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Benefits of Social Emotional Learning (SEL)
Social Emotional Learning (SEL) seems like the new buzz word in education. I have sat through staff meetings focused on it, professional development seminars and I have taken courses on it. But SEL isn’t a new concept, it just existed in the past under different names. I’m sure you’re saying, when will I find the time to teach another new idea in my classroom. I am already crunched trying to cover my grade level standards! SEL Can Improve Schoolwork and Academics Students who feel safe and supported can focus on their academics. When students are in an environment that promotes SEL tend to be more comfortable asking for help. They…
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Back to School Checklist!
Well, it’s that time of year. Us teachers in Mass are gearing up to go back to school. Some of you teachers down south are probably back already, but we’re all in the back to school season! Going back to school can be stressful, especially if you are starting a new position or at a new school. I am going to share with you my back to school priorities. Get your caseload In previous years I was able to get a rough draft of my caseload in the spring. This year was different as my position was getting shuffled around through the summer. And now, it is the eve of…
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Differentiated Worksheets
Being able to meet the needs of all of the learners in your classroom can be a challenge. You have students who are struggling with the work in the same class as students who are excelling. You don’t want to leave the struggling students behind but you also want to be challenging the advanced students. When you leave advanced students unattended, they get bored and can become behavior problems. Because of this, I created differentiated worksheets. These worksheets cover all of the topics of solving equations but do it at varying levels of difficulty. Level A Worksheets The worksheets that are in the Level A group have all problems that…
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My July 2019 Book Reviews
This month I finally got some great reading time and put a dent into my goal for the year. Part of that is because I went on vacation this month and spent a good chunk of time, sitting on the beach on Martha’s Vineyard absorbing a novel. The First Conspiracy by Brad Meltzer I am a big fan of Brad Meltzer’s writing. He has written some great historical fiction/political thrillers that have kept me enthralled from the first page to the last. But, this book was not quite up to my expectations. I like reading about presidents and I did learn a lot about George Washington in this book. But,…
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Tips to Build an Instagram Following
Creating a following on Instagram can be difficult. I have been working at this for about a year now and I am watching my follower count slowly creep up. I am always on the lookout for new tips and tricks to help run my Instagram account and to build my brand. Be Yourself Creating a personality on Instagram is important. You want your followers to feel like they know you. If the personality that you decide to portray is not your own, it will be difficult to continue it. Decide who you want to be on Instagram. Choose the pieces of your personality that suit your audience. If you have…
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The Best Upper Elementary Read-Aloud Books
Reading aloud to students is so important. Even as students get older, and can read to themselves, they can still benefit from hearing someone read aloud to them. Jim Trelease wrote about this in The Read-Aloud Handbook. Students can benefit from reading books that may be above their reading level. They can benefit from having proficient reading fluency modeled for them. It can expose them to more vocabulary. It gives the whole class something to have discussions on, among other things. I gathered a list of my favorite read-aloud books for upper elementary students. Harry Potter Series by JK Rowling The Harry Potter Series is a personal favorite of mine. …
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How to Become a Teacher Blogger!
Have you ever thought of starting a blog? Are you looking for ways to bring in some extra money? Do you like to write? Maybe starting a blog is something that you would enjoy! If you have ever considered starting a blog, it can be scary! What if I am unsuccessful? What if I stink at it? What if no one reads it? These are all valid concerns, but if you don’t try… you’ll never know! Research the blogging platforms There are so many to choose between. I have a self-hosted blog for which I use Blue Host and WordPress. Blue Host is where I host my website and WordPress…
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How to Prevent Teacher Burnout
For me, I am less than a month into the school year, but it has been a long month! I am already looking for tips and tricks to prevent burnout. Work Out Taking a little time for yourself everyday is a great step toward keeping yourself calm and collected. I like the Rachel Hollis theory of making your body move for 30 minutes every day. Whether you do a half-hour intense workout, or you go for a 30 minute walk after dinner, just let your body move! Working out sends your body a rush of endorphins. This allows your body to feel good and also gives you something to be…
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My June 2019 Book Reviews
The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine This was my book club book this month. I personally really liked it but after reading the reviews on Goodreads, I can understand why this book could be triggering to some people. Of the negative reviews, personally, none of those things did I think of or feel while reading the book, but after reading other people comment on them I saw where they were coming from and why they would hate this book. This story was about a girl pretended to be named Amber. She develops a fake life as a sister of someone who passed away from Cystic Fibrosis in order to…
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Grow Your Business with Sales Funnels
Are you looking to kick start your sales? Well, I have some GREAT news! Isa Adney is back with another free webinar to help you grow your business through sales funnels. Why You Need to Use Sales Funnels Believe me, I know you’re thinking right now that this is something that is not for you! Sales funnels are overwhelming, and email, in general, is terrifying and out of my comfort zone. But! If you want to be a successful blogger, you need to be utilizing your email list and constantly communicating with those customers. Sales funnels, when done well, are a great way of building a relationship with your audience,…
