Skip to content

Author: ptingey

Published on

 

Thank you for everything you have done this year to help students be successful, we celebrate your success, ingenuity, and hard work! Hip, Hip, Hurray! Hip, Hip, Hurray!

Summer break is here, and it is a time to relax! Especially this year it will be important for you to unwind and become a healthier you. The pandemic has taken its toll on mental and emotional health, and perhaps even physical health.

We hope you enjoy time away from the classroom. Do something physically rejuvenating like walk every morning, bike, aerobics or swim.

Now that you have had your Covid vaccine, you can get away, vacation to the mountains, the lake, or a national/state park. Visit the zoo, the aviary or the Living Planet.

Take some alone time, read a favorite author, meditate, breathe.

Do spend time with those you love or haven’t seen in a while. Reacquaint with friends and enjoy their company. Eat at your favorite restaurant.

Get plenty of sleep, drink lots of water, eat generous amounts of fruit and colorful vegetables, enjoy family time.

May this summer be relaxing and joyful. Come back refreshed, happy, and enthusiastic. Thank you again for all you have done for children. You have been amazing!!

With gratitude, your district mentor teacher specialists,

Debbie Fisher, Judy Jackman, Trisha Tingey, Amy Wood

Published on

 

  • Hand-raised discussion

This strategy allows students to raise their hands to answer the questions

  • Teacher Call Discussion

This strategy allows for everyone to be prepared to answer questions randomly.  Always announce this type of discussion so the students know to listen and be prepared.  Be careful to ask easy questions for those who struggle.

  • Head-to-head Discussion

This strategy allows students to talk with partners to discuss the question the teacher has asked.  This is a good strategy to have before the whole group discussion.

  • Sticky Note Discussion

This strategy will help you monitor class discussions--making sure everyone participates and nobody dominates.

Procedures:

  • Give all students three sticky notes on the front of their desks.
  • Each time they make a comment they will move one of the sticky notes to the other side of their desks.
  • One comment = one sticky note.
  • The rule is that everybody must use at least ONE sticky note, and nobody can use more than THREE.
  • The teacher can move around the class and see who has used all their comments and who needs to be encouraged to speak up.
  • Consider asking a very open-ended, easy opinion question directly to students who have not commented as the discussion draws to a close.

https://minds-in-bloom.com/10-classroom-discussion-techniques/

https://www.edutopia.org/blog/make-class-discussions-more-exciting-richard-curwin

 

Published on

End of year testing will give information to help with planning for the next year.  Here are some resources that present a positive approach to testing.

  1.  Ideas to relieve test anxiety:
  • Have class meeting prior to testing
  • Allow students to ask questions about testing
  • Review test-taking strategies
  • Elementary—plan fun activities for rest of the day
  • Secondary—Encourage teachers in non-testing classes to have a relaxed day

Relieve test anxiety

  1.    When assessment works best, it does the following:
  • Provides diagnostic feedback
  • Helps educators set standards
  • Evaluates progress
  • Relates to a student's progress
  • Self-evaluation motivates performance

Why Is Assessment Important?

  1.   Ethics:
  • No talking during the test.
  • No leaving the room by teacher or student while tests are being administered.
  • No assistance provided to students.
  • Tests may not be reproduced or reviewed by the students or teacher.
  • Reference materials, texts, notes, etc., may not be used unless specified.
  • Students with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) may have special accommodations.
  • The teacher is responsible for the security of the tests.

Test Administration 

 

Published on

The quote on my work email states,

“If a child can’t learn the way we teach, maybe we should teach the way they learn.”  -Ignacio Estrada

This has always been my goal, but since I have been researching for this blog, I have found renewed energy to really put this quote into action. One article I read, “Does Our Natural Affinity for Games Have a Place in the Classroom?” by Adam Moler, really sparked a new flame.  He talks about incorporating gaming into the classroom.  I think most of us “more seasoned” teachers remember playing The Oregon Trail simulation.  I remember being excited for choosing the correct gear to take across the plains in my wagon and using my mistakes to plan better for the nest trip.  It was THE educational game of the 80’s!  It was gaming when gaming wasn’t popular.  Now that gaming is popular, where is the application in the classroom?

Moler suggests that we bring back the Oregon Trail idea with a renewed gaming facelift. This could be done by creating learning scenarios with experience points, badges, avatars, and quests. You can find his article at https://www.edutopia.org/article/does-our-natural-affinity-games-have-place-classroom

Jennifer Gonzalez https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/do-something/ , throws some teaching caution into the mix.  She is worried we are teaching things that are not even found in the core.  Memorizing facts, dates, events, and people need to be replaced with doing something!  She stakes, “If we want our students to actually lean the facts and concepts and ideas we’re trying to teach them, they have to experience those things in some way that rises above the abstract words on paper.  They have to process them. Manipulate them. To really learn in a way that will stick, they have to DO something.”

She suggests that in between the direct instruction and assessment step of our planning we start adding some of these activities:

  1. Sorting
  2. Kinesthetic work
  3. Discussion
  4. Graphic representations
  5. Write to learn
  6. Mini-projects
  7. Anticipation guides
  8. Quality note-taking
  9. Retrieval practice
  10. Collaboration

For a more detailed look at her suggestions, visit the link above and read her article, “To Learn, Students Need to DO Something.”

 

Published on

Play and Create                                                

It seems that once our students get to high school, the idea of playing and creating is a long-ago idea that got lost in the educational shuffle somewhere in elementary school.  Education turned into a series of memorizing dates, facts, and periodic tables.

Is there a place for playing and creating in the high school classroom? Zaidee Stavely believes so.  Not only is it good, it is imperative that students do not lose the desire to play and create in the upper grades. She looks at how students play and create in elementary school and compares it to how that would look in the secondary schools.

Elementary School Secondary School
Free Choice Student-directed learning
Blocks and Legos Maker Spaces and Fab Labs
Playground Pickup sports and Jam Sessions
Finger-painting Arts Integration
Make-Believe Problem-Based Learning
Rice Tables and Sandboxes Science Through Inquiry

“Teenagers need creative outlets, just like elementary school children. Those experiences help open their brains in different ways, get them excited about learning and allow them to have fun. Playful learning can in turn lead to deeper engagement with school, better retention of learning and a stronger motivation to persist all the way through school.”

For a more in depth look, read Zaidee Stavely’s article "How to Bring Playfulness to High School Students"

Published on

November is typically a time for high stress due to the approaching holiday season.  The stress of getting ready for family gatherings and purchasing gifts can sometimes be a load. Being a teacher may add to this stress with report cards and Parent/teacher conferences.  Then, add COVID-19 to that mix and you have the perfect storm…unless you prepare.

Erin McClintock discusses some things that will help us come out on top of it all.  In her article “10 Mental Health Tips for Teachers During the COVID-19 Pandemic” she suggests some important steps for teachers to take care of themselves.

 

  1. Control the Controllable – while you CAN’T control the pandemic and what happens because of it, you can control “how you spend some of your time, what you choose to prioritize, what types of media you consume (and how frequently) and your mindset.”
  2. Carve Out Time For Self-Care To Maintain Your Mental Health- The previous blog addresses this issue. Remember to wash your hands, read, meditate and take time to refresh yourself.
  3. Get your Body Moving- We are spending more time on the computer and in a chair. Make a mental note to move around.  Stand up and take a break.  Get those steps in!
  4. Model Self-compassion- “We teach students this all of the time– the basics of self-compassion, kind self-talk, and growth mindset. Now is the time to also turn it inwards.”
  5. Set Reasonable Expectations (for yourself and others)- This is not a business as usual time! There are so many unknowns and although we need to move forward and grow, we need to set small realistic goals.
  6. Communication is Vital for Maintaining Mental Health for Teachers- Simply, let people know what is going on – parents, colleagues, and administration. Being in the dark only adds to the anxiety in ourselves and others.
  7. Be unapologetic- We live in an “I’m sorry” world.  “Be unapologetic about taking time for yourself, setting realistic goals, setting boundaries, and being clear and transparent about what you are capable of (and what you need).”
  8. A Dedicated Work Space Can Improve Mental Wellness-. “By creating a dedicated workspace: even if it is just one corner of your home that you designate as “work only,” you can do two things: you can send an outward message to those in your life that when you are in that space you are working, and also an internal message to your own brain that signals when it is work mode and when it is time to disconnect.”
  9. Set Office Hours While Remote Teaching-put aside time when students and colleagues can get a hold of you. This will help you separate your work life and personal like.
  10. Reach Out­-If you are feeling overwhelmed, having a tough time, or need help, reach out to others. Reach out to a counselor. Talk with others and find out what they may be doing to overcome some of these feelings.  Don’t isolate yourself!

 

Read the entire article at https://everfi.com/blog/k-12/10-ways-educators-can-support-their-mental-health/

 

Embedded in the article are podcasts, webinars, and other resources that will be helpful.

Published on

Now, more than ever, there is a need for teachers to practice self-care as an important part of their daily teaching routine.  We must get over the idea that self-care is unnecessary, self-indulgent, or a selfish use of our time.  In fact, self-care promotes long-term health.

According to the National Institute of Mental Illness, there are 6 elements to self-care:

  • Physical
  • Psychological
  • Emotional
  • Spiritual
  • Social
  • Professional

Ideally, we should be setting time each day to include a small activity from each one of these elements. Some ideas are listed:

  1. Make sure to plan at least 10-20 minutes a day to decompress by yourself.  This could simply mean closing your door and listening to soothing music at the end of the day.
  2. Find ways to work on and improve your self-image. You need to improve your sense of compassion for yourself.
  3. Keep a journal and write in it to work through difficult teaching days when you feel overwhelmed.
  4. Social support is important. Find ways to connect with loved ones at least once a day.  This could be having dinner with your family, calling a friend, or relaxing with your significant other.

For more information on self-care, read the entire article published by Waterford.org, April 10, 2020.

Why Teacher Self-Care Matters and How to Practice Self-Care in Your School