Ninja Notes

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Classroom Tips

Less is More: Teacher Wellness Strategies That Work

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If you're looking for some practical teacher wellness strategies, look no further. These ones DON'T require more work and will have you feeling less overwhelmed. In fact, this is all about doing less. Check it out!

Sometimes it feels like teachers are stretched so thin. Teacher wellness strategies are buzzwords, but what does it mean to you?

It’s impossible to do it all. That is when the guilt sets in. It feels like we should be able to do more, but maybe the trick is to do less? Of course, in a perfect world teachers would have input into making these decisions, but a girl can dream, right?

So, what are some ways we do less so that we can experience more? Check out these teacher wellness strategies to balance your mental health with the career you love.

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The Truth About New Math

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What is new math and why does everyone keep talking about it? Here is what we tell parents about new math (spoiler alert-math isn't new). Get some practical tips for debunking the math myths.

New math is ruining education. Or at least this is what we keep hearing people (like parents, the media, and politicians) say.

What is this “new math” of which you speak?  I see the memes on Facebook and wonder, have I been teaching mathematics wrong? Has it changed? Did I miss an email about this?

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Unlock the Hidden Keys to Teacher Wellness

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It can be easy to let yourself get run down. The only way to take care of yourself is to figure out what you need for self care and then stick to it. Don't let teaching take away your health. Come unlock the hidden keys to teacher wellness.

What is it about teaching that doesn’t allow a person to fully turn off their teaching brain? Is the chemical composition of a teacher that makes them want to give every last drop of energy in the classroom? What about nurturing? Is teacher wellness a myth?

What is it that makes you a great teacher?

Like most teachers, you are a caring, compassionate person who would give the clothes off your back in order to make the lives of your students better. You are willing to give your hard-earned money to make sure they have the materials they need to be successful in your classroom. You’re willing to give your time to make sure they have the best possible experiences while they are in your classroom this year.

There is nothing wrong with any of that, but do you know when you’ve crossed the line into being unhealthy?

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How to Make Students Listen Without Yelling

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Are you struggling to get students to listen? Do you feel like yelling all the time? Are you running out of patience? Come learn how to get your students to listen without all the yelling.

Do you have to repeat yourself constantly because your students just don’t know how to listen? Maybe it’s not them. Are your directions unclear? Do you have their attention? Maybe your instructions were unclear. Nobody likes a yelly teacher. So here is how you can fix your directions and improve their listening skills at the same time.

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Use Google Classroom to Make Your Life Easier

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Do you use Google Classroom for your everyday lessons? If not, you might want to consider trying it to get your in class or online learning organized. Learn some of the basics to set it up and get started with this post, which includes some must know tech skills for yourself and your upper elementary students.

When the pandemic hit and classes needed to jump online, we were so thankful that we’d been spending the past few years teaching our students how to use the technology in our classroom and at home through Google Classroom.

If you haven’t tried it yet, you should. There are other Learning Management Systems out there, but Google is relatively easy to use, and it’s free. If your students already know how to use other Google Tools, it’s really not much different.

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How to Survive With Animals in the Classroom

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Do you have classroom pets? We don't. Come hear some hilarious stories why we don't keep animals in the classroom anymore.

Do you have a class pet? Is it a live one or is it more of a mascot? When there are animals in the classroom, life is not boring.

We’ve had varied successes (and nightmares) over animals and insects in the classroom. We asked some of our teachers in our ninja community to share their best and worst animals in the classroom stories.

Warning: You will laugh and there is a possibility you’ll be traumatized.

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