Self-esteem is a fragile, fickle thing, especially in children. As teachers, we want nothing more than to see our students develop their personalities in a safe environment where their egos can stay intact. Unfortunately, kids can be cruel, and self-esteem and egos can be easily damaged leading to much larger problems down the road. While there is … [Read more...] about Building Student’s Self Esteem
Teambuilding that Integrates Content
Last month I posted about how to Integrate Content into Class Builders, and it got me thinking more about students interaction in the classroom. Cooperative learning theory posits that students are at their best when they move, interact with others, and have fun. This doesn't mean that everything has to be an elaborately planned activity with … [Read more...] about Teambuilding that Integrates Content
Gamifying Test Prep
That time of year is here. Time to button down the hatches and prepare for the big test. Whether you are taking the STAAR, the PARCC, or some other test, there are always days devoted to test prep. You can break out the worksheets and then hope for the best, or you can really, truly engage your students through gamification. Gamification is a … [Read more...] about Gamifying Test Prep
My Texas Symbols and Cultures Notebook
The Texas Symbols unit is probably the most fun we have all year in Texas History. My students LOVE to learn about how each of the symbols was selected and where they can find them around the state. Texas Symbols was always a crowd pleaser in our class, because we were able to really have fun with it! It usually came during the last couple weeks … [Read more...] about My Texas Symbols and Cultures Notebook
Helping Students to Overcome Anger
From time to time it is going to happen. When you work with tiny humans or large ones for that matter, invariably there will be a point when someone becomes angry. This is especially apparent when student hormones are a-raging as they tend to be in school. Whether it is one student that is angry a lot of the time or a sweet student that lost their … [Read more...] about Helping Students to Overcome Anger