Because I am historically a homeschool mom, our classroom usually had tons of technology in it, because it had whatever tech we were using at home.  It definitely had its advantages.  But it also came …

Great ways to save money on classroom crafts.

3D graphics image by Quince Creative I am always trying to think of great ways to save money on classroom crafts.  Most kids–especially in the middle school range–love crafts. But quality crafting  gets very expensive.  …

How reading books is different from watching movies.

My kids and I have been spending some significant time watching movies and reading the books that go with them this summer. So I started thinking about what the differences in value between the two …

the styles of learning

What are the seven styles of learning?  How do they apply to your students, regardless of the style of school you are teaching in?  I would like to talk about what those styles are, how …

18 Reasons Why Students Need Literature

Some people love to read.  Others don’t.  Sometimes having students that don’t love to read can seem like torture, both to the teacher and to the student who doesn’t love to read.  But at the end …

Helpful Examples of Differentiated Instruction

Table of Contents Printable Infographic Included! Where it all Began Modern Day Classrooms See a Need Six Examples of Differentiated Instruction Interview Students Learning Stations Survey of Student Goals Allow Students to Choose Their Own …

I consider myself to be a pretty encouraging person in the classroom most of the time. I also know this is an area that even the most positive and encouraging teacher can improve in. At …

How to Choose the Best Books for Your Class This Year

I have a short list of about 10 of my all-time favorite books, from my youth until now.  I loved several more books over the years.  But I bet my list is quite different from …

How to save time lesson planning

Even though it is still the within the first month of summer vacation at the time I am  writing this, my mind has already started drifting toward planning for the next year, and with it …

books so well loved

I was talking to my kids the other day about all of the historically well-loved books I read as a child. I HAD to read everything my eyes landed upon. Then I had to finish …