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What is Inquiry Based Learning?
Inquiry-Based Learning Inquiry-based classrooms are exciting, full of creativity, and student-driven. Inquiry-based learning is not a new teaching strategy. In fact, you probably heard the term in college. Inquiry-based learning is a teaching model that centers around getting students excited about learning by having them pose questions and investigate to deepen their understanding. Instead of learning through a teacher’s question, students are learning through their own questions. We can get our students engaged in learning by letting them explore topics they’re excited about. An excellent resource to help you on your journey of inquiry-based learning is The Curious Classroom: 10 Structures for Teaching with Student-Directed Inquiry. This book will inspire you to…
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10 Classroom Procedures that will Save your Sanity!
10 Classroom Procedures that will Save your Sanity! The key to a smoothly running classroom is strong classroom management. If you don’t have a plan for your classroom procedures, it’s time to get one in place. Whether it’s the beginning of a new school year or it’s the middle of the year and your about to lose your mind, it’s never too late to implement classroom procedures. #1. The Pencil System The sound of the pencil sharpener is like nails on a chalkboard to me. I can’t stand it, especially when I’m in the middle of a lesson. I’ve seen a few different pencil systems and the one you choose…
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10 Books that will make you a better teacher
10 Books that Will Make You a Better Teacher Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, which means at no additional cost to you, I may receive a commision for items purchased. But don’t worry, I never recommend products that I don’t believe in. As a teacher, I consider myself a lifetime learner. I am constantly on the lookout for ways to improve my teaching, pedagogy, and skills. I want to make sure that I am making the biggest impact I can on each of my students’ lives. This is a great list of books I think every teacher needs to read throughout their career. 1. Teach Like a Champion…
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How to start a blog in 5 easy steps!
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, which means at no additional cost to you, I may receive a commision for items purchased. But don’t worry, I never recommend products that I don’t believe in. How to Start a Successful Blog in 5 Easy Steps If you’ve made it here, you’ve probably thought about starting a blog. When I decided to start a blog, it was mostly just a fun hobby and a way to promote my Teachers Pay Teachers store. I had been thinking about starting a blog for years, but didn’t know where to start and feeled a bit overwhelmed by the task. While I was on maternity…
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Classroom Management
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, which means at no additional cost to you, I may receive a commision for items purchased. But don’t worry, I never recommend products that I don’t believe in. There is no doubt in my mind that the key to a happy classroom with happy students and happy teachers is successful classroom management. But, how do we get to that point? Behavior management strategies are vital in order to help students learn how to self-regulate and become aware of themselves, their peers, and the adults around them. Without a strong behavior management system in place, your classroom will quickly spiral out of control. You’ll be…
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The Ultimate Non-Toy Gift Guide
The Ultimate Non-toy Gift Guide Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, which means at no additional cost to you, I may receive a commision for items purchased. But don’t worry, I never recommend products that I don’t believe in. In my house, it seems like we go through old toys about once a month. After filling garbage bags of toys to donate, I turn around and there’s still an entire closet full of more stuff. It’s a never-ending story. For the longest time, I thought that making my kids happy meant buying whatever “hot” toy was on the market. Last night, I spent an hour going through old toys…
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The Ultimate Teacher Gift Guide
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, which means at no additional cost to you, I may receive a commision for items purchased. But don’t worry, I never recommend products that I don’t believe in. The Ultimate Teacher Gift Guide Over the years, I’ve received many gifts from my beloved students and their generous families. Of course, I was grateful to receive any gift, but when you have 25 mugs, 31 candles, and 10 plaques that say, “Best teacher ever!” you start to run out of space for it all. Teachers do not expect gifts, if you’re thinking about getting your child’s teacher a gift, you’ve found the perfect guide of what…
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10 Read alouds to foster a growth mindset
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. What is growth mindset? Every teacher wants their students to persevere and overcome failure. How do we get our students to that point? We foster a growth mindset. Teaching students to push through challenges will cultivate a love of learning and knowledge. According to Carol Dweck, Ph.D., there are two mindsets, fixed and growth. People with a fixed mindset tend to avoid challenges and give up easily. On the other hand, individuals with a growth mindset embrace challenges and keep trying. I’ve seen…
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5 Steps to Better Guided Reading
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. But don’t worry, I never recommend products I don’t believe in! 5 Easy Steps to Better Guided Reading What is guided reading? Guided reading is a powerful and essential instructional approach that develops better readers. I love guided reading! But for new teachers or teachers who haven’t used guided reading before, it can be difficult to wrap your head around. Regardless of the grade you teach or the instructional levels of your students, the essentials of guided reading remain the…
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Kindergarten Tips for Teachers
Kindergarten is fun! Kindergarten is a fun and exciting year. If you’ve never taught kindergarten before or if you’d like to learn some new tips and tricks, keep reading! Kindergarten is a wonderful age of learning, exploring, and enormous growth. Just like any other grade, kindergarten has its challenges. A few years ago, I was unexpectedly transferred to kindergarten. I was so nervous and I had no idea what to expect. The only experience I had in teaching was in the upper grades. I thought kindergarten was scary. How in the world do you keep 25, five your olds busy all day, let alone engaged?! I want to share with…
