, "The Super Mario Bros. Movie." I already mourned the reality of losing "Here we gooooo!" for a phoned-in, mildly Brooklyn-esque Pratt saying "Here we come." Nintendo released a first-look poster for the film two days ago, highlighting the honestly impressive animation of the Mushroom Kingdom, and a from-behind look at everyone's favorite mustachioed plumber. The lil' Toad people? Adorable. Princess Peach's castle? Perfection. The Cheep Cheep hiding on a sign in the marketplace? Fantastic. There was just one, glaring problem: Where is Mario's trademark juicy ass? Tune...
