Things Teachers do:

New… http://wp.me/s44ivN-new

New year, new theme, new resolutions, new commitment to writing again (::sheepish::), new quote to start 2015 off with.

To reach port we must sail, sometimes with the wind and sometimes against it. But we must not drift or lie at anchor. –Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.–

This was a story done awhile ago by NPR‘s Planet Money Team. It is extremely cool and looks at the reasons why the goods we buy are produced where. If you teach a class where global integration is something discussed, or if you are just interested the global economy, check it out here!

Weekly Second Thoughts: 3/24/14

Weekly Second Thoughts is a weekly series. This is a look at things that may not have warranted its own post or there may not have been time for. Weekly Second Thoughts will be posted on either weekend day, or the next possible day if we’re traveling. We hope you enjoy…

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Reading:

Lots and lots and lots of blog reading over the last week. If you’ve read past…

Music in the Classroom

There is nothing wrong with a little background noise from time to time. Music can provide this and so much more in a classroom. Our classroom has music on most days. Music is a great way to signal transitions to students, and can provide a non-verbal cue to students for when procedures in class are starting or finishing.

When students walk into class most days, the music is on and turned up a…

Weekly Second Thoughts: 3/10/14

Weekly Second Thoughts is a weekly series. This is a look at things that may not have warranted its own post or there may not have been time for. Weekly Second Thoughts will be posted on either weekend day, or the next possible day if we’re traveling. We hope you enjoy…

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Reading:

A few things working in the reading sphere this week. I continue to try and push…

Recently, my intern was struggling with how to get students attention when it comes to directions. He has worked on a variety of things so far this semester, including voice modification, proximity, and non-verbal cues. He is improving in his usage of all of these. But he still was wondering how to get information across when he just needed students to follow directions. I break classes down into…

Quote http://wp.me/s44ivN-quote

“It is not the ship so much as the skillful sailing that makes for a prosperous voyage.”

-George William Curtis

Teaching With Documentaries

Currently, we rest squarely in the middle of third quarter. Our curriculum covers Latin America during this period of time. The most challenging portion of this is trying to make the material “come alive” for the student. We looked at this last week when talking about students fascination with the Maya Temples.  Another way to make this happen is by utilizing a documentary or video. Two things…

They Made That by Hand?

Its always incredible the things that turn students on to learning. In class, the typical student does what they are asked to do, but might display little “fire” for what is being done. The thing I love about my curriculum is the variety of things we teach. Though at times it seems a burden to cover almost 4,500 years of history in one class, it also allows for the spice of life to be in…

Perseverance

According to Merriam-Webster, perseverance is “the quality that allows someone to continue trying…

A question invariably every teacher has had to answer at some point. As an educator, you push your students to be independent, critical thinkers. So why are we surprised when we get a question like this? It came up in a meeting last week, and while I sat…

2/2/14 http://wp.me/s44ivN-2214

1/26/14 Weekly Update

Students and Social Media

I was recently asked to share my thoughts about students and social media, particularly twitter and…

Watchin T.V. on a Snow Day

Snow day. Again. I know what you’re thinking. Those teachers in Maryland, do they ever work? While…