Let us help you teach like a ninja!
When we start talking about quadrilaterals, trapezoids, and parallel lines, many students get lost quickly. There are so many new and uncommon words introduced in our geometry concepts unit and it is especially difficult for English Language Learners. These are some of the ways we build an understanding of shape and space concepts in our classroom.
[Read more…] about Mastering the Angles: Innovative Approaches to Teaching Geometry Concepts
There are generally two reactions that students give when it is time for writing activities in the classroom. Half are usually excited and the other half is filled with dread. We’ve been through lots of different writing programs over the years, been to hundreds of hours of professional development to teach writing and have seen the same pattern over and over again.
Most teachers don’t feel like they know how to teach writing. Is that you? Keep reading.
[Read more…] about Challenge Your Students with Writing Activities
We use interactive notebooks in our math class as part of a unit on number sense. We have found creating a reference book of concepts and procedures that students can refer to when working in math helps them build confidence and develop independence.
We’re not going to lie. They are a lot of work, but the working is meaningful. We found on average our math grades improved and students were able to retain more of their learning year over year. Read more to find out how we use them in our classroom as one way to develop number sense.
[Read more…] about How to Use Interactive Notebooks to Teach Number Sense
Winters in Canada are long, so technically, you could be doing winter classroom activities for most of the school year and you’d still be on track weather-wise.
We tend to use winter classroom activities from November through February, especially around Christmas, since many of our students come from different religious backgrounds. Many do not celebrate Christmas, so everyone deserves to do fun activities that aren’t connected to a specific faith or holiday.
[Read more…] about You’ll Love These Exciting Winter Classroom Activities
Do you have to provide some sort of physical education program? Is all your equipment locked up? Remember when teaching physical education was so much easier?
Well, don’t worry.
We’ve been collecting ideas for your equipment-free classes. We’ve even found a few ideas for online classes. Let’s get started.
[Read more…] about Energize Your Gym Class With Very Little Equipment
If you are struggling with reading instruction in your classroom, you’re not alone. Upper elementary teachers are often not trained in how to teach students to read, despite the fact all the students in their classroom are unlikely to be reading at grade level. Setting up a reading comprehension schedule is one way to get on track.
We designed our Weekly Reading Comprehension Skills specifically for our students. We needed reading material for science and social studies that were at the right reading level and needed to teach grammar and reading skills. You might want to read this post about how we came up with them: Add Great Content to Your Literacy Lessons.
[Read more…] about How to Set Up Your Reading Comprehension Schedule
