Ninja Notes

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Classroom Tips

Must Know Tech Skills You Should Teach Your Students

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When distance learning became the norm, we were grateful for teaching our students some basic tech skills so they could navigate Google Classroom and use the tools for their learning. Come read out list and grab a free checklist so you can make sure your students have the basics whether they are working in class or online.

When the pandemic hit, we realized how grateful we were that we had taught our students some must know tech skills that they could use to navigate distance learning. While it wasn’t always smooth sailing, our students were able to get through the basics because they were already familiar with most of the tools we were using.

One thing we changed was how we teach basic tech skills to our students. Gone are the days where we teach students how to use a program. This wasn’t helpful because things change so frequently. Instead, we started teaching students that most programs use the same symbols and features to do similar things. We taught these skills instead and it made all the difference.

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Cozy Up With Great Winter Books

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Come check out this list of winter books that we use in our upper elementary classroom. We use picture books to teach all kinds of English Language Arts skills, but our students also love them. We've even included some ways to inspire your students to dig into winter books.

When it’s cold outside, a good winter book is a great way to cozy up and spend the cold months. We love to read picture books to our students in Grade Four and Five. Older students love picture books and they love to be read to just as much as younger students.

Picture books are a great way to teach specific comprehension skills, show examples of different types of writing, teach poetic devices and show how grammar is used in real-world situations.

Having a great book is just part of the equation. Next, we’ll talk about some of the ways we get kids to read.

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How to Communicate with Parents in a Fast-Paced World

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Are you looking to improve communication between home and school? It is more difficult than ever to reach parents to talk about students. Come learn some of the strategies that help us build strong lines of communication with the families of our students right from the start.

Communicating with parents right from the beginning of the year is critical to smooth sailing for the rest of the year. As they say, “information is power.” When parents are properly informed there will be better parent-teacher communication.

There are many ways to communicate with parents, but before you get started it is helpful to figure out what parents have access to and what form of communication with parents works for them.

You will probably have to use more than one method of parent communication to make sure you reach every family. That does seem daunting, but let us help.

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Easy to Use Remembrance Day Assembly Ideas

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If you are looking for ideas to organize a Remembrance Day assembly in your school, check out this post full of ideas.

Every school across Canada has held a Remembrance Day assembly since the end of the Second World War. In fact, it is written into the School Act in Alberta as a requirement. Schools must have a Remembrance Day assembly on the day closest to November 11. We’ve got some Remembrance Day assembly ideas for you.

We had to make some changes during the pandemic. These ideas can work whether you’re able to gather together or need to be apart or learning online.

We’ve been rethinking how we’ll honour our soldiers at school. If you are planning a Remembrance Day assembly, we might have a few ideas for you.

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How to Celebrate Halloween In the Classroom

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Are you looking for ways to celebrate Halloween in your upper elementary classroom? We gathered up some of our students' favourite activities for you to try. Come take a look!

Halloween is such a special time for many students. In past years, we’ve had parades and assemblies and handed out candy. There was a time when bobbing for apples was a good idea. Now, since the pandemic, the thought of countless students scrambling to bite into an apple floating around in a tub full of mouth germs…ugg.

Our classroom is usually bustling with parent volunteers who help out at different Halloween-themed stations. Still, some years, there might not be as many parent volunteers available as you need, so it’s nice to have easy alternatives in your back pocket.

If your school and students are celebrating Halloween, here are some generally easy ways to have a little fun.

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How to Reconnect From Your Teaching Island

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Is teaching making you feel isolated and disconnected? Come read through some of the strategies that may help you through the tough times. Your mental health is much more important than your teaching job, so let us help.

Teaching has always been an isolating profession. We spend all day in a classroom with little people who get our jokes. The adult conversations we get happen during recess or staff meetings or in the bathroom line waiting for a toilet. It can leave anyone feeling disconnected.

My husband has a joke about teachers, they can seek each other out anywhere in the world. It never fails that when we travel to another country and meet another couple, one of them will be a teacher. He calls it teacher radar.

And it’s true. When two teachers meet in the wild, they talk about teaching. Because it’s another human in the world who actually gets it.

I mean, Mr. Ninja tries to be supportive, but unless you’re in the trenches, you don’t really get it.

How do you connect with other teachers? Come read about our struggles and some of the solutions.

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