A while ago, I posted this on We Are Teachers. If you haven’t hopped over there to check it out, you should. There are tons of great ideas over there. This page is another good back to school page. It’s all about setting goals for the year. Click here to go to my post.
I’ve posted another fun freebie over at my Teachers Pay Teachers Store! This time, it’s a graphic organizer all about what good writers do all throughout the writing process. Click the button below to check it out! Thanks!
Here’s one of my recent printables over at We Are Teachers! It’ll be great for your first week of school when you’re learning about your new students and planning how you can create the best learning environment for them. Click here to go to my post.
What is on the five-year horizon for educational technology K-12 schools worldwide? Well, the answers are waiting for you in the NMC Horizon Report > 2015 K-12 Edition, a report sharing the collaborative research and discussions of a body of 56 experts. The three topics covered in the report are:
Click here to view the report!
Check out this printable over at We Are Teachers! It’s an easy page to practice navigating the dictionary. Click here to go to my post.
Another freebie for you over at We Are Teachers! This one’s all about figuring out how your students learn best. Click here to visit my post and download the page!
Did you know I’ve set up a Google+ community page? The idea is that we can all share freebies we find and harness our collective power! If you’re on Google+, join the conversation! Click here to view or join the Teacher Freebie community on Google+.
I’ve decided to start learning more from other teachers around me. I’m eager to start conversations with other teachers to learn from them. I’ll be sharing what I learn in a series called “Teacher Chat!”
Chat with Diane from the USA
What grade(s) do you teach/have you taught? 2nd & 3rd
What’s one thing you do to prepare for/get through parent-teacher conferences?
I have students write a fill-in-the-blank letter to their parents telling what they like about school, their hardest and easiest subjects, their friends. At the conference, that letter is the first item in their folders. I have the student read it to their parents which gives us a great starting point for talking about reading, or whatever their strengths and weaknesses that they wrote about.
What’s one of your favorite end-of-the-year activities to do with your class?
I love to give each student an award. (There is a great list on squareheadteachers.com.) This is the last thing we do before they leave on the last day. We put the chairs in a big circle and then I pass them out, telling a little about what the student did to earn the award. We let each person determine which cheer they want us to give them for their award. It’s a super positive way to end the year.
What’s one thing you do to encourage good behavior in your class?
Tired of tattling, I made a “Caught InThe Act Doing Something Good” spiral notebook. When kids notice someone doing something good, they write it in the notebook. I read it once a week, kids loved it!
Tell us about one thing you wish you’d known when you first started teaching.
I will never be “caught up” or “finished” with the things I want to do for my class. So, don’t stress, do what you can, then go home and have an enjoyable life outside of teaching.
What gets you through a hard day?
On hard days, I like to remember the small things that I am making a difference on with individual kids – especially the tough ones.
Squarehead Teachers 