School and the City

It's almost that time! *sigh* I've learned a lot about standardized testing throughout the years - unfortunately. Here are 4 of my favorite ways to help reduce my students' testing anxiety: 1. Put a Positive Spin On It Your language is important and will absolutely impact your students' attitude towards the test and therefore their performance. Start saying things like, "This is your opportunity to show how much you've learned this year," and "Your parents and I cannot wait to see how much you have grown!" Do you test in your classroom? Me too. That means I have to use butcher paper to cover up basically everything in my room, which is U-G-L-Y. One idea to make it better: Write inspirational quotes on top of that butcher paper. 2. Read All The Books There are many books about testing, but it's also a great time to talk about reducing anxiety and having strong work ethic. Here are some of my favorites: Testing: Testi...

So I heard you love Ivan as much as I do... ! We finished reading last week, but my students weren’t ready to let go yet! I love completing these activities after I finish reading The One and Only Ivan to my class. I don’t tell them that it is based on a true story until after we finish the novel. The surprise makes the content even more captivating and engaging! Ivan was actually adopted by Zoo Atlanta - where we live! - which makes my kids go crazy with excitement! We spent 3 days using these resources. Day one was for researching, day two was spent comparing and contrasting, and on the last day, students chose a newspaper prompt and wrote their articles. Of course, it’s totally up to you how you wish to use these resources. I like to give my students plenty of time to research on their own using QR codes linked to kid-appropriate news articles and videos.  . You may want to copy the “Field Notes” or "Observations" pages double-sided depending on how much time ...