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Ways to Differentiate Homework
Homework is a hot topic in my district right now. Parents complain because we give too much, or not enough, or its too hard. Homework can be difficult for students who struggle. They think that they understand what is going on when they are in class, but when they get home, they have no idea what they’re doing. Don’t Give Homework Just to Give Homework Make sure that all of the homework that you give is meaningful. Think to yourself, what is the educational purpose of this homework. And if you’re not happy with your answer, maybe that isn’t something you should be giving for homework. I am not arguing…
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September 2018 Book Reviews
Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman This novel starts with an attention-grabbing scene. The main character starts the book in the prologue, burying a body that you quickly find out is her husband’s. After that we flashback to find out why. The story is about a young couple who stumble upon a mysterious package while diving on their honeymoon. What they then do with the package is where the action comes in. This novel is supposed to be a thriller but I felt as though it felt short. It was odd, the storylines were unbelievable at times, and not in a good way. I would have to give this book 2…
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Get Control Back in Your Classroom!
We all have those days where no matter what we do or say, the students just don’t cooperate. Sometimes those days get so bad that we sit back and wonder if we’re really cut out for this job! I know that I have had those days, more towards the beginning of my teaching career but they still happen. When you have that classroom that is just defeating you, here are some tips to regain control of your classroom. Stay Calm Letting the students get you worked up and get the best of you is not going to help anyone. This is the hardest of all of my tips, but it…
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What’s in My Teacher Bag
I am a special education teacher and I teach eighth-grade inclusion. Which means I co-teach five classes with three different teachers. Because of this, I am very rarely in my classroom and have to travel with a lot of belongings. I thought I would share with you a glimpse into what I keep in my teacher bag and why I travel with it! My Planner I am obsessed with my Erin Condren teacher planner. I use it to keep my life organized. Since I am not the content area teacher, I don’t keep a curriculum plan in my planner because each teacher I co-teach with has it in theirs. What…
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Positive Reinforcements for Middle School Students
Often, I have a difficult student that results in me and my team creating a behavior plan for that student. More often than not we work towards using positive incentives for students to earn with the behavior chart rather than consequences or taking things away. But, with middle school students, sometimes it is hard to find age-appropriate rewards. Get the Parents Involved I try to get the parents involved with the behavior plans. Sometimes the most appropriate rewards for the students involve things that are more appropriate to happen at home. I have had students whose parents determined that the best reward was some screen time after dinner or a…
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August 2018 Book Reviews
Real Murders by Charlaine Harris Alright, I am not going to lie to you, I read this book because I love the Hallmark series with Candace Cameron Bure. The story is about a woman who lives in a small town and is a part of a club where they research and discuss murder cases from history. In this novel, the members of her club begin to be targetted, and all of the crimes match historical murders. The main character, Aurora Teagarden, is a charming and quirky single woman who maintains a strong relationship with her mother who lives in the same town. If you are a fan of the movies, Aurora…
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Tips for a New Inclusion Teacher
Teaching inclusion can be overwhelming for someone who is new to the job, or maybe you are just in a new co-teaching relationship. There are so many things to worry about, from the needs of your students, to your co-teaching relationship, to working with parents. Here are some tips for someone who is new to inclusion. Treat all of the students the same It is easy to go into the classroom and focus on only the students on your caseload. It is your job to help these students and ensure that they are receiving all of their necessary accommodations and modifications. But, you need to remember that for optimal co-teaching,…
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Tips for a Successful IEP Meeting
Start with something positive An IEP meeting can be stressful for parents. You are determining whether or not their child has a disability, or you have already decided on this and you are meeting to make sure that they are still making progress. This can be upsetting and uncomfortable for parents as a lot of the information that is going to be shared may not be positive. Always start your IEP meeting by telling the parents the good things that you think about their child and how much you enjoy working with them. This sets a positive tone at the beginning and lets the parent know that you are on the…
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How to Turn a Blog into a Side Hustle!
Starting a blog was something I didn’t put much thought into… at first. I used an already existing Gmail account and just activated a Blogger account. I put together a few posts, tried to set up Google ads, sat back, and waited… and waited… and waited… It was quickly evident that this half-baked attempt to start a blog was not going to be the key to my financial freedom. So at this point, I was faced with a decision… do I throw in the towel? Or so I invest some money, a lot of time, and figure out how to do it the right way. Fortunately, I chose the latter.…
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My July 2018 Book Reviews
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman I had to take a day to digest this book before I wrote a review. This book was unique. The story is about a thirty-ish girl names Eleanor. Eleanor works as an office assistant for a digital company, and she is fond of routines, order, and vodka. It is difficult to tell if Eleanor is someone who has Autism Spectrum Disorder, or if there is something else going on. This book was a lovely book about learning to let yourself love others and learning to allow people to enter your life. It was a great read. I give this book 4.5 out…
