School and the City

Each year, I have students struggle with putting ending punctuation in the correct spots.  They know that they needed to use periods, but will put periods at the ends of lines or in seemingly random spots. I've spent a lot of time on this over the past few years and thought I'd share some tips for teaching punctuation to your elementary students. Use Mentor Texts To teach students how to be good writers, have them study books (and other texts) as mentors. Spend a lot of time discussing punctuation as you read: What punctuation is the author using? Why was that mark chosen, and why was it placed there? How does this punctuation mark help me as a reader? What can I learn as a writer? Practice Oral Reading Use nonsense words or silly sentences for students to notice how our voices change depending on the punctuation that is used at the end of the sentence. I love this idea from The Unique Classroom : This can help students realize the importanc...

You asked for more information about making video lessons for students during distance learning. I've got you covered! Read on, teacher friend. Why are you prerecording videos? I've moved to an interventionist role this year. Because of that, my program isn't starting up right away and I won't have students assigned to me for the first few weeks. Of course, this year is far from normal, so we've decided that I'll spend some time creating a bank of standards-based videos for the students (and teachers) that I will be working with this year. I'm recording short minilessons that teachers can send to parents/students if they need extra support outside outside of the synchronous learning that they are doing. When I start meeting with my students, it will be live, not prerecorded. What do you use to record your videos? I use my school laptop to record videos. I got lucky with an upgrade right before COVID, so the video and audi...

You may already know how and why to use choice boards in your classroom, but let’s talk specifically about math.  3rd grade math choice boards Math is my favorite subject to teach, but I absolutely hated it as a student. Why? In elementary school, it was all skill and drill. Think: multiplication facts and timed tests. In middle school, I had to complete math packets for homework each week. In high school, I took notes during lectures and struggled to get my homework finished before the late bell rang each morning. (Evens only though, because the odd answers were in the back of the book, right?) I think my disdain for math as a student is what has motivated me to make it an entirely different experience for my own students. I also had wonderful teacher education professors in college and even grad school that taught me how to truly explore mathematics and to improve my practice as a math teacher.  4th grade math choice boards In order to increase intrinsic mot...

Are you using Microsoft Teams for distance learning? I am!  Although we used it some in the spring, there’s a lot to learn now that we will be fully implementing synchronous and asynchronous learning via Microsoft Teams this fall.  I recently earned my Microsoft Innovative Educator badge and I’ve learned so much. I’m determined to make these tools work for me, and I’m happy to share some insight I’ve learned with you regarding using Microsoft Teams for distance learning. Need-to-Know Teams Tools  Channels Use channels to create breakout groups, small groups, whatever you need. You can “Meet Now” in any channel. Naming channels strategically will help your young students navigate the Teams platform. Check out these examples below.  If you have small groups, you can make specific channels visible to only specific students. For example, only the blue dolphin students would be able to see and access the blue dolphin group. The blu...

Here we go, back to school, via distance learning! Are you still expected to do reading small groups, or should we say virtual guided reading? This is going to be tricky, y'all. I've been brainstorming, and I have some tips for you. My Favorite eBooks If you don't have an Epic account yet, make one NOW. I am not affiliated with Epic in any way, but I do love it - almost as much as my students do. Epic is free for teachers, and also free for students to use during the school day. Whether you are face-to-face or distance learning, your kids will LOVE Epic. Epic has a wide range of eBooks of all kinds: picture books, chapter books, fiction, nonfiction, graphic novels, trendy books and classics... the options are endless. These ebooks will be perfect for use during virtual guided reading groups. Search by topic, genre, or even guided reading level! Simply share your screen when meeting live with students, that way you can all "share...

It's hard to make grammar fun or engaging. I totally get it. I'd love to share a few of my favorites with you! 1. Picture Books, of Course First off, I LOVE the Words are CATegorical books , and my students do too. image via Amazon They've actually been on my wish list for years, but I don't own any hard copies. Many of these books can be found on Epic, so I typically read the eBook with my class. The books' topics align perfectly with 2nd - 4th grade standards (which are super similar as they just build upon one another.) My kids giggle at the illustrations, which makes the texts memorable for them. 2. Scavenger Hunt A go-to, no-prep activity that I often use for grammar practice is what I call a "scavenger hunt." It's nothing fancier, and the name probably makes it sound more fun than it is - ha! Essentially, I have my students grab books from their book boxes and find examples of the ...

Are you face-to-face or virtual? My district is currently all virtual, at least for the time being. I want to make sure that you are equipped to use resources you already have with your students, albeit digitally. Use what you already have - no need to completely reinvent the wheel! I have three tips for you to use PDF resources digitally. Work smarter, not harder! I'm going to use my text features products as the examples, which are great to tie in science and social studies content with your literacy instruction! 1. Grab Only the Pages You Need If you are emailing resources to parents, here's a trick to end up with only the pages you need from a PDF document. Go to "File," then "Print" like you normally would to print. Select the pages you want to use. Find the spot to designate the printer. Instead of a printer, though, choose "PDF" or "Save as PDF." Make sure to name your new document specif...