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https://www.getepic.com/

Engage in all types of online books to learn about new topics in a digital reading platform!

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Instantly access over 40,000 of the best books & videos for kids on Epic

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https://www.edutopia.org/article/make-parts-speech-engaging-have-students-do-teaching

How to teach "Parts of Speech" by dividing students into groups and allowing for collaboration and then presenting concepts to the class.

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Project-Based Learning (PBL)

Middle school language arts teachers can create an impactful grammar unit that emphasizes collaboration, research, and presentation skills.

You might be surprised to learn that the famous Schoolhouse Rock series that brought singable grammar lessons like "Conjunction Junction" to Saturday morning cartoons will be 50 years old next year. As I was a kid who grew up with those catchy grammar tunes, playing them for my students was always part of my teaching repertoire. The students loved them, and the songs and animations seemed to help them remember the purposes of nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, conjunctions, interjections, and prepositions. Paired with activities, games, and other resources, they helped make a series of required lessons a little more fun.

But then I found a better way.

Develop a Process to Reinforce Concepts

After teaching parts of speech with a variety of methods and materials over the years, I recently landed on a plan that leverages research, technology, speaking, and listening to get students cooperatively involved, motivated, and engaged in learning these important grammar concepts. In my continuing efforts to have students develop and practice research and speaking skills, my seventh graders started teaching each other the eight parts of speech. It's been a powerful change.

In short, I divide the class into eight groups and assign each group a part of speech. As students research their assigned part of speech and how to teach it, they have to work together to find resources and create a plan. Then, on their assigned day, they are in charge of class from the beginning to the end, providing instruction and activities to build their classmates' knowledge and skills on a particular concept. The students are engaged and motivated, and, although maybe a little nervous, they respond positively to the project.

Here are the details of the process I use.

1. Divide the students in a class into eight groups of three or four students. As the teacher, this part of the process requires you to make purposeful decisions about whether to form homogeneous or heterogeneous groups. They both have their strengths and limitations.

2. Selectively assign each group a part of speech. For example, I assign the more difficult ones, like prepositions, to groups that I know can embrace that challenge successfully.

3. Provide an assignment document. Explain the project in detail, including the timeline. My requirements include creating a Google Slides presentation; teaching the part of speech in a couple of different ways, including audio and/or video; and doing an activity or assignment.

4. Provide the rubric that will be used to score the lessons. Explain to students that the rubric addresses both research and the presentation.

5. Set a timeline for preparation. The students have four days in class with computer access to research, plan, and practice their lessons. In my experience, it's always a time filled with a happy hum of activity. The students take their roles seriously and work cooperatively to provide memorable and fun lessons for their peers.

6. Share the schedule. I like to start with nouns and verbs and then build from there, progressing from what students have more knowledge about to what is less familiar to them. I help the groups out by letting them give me anything they need printed or posted in advance of their presentation.

Once the presentations start, students who aren't presenting are required to take notes and engage in the activities that their classmates are directing. While the teaching groups are presenting, I support them as needed, and I write notes and mark scores on paper copies of the rubric. I hand each group their rubric the next day after I have recorded them. Scoring could also be completed efficiently using a rubric in Google Classroom.

Student Teaching Generates Positive Learning Results

Here are some of the results we've experienced together:

My students have pushed themselves creatively-they've facilitated Kahoots, designed assignments, used movement, sung songs, shared videos, played games, acted out skits, and more.

My students routinely perform at a proficient or above level on the summative assessment of parts of speech. They tell me things like "I pictured Cody acting out adverbs with his dance and I remembered!"

My students reflected positively on the entire project, including the work they did, the work they realized that teachers do, and the efforts of their classmates. One student confided, "I didn't know teaching was so hard! But it's fun!"

In addition to the positive results for students, this unit is a very beneficial project for teachers. Within this one assignment, many standards are addressed and skills are practiced. Students use research skills, writing skills, and speaking and listening skills in addition to learning grammar concepts.

As students are working on their lessons, it's a perfect time to go from group to group and talk to students, helping them but also just chatting and building relationships. Another benefit is that the grading is completed during class while students are presenting, which can be a relief considering all the essays and other lengthy assignments that are assessed throughout the school year.

I use this activity at the end of the school year when student energy is elevated, and there is always high student engagement for the entirety of the project while they're preparing their presentations and while they're teaching. It serves as a culmination of the research and presenting skills they've been developing all year and helps them see how far they've come in those areas during our time together. Finally, during this work, there's always a lot of joyful conversation and sharing, which is a lovely tone for the last days of school or anytime.

Even though they're 50 years old, those Schoolhouse Rock videos are often part of the students' presentations. Along with other elements that the students use, they still make students laugh and learn at the same time.

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To Make the Parts of Speech Engaging, Have Students Do the Teaching

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Project-Based Learning (PBL) Middle school language arts teachers can create an impactful grammar unit that emphasizes collaboration, research, and presentation skills. You might be surprised to learn that the famous Schoolhouse Rock series that brought singable grammar lessons like "Conjunction Junction" to Saturday morning cartoons will be 50 years old next year.

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https://mysteryscience.com/

Different lessons that seek to answer scientific questions that are divided into different topics and grade levels that includes a video as well as an activity to go along with it that includes hands-on activity as well as read alouds.

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Open-and-go lessons that inspire kids to love science.

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Mystery Science offers open-and-go lessons that inspire kids to love science. The hook, visuals, and activity have all been prepared for you. Less prep, more learning.

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https://www.listeningtolearn.com/

Includes a set of interviews that contains twelve problems for students to solve mentally. How students explain their answers will help teachers in their instruction.

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Interactive Support for Professional Learning

Listening to Learn Labs are interactive, on-demand professional learning opportunities that provide support for giving interviews and learning from them.

Reasoning Labs

Practice listening to students explain their reasoning for one interview question and matching the students' reasoning to the explanations provided.

Strategy Labs

Learn about the strategies students need to reason numerically by focusing on one strategy and watching examples of students who do and do not use it.

Interview Labs

Get specific answers from Marilyn and Lynne to questions raised by teachers conducting Listening to Learn interviews.

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A K-5 digital interview tool focused on students' mathematical thinking.

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https://educationtothecore.com/2020/10/20-best-read-alouds-for-elementary-stem/

Gives examples of read-alouds that relate to different stem subjects like math or science and uses books to connect to and teach the stem subjects.

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As educators, we know how important STEM is for our students at any age. You probably have STEM boxes, like I do, on the shelves of your classroom and the students enjoy tinkering with them. But let me ask you something... What else are you doing to create an environment of creativity and exploration for your young learners?

I don't doubt you spend time scouring the internet for STEM projects, but let me make a suggestion. Why not start with a book? Yes, a book!! Every child loves listening to a story, so why not find books that help introduce the topic of STEM before you dive into a project.

Don't worry... I'm not going to make you scour the internet. I have done the searching for you. Below is a list of the 20 Best Read-Alouds for Elementary STEM. Together, you and your students can learn from others, fictional and real life dreamers from around the world, who made mistakes, faced adversity at times, but never gave up on their dream of creating something they knew the world needed.

20 Best Read-Aloud for Elementary STEM

by Jeanette Winte

This beautiful biography is a story of big dreams, dedication, rejection, and discrimination. Zaha Hadid, a native of Baghdad, wants to create cities and design buildings that no one has ever attempted. Her journey will not be easy but her mindset won't allow anyone or anything to stand in the way of her dreams.

This fictional story centers around the very important of protecting our environment and how everyone has a part to play no matter where you come from. Your students will be rooting for Iqbal as he looks for a solution to provide cleaner air for his family and his country.

by Andrea Beaty

So many of our kiddos have amazing ideas and creativity but often they choose to hold them back and not show the world for fear of rejection and failure. This is all too true for Rosie Revere whose inventions would bewilder anyone lucky enough to see them, until a visit from a very special family member changes Rosie's outlook on failure.

This story of persistence would be a great introduction to STEM activities for young learners. Manjhi, for years, never gave up on the idea of 2 villages becoming one. He found the tools he needed and went to work, never giving up or listening to the people that called him crazy. Manjhi is an inspiration to anyone who has a mountain of a dream and the drive to make it happen.

5. Mae Among the Stars

by Roda Ahmed

Sometimes a dream can seem as far away as outer space. All you need is a spaceship and a heart full of encouragement. This beautiful story of Mae Jemison, the first Arican American woman in space, will warm hearts and light fires for boys and girls who aspire to walk among the stars one day.

by Jane Yolen

There is no limit to what a child can do with an empty box. Let their imaginations run wild as you share this adventure story with your kiddos and then hand them a box.

by Patrice McLaurin

Step into the shoes of this young boy as he goes through his day and learns about a number of important inventions we may take for granted. This book is a clever reminder of so many Africian American inventors whose contributions to society have had a profound impact on our everyday life.

by J. W. Kohler

Amelia the mouse is an enthusiastic character for children to look up to and learn from. Her passion for inventing shines through in this story of determination and perseverance even when things don't turn out as expected.

by Mary Nhin

When trying new things it is no surprise that children can often become frustrated and give up on an idea or activity which is how Gritty Ninja used to respond to frustration. In this book Gritty Ninja learns how to persevere and overcome those hard times in order to excel at new endeavors he attempts.

Group projects can be a great way to build teamwork but when bossy team members take over things can go terribly wrong. Kids will love listening to this book and most likely be able to relate to Moose's friends as they work alongside a rather bossy leader.

by Sol Regwan and Denise Muzzio

Geraldine is a high spirited 2nd grader with hopes of one day going to outer space as an astronaut, however; her daydreaming and curiosity for how things work often gets her into trouble. Young readers will enjoy listening to this story and watching how Geraldine finds her way despite how everyone perceives her.

by Laurie Wallmark

Every child should hear the story of computer scientist Grace Hopper who was a pioneer in computer programming and somewhat of a rule breaker. She didn't let being told "We have always done it this way" keep her from thinking outside the box and eventually helping make computers accessible to everyone.

by Josh Funk and Sara Palacios

Teaching children to code is just as important as teaching them the skills of problem solving. Coding teaches children how to think differently and think logically. With the help of Pearl and her robot friend Pascal, children will be intrigued by how to build a sandcastle using code.

Charlotte the Scientist has a "tight" problem. Thankfully she knows that when a scientist has a problem they use the scientific method. This story is a great way to introduce the scientific method to young learners and spark interest in science.

by Ashley Spires

Creating something new can be overwhelming especially when you make mistake after mistake and just feel like quitting. Thank goodness this little girl's dog knows the remedy for her frustration; take a walk. When you take a break and gather your thoughts you can come back refreshed and ready to create the most magnificent thing.

by Dan Santat

Humpty is an avid bird watcher but after a painful fall, Humpty is too scared to get back up and do what he onced loved for fear of falling again. Young readers will empathize with Humpty and rejoice when he decides to no longer give up on his enjoyment.

by Rebecca Kai Dotlich

This child friendly picture book presents the subject of science in a simple and interesting way that provokes curiosity and intrigue in young learners. The colorful illustrations and poetic rhyme will capture the hearts and minds of students and teachers alike.

by Mary Nhin

This book teaches stamina when it comes to persevering through a project. Your students are sure to benefit from this book as they follow Focused Ninja on his journey to discovering better concentration strategies for success.

by JoAnn Deak Ph.D.

We teach our students to stretch their bodies in gym class so why not teach them to stretch their brains in the classroom? Your students will be amazed at the ideas this book presents through engaging pictures and simple concepts all put together to teach that mistakes are actually a great way for your brain to learn. Who knew?

by Chris Van Dusen

Allow your students to indulge their wild imaginations after you share this book about a young boy who set out to build his ultimate dream car. This book would be great for a creative writing time and STEM project that allow for the ultimate creativity.

So, are you convinced that these 20 Best Read-Alouds for Elementary STEM are a fabulous way to reach young learners while teaching STEM?! I knew you'd agree with me. 😉

This list is certainly filled with a variety of characters from all walks of life who all share one thing: a dream. Their determination for building, creating, designing, and staying focused allowed them to achieve what may have seemed impossible to others and even themselves at times. They never gave up and now their lessons can be taught to others.

As you embark on this literary STEM journey please remember that it is your job to believe in each one of them. It is your job to instill in your learners that they must never stop dreaming. And how will you take on this grand task...why reading these STEM books to them, of course!
~ Written by Suzanne Kelley
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20 Best Read-Alouds for Elementary STEM | Education to the Core

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As educators, we know how important STEM is for our students at any age. You probably have STEM boxes, like I do, on the shelves of your classroom and the students enjoy tinkering with them. But let me ask you something... What else are you doing to create an environment of creativity and exploration for your young learners?

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http://www.meaningfulmathmoments.com/estimation-180.html

Estimation 180 are challenges to develop students' number sense and reasoning by having students guess how much is in the picture and developing what is too low and too high of a guess.

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https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/ela-special-ed-writing/

Things that can be helpful for Special Ed writing such as a common planning time and equal partnership as writing can be complex task

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Sponsored by Listenwise and Scholastic Scope

One September morning in a writing workshop class, Jack, a 5th grader, was telling me about a funny "small moment" he witnessed on an airplane. Apparently, two young 20-somethings sitting in front of him had started up an initial conversation and by the end of the flight, they were kissing.

"And I mean-a lot of kissing! It was sooo awkward!" he squealed.

Where most 5th graders were planning their narrative writing about the time they broke their arm/wrist/ankle or their game-winning shot/hit/goal, I thought Jack's idea was so refreshing. After his detailed description of eavesdropping, I felt certain his piece would be funny and weird-in-a-good-way-a joy to read. I left him to write and went to help other students. When I returned, Jack's writing teacher (my friend and colleague) stood beside his desk with a hand on her chin, looking perplexed. Jack had sat for 45 minutes with only this written on his page:

On tim on a plaen...
Jack's accommodation plan said he had dyslexia and graphomotor difficulties, which was one reason I was in his writing workshop that morning: He was one of many students I had the privilege of working with as a learning specialist. Sometimes we would meet in a small group outside of class, and other times I would work with him in his regular 5th grade class. As a learning specialist, my role was to help Jack's English/Language Arts (ELA) teacher figure out how to help him write. Her role was to help me figure out what skills to focus on with Jack during my intervention time with him. Over years of doing this work, I discovered some essential elements to improving students' writing through this kind of collaborative practice between regular classroom writing teachers and learning specialists.

If you're part of a similar partnership, you may find some of these helpful in your work as well.

Why Writing is Especially Challenging for Students with Learning Differences

Writing is an incredibly complex task. It involves the instant integration of several components-handwriting and letter formation (and later typing), spacing and formatting on the page, spelling, grammar, sentence formation, adding punctuation-all while holding your ideas, and some sort of organizational scheme for those ideas, in your memory. It's a difficult enough task for most students, who aren't reading as much as they once did due to our instant access to visual media. But it's particularly challenging for people with language-based learning disabilities, who often continue to struggle with writing even in adulthood.

Students with learning differences often experience a more severe "cognitive bottleneck" first described by theorists who studied attention in the '50s and '60s. Some conventions of written language make it to the page while others...don't quite make it. Did Jack know how to spell "one," "time," and "plane" in 5th grade? Yes, he did. He had years of multi-sensory phonics and reading intervention behind him. However, the other cognitive demands of the writing process caused his spelling to get caught in the bottleneck.

Other students with learning differences also struggle with writing. Students with ADHD sometimes struggle to organize language, keep track of their ideas, or explain with enough detail. Students with Autistic Spectrum Disorders often struggle to understand writing from the point of view of their readers.

Helping these students become proficient writers takes the synergy of a skilled language arts teacher and a skilled learning specialist. And that synergy can be enhanced if certain elements are in place.

Essential Elements of Effective ELA-Specialist Collaboration

1. A Common Planning Time

The biggest impact a school leader can make in the quality of instruction for ALL learners is to give co-teachers common planning time. I was lucky to start my career as a special educator in a school where my division head handed me a blank schedule with two periods already filled in. It said, "Common planning time with the 5th and 6th-grade Humanities teams." For 55 minutes once a week, three humanities teachers and myself gathered around the student work table in my office with coffee (lots of coffee), books, laptops, and a last-minute Post-It note agenda.

As a result of these meetings, reading and writing workshops were problem-solved, social studies lessons were well designed, student work was analyzed, student needs were met, and friendships and co-teaching relationships I will cherish forever were formed. The cast of characters changed over the years as teachers left and were hired, including myself, but the value stayed the same. More recently we've had to have these meetings as floating heads on a screen, but the value in sitting down together to talk about how we would teach has never wavered for me.

2. An Equal Partnership

Collaboration works best when the ELA teacher and the specialist work on equal playing fields. I like to think of it as a psychologist and a sociologist working together: One is focused more on how an individual is functioning; the other needs to be focused on the good of the group. Nobody is right and nobody is wrong. Sometimes our ideas will seem out of touch with each other's roles, and that's okay as long as we honor the value in each other. As a learning specialist, I am not an island in knowing what's best for students, even students with learning differences. It works best when there is shared ownership; when we can see their growth as "our" shared goal!

One practical way to accomplish this goal is to rotate groups. There were times when I would work with the most talented writers in the class, giving the ELA teacher more time with our struggling writers. My colleague and I would always have lots to talk about afterwards, and the kids did not feel the stigma of being the only ones asked to work with the specialist.

Another way the specialist can reduce stigma is by taking part in some of the fun that happens with the class-help judge a competition, give feedback on a project, participate in a class celebration and connect with students other than the ones you are there to serve. Students will come to see you as just another one of their teachers, and as a resource for all.

3. Reading Student Work Together

Whenever possible, both teachers should analyze student drafts together to discuss the good, the bad, and the ugly of students' writing. Doing this together will help you see different strengths and weaknesses in a piece, and the student will then learn to see these as well.

Sharing the writing load also means you can divide up written feedback on student drafts. By rotating which teacher gives feedback to which students, you give students the benefit of both sets of eyes and continue to establish an equal partnership with all students.

4. Practicing 'Less is More'

With a task as complex as writing, all students-but especially those with learning differences-can experience cognitive overload. So it works best to tackle one chunk, one scene, one paragraph at a time.

When it comes to feedback, many students are overwhelmed by too many comments just as they used to be with too much red ink. I rely heavily on giving students genuine praise-for a descriptive adjective, a well-crafted phrase, an attempt to apply the lesson to their writing-and then I follow it up with one or two suggestions for revision. Psychologically, all students have to feel they have something to say; they have to feel positive about the effort they're making, so very specific, authentic praise will earn you a lot of effort in return.

Another way to reduce the quantity of written feedback is to give some of it verbally, which allows for the levity and nuance that "Insert Comment" can't achieve. In-person conferencing is ideal, but in the last 6 months, I've learned to record quick screencast videos explaining my feedback, highlighting sentences, and typing comments to illustrate different areas for improvement.

5. Use of Models

ELA teachers tend to read widely! One of the most effective things we can do together is figure out some interesting examples to use with our students who are struggling-the perfect opening paragraph, the perfect fight scene, an example of suspense building, describing the setting, the expert's quotation being explained. If we have these at the ready, we can pull them to discuss and analyze with students. I also always recommend saving exceptional work (de-identified, of course) to use as models for the next year. For remote learning, I always have models or visuals pulled up as separate tabs and ready to be screenshared as needed.

6. Use of Word Lists

I have an entire library of word lists where students can look for the perfect word or phrase. I always end up lending these to the writing classroom. A more specific word for walked, blue, big, or sad can make an emerging writer feel like a poet. This is especially effective when working on writing poetry and descriptive writing, but it can also be used for older students writing analytical pieces as they struggle with transitional language and tying their points together. Why not have a list of templates at their disposal, i.e., "According to...", "This demonstrates why..." etc.)?

The act of scanning the lists for just the right word or phrase improves the student's ability to clarify meaning and see possibilities. The student with a learning difference is also sometimes not well-read and needs exposure to two things: (1) new ways to say things and (2) the nuanced difference in the meaning of certain words or expressions. I will often practice this act of list scanning with students... "Hmm, let's try out some different words here and see if you can find one that makes you feel something... or seems like the perfect fit!"

7. Staying Together

Try not to remove a kid who struggles with writing from writing instruction. Students who struggle learn more than you think from their peers, even if their writing skill is not comparable. Instead of pulling students who struggle from the classroom during writing, work with the specialist to make the instruction more accessible and more enjoyable. Sometimes the specialist can arrange to physically or virtually be in the classroom working with students, and at other times he or she might "asynchronously" design a graphic organizer, outline, or checklist, or make a plan for integrating assistive technology like speech-to-text accessibility features or dictation apps for certain students.

8. Letting ELA Work Guide Intervention

Specialists can reinforce mini-lessons, genres, and concepts taught by the ELA teacher in the writing lesson-and add a touch of language remediation. If my students are working on persuasive essays in writing class, every sentence I have them analyze for word study or work on reading fluency will be from a persuasive writing sample and as closely aligned with their personal interests as I can plan for that week. This builds confidence and familiarity with the writing genre in addition to the skills I am targeting.

There is magic in teachers working together to reinforce the same knowledge and skills. I love it when a student I'm working with exclaims, "Wait a minute, we just talked about this in a writing workshop today!" Then, depending on the student, you can sarcastically feign shock "REALLY?" or just give them a knowing side-eye! We all need all the magic we can muster right now.

9. Showing Progress Through Writing Samples

Progress towards the achievement of IEP or SMART-style goals can be made visible through a timeline sequence of writing samples. I once taught a student who wrote with no punctuation. Even when this student re-read to add periods, he could not distinguish where a sentence began and ended. It was difficult for him to hear the natural pauses in speech; complex grammar concepts such as subject and predicate or even "being verbs" were difficult for him to grasp.

His teacher and I came up with a weekly routine that balanced getting his ideas on the page sans punctuation in writing class, and working on dictated sentences (from his own writing!) with me until his natural sense of pause and punctuation improved. We were able to demonstrate this progress by simply sequencing the drafts of his writing throughout the semester and showing him the changes over time. Working online, it is easy to annotate a student's digital writing portfolio, pointing to their progress with certain skills. When you can show a student their own progress in this way, and have them reflect, it tends to increase their motivation tenfold.

10. Prioritizing Revision and Editing

Students with learning differences that impact writing often struggle with clarity and mechanics. Once students write to get their ideas on the page first, they can develop a multi-step process for what I call the R's: re-read, revise, and sometimes I use the word revisit.

Ideally, each student would have their own checklist for this process, and it would be generated with and not for the student. For example, I might advise them to start by revisiting their punctuation/ sentence boundaries. Next, they could revisit their spelling. (For a student who doesn't recognize their own disordered spelling, this can be even more scaffolded by the teacher putting a number of misspellings on the line and asking the student to find them.) The list would include each of the aspects we discussed through our mini-lessons for that particular genre of writing. Through this process, the ELA teacher and the specialist may have different suggestions for revision and improvement, and that'll only make the writing better!

Another way to teach revision as a process is to have students re-visit their writing with each square of a single-point rubric, which can be especially valuable if generated by the class. Revisiting writing with a rubric (all the R's!) can be fun to do in peer-revision stations, where peers are assigned a specific aspect of the rubric to give the writer feedback on.

Another tip: I often instruct students who struggle with sentence boundaries, to re-read their piece backward, from the last sentence to the first. This eliminates the memory of what they think they have said and lays bare the sentences as they were written. Students tend to go, "Oh yeah, this is definitely too long to be one sentence!"

11. Combatting Anxiety and Perfectionism

Some students struggle with writing because subconsciously, the fact that they cannot write on the level of the books that they love to read frustrates them (e.g., If I can't sound like J.K. Rowling, I'm a failure, and so why even get started?). For a student with this mindset, I work with the ELA teacher to come up with very specific models. (See #5). And always, always show them the timeline of their drafts to reinforce progress (See #9). I also borrow a favorite phrase from my colleague, the ELA teacher: "No matter what kind of a writer you are, when you think you're done, you've just begun!"

As we know, writing is an endless, limitless, boundless creative task. Students who are uncomfortable with this type of endeavor have to be taught some strategies to wade into it and find some comfort with themselves, with feedback, and with change.

These are the tenets of what helped Jack eventually write that narrative piece, one of the most original, giggle-inducing stories in his class. He needed the mini-lessons his ELA teacher taught about leads and dialogue, "juicy" details and setting the scene, creating a movie in the reader's mind, etc. He also needed the language support, the remediation, the accommodation of some writing by dictation, and the editing and revision strategies taught by the specialist. He needed two writing teachers who were encouraging him to use and develop his comedic voice to write.

In addition to being good for the diverse young humans we serve, this type of healthy collaboration between educators is a game-changer for teaching practice. I have always found it helps me bring the art and the science together; it's creative and innovative and validating. It can make you feel like you are on fire in your teaching again, especially if you've been teaching alone for a long time. As with all things teaching and learning, it's not always neat or easy, but it is ultimately pretty dang rewarding.

Come back for more.
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How ELA and Special Ed Collaboration Can Produce Great Student Writing

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Sponsored by Listenwise and Scholastic Scope One September morning in a writing workshop class, Jack, a 5th grader, was telling me about a funny "small moment" he witnessed on an airplane. Apparently, two young 20-somethings sitting in front of him had started up an initial conversation and by the end of the flight, they were kissing.

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https://www.generationgenius.com/

Examples of engaging science and math lessons with lesson plans, activities, and vocabulary as well as providing fun engaging content talking about science concepts.

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Video lessons made in partnership with the National Science Teachers Association that engage, educate & inspire kids in science. Generation Genius videos are 12-minutes long and include lesson plans, teacher guides, DIY activities and stopping points for class discussion.

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https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/category/classroom-management-craft/

Gives different articles that talk about how to address different areas of classroom management such as giving students classroom jobs.

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https://xtramath.org/#/home/index

a math fact fluency program that helps students develop quick recall and automaticity of their basic math facts.

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XtraMath - 10 minutes a day for math fact fluency

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XtraMath is a free program that helps students master addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts.

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https://www.edutopia.org/article/5-principles-outstanding-classroom-management

This gives different aspects that will help to master classroom management which first starts with being effective yourself before you can take care of the students first.

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1. Take Care of Yourself to Take Care of Your Students

As the airline safety videos say: Put on your own oxygen mask first.

To learn effectively, your students need a healthy you, said our experienced teachers. So get enough sleep, eat healthy food, and take steps to attend to your own well-being. In her first year of teaching, Jessica Sachs "was working 15-hour days and was completely stressed out. My husband finally said to me, 'The most important thing that you do at school is make decisions. If you are too tired to do that properly, it won't matter how well-prepared you were the night before.'" A few deep breaths can go a long way to helping you identify frustration before you act on it. Mindy Jones, a middle school teacher from Brownsville, Tennessee, notes that "a moment of patience in a moment of frustration saves you a hundred moments of regret."

Countless studies corroborate the idea that self-care reduces stress, which can deplete your energy and impair your judgment. While self-care is more of a habit or practice for your own well-being than an actual classroom management strategy, the benefits include improved executive function, greater empathy, and increased resilience-all qualities that will empower you to make better decisions when confronted with challenging classroom situations.

2. Focus on Building Relationships

This was the theme we heard the most: Building healthy student-teacher relationships is essential to a thriving classroom culture, and even sets the stage for academic success. The phrase "build relationships" occurred 27 times during the Facebook and Instagram discussions, and other variants of that wording appeared 78 times.

"Rapport is huge!" confirmed middle school teacher Kim Manzer, before adding that she always makes the time to talk to students as a whole class or one on one. Simple efforts like greeting kids outside the classroom before the start of the day pay outsized dividends. "They appreciate it so much when I just stop to listen and take interest." Teacher Amanda Tait from Prince George, British Columbia, adds a little spice to the ritual: "I always meet them at the door and we do a 'high-five, chicken-five,' touching elbows with a 'wing.'"

Yes! We high-five, chicken-five in agreement.

Many educators noted that a teacher's ability to balance warmth and strong boundaries is key to successful relationships-and classroom management. "Be consistent but flexible. Love them unconditionally, but hold them accountable. Give them voice but be the leader," said Rae Rudzinski.

3. Set Rules, Boundaries, and Expectations (and Do It Early)

Students don't thrive amid chaos. They need some basic structure-and consistency-to feel safe and to focus.

But maintaining a culture of mutual respect doesn't mean your goal is to "make pals," noted middle school reading coach Heather Henderson. "You can't be their friend. You can be kind, loving, and supportive, but you still have to be their teacher." Establish the code of conduct early in the year, and be sure that everyone-including the teacher-makes an effort to stay true to it. Predictability counts: "Follow through with rewards and consequences. If you say it, mean it. And if you mean it, say it. Be clear, be proactive, and be consistent," said Lori Sheffield.

There was broad consensus among educators that modeling appropriate classroom behavior sets the tone for children: "You make the weather," said Diana Fliginger from Minot, North Dakota. "Your attitude as the teacher really determines what the tone and environment of your classroom is like. If you want calm and productive, project that to your kids." Many others cautioned that while enforcing rules consistently is critical, it's important to pick your battles too-especially if those confrontations are going to be public: "Instead, say, 'You and I will talk about this later,'" advises Denise Tremblay Drapeau. "That way you can still address the issue while saving face. It completely changed the vibe in my classroom."

4. Take a Strength-Based Approach

In a long back-and-forth about classroom management practices, it might have been the most memorable quote: "Find ways to make your hardest kid your favorite kid," said Karen Yenofsky, turning a nearly perfect phrase and triggering an avalanche of teacher love. "When you connect with them... it makes everything smoother."

That's not easy, of course. A strength-based lens means never forgetting to look beneath the surface of behavior, even when it's inconvenient. "Find the root of the problem," urged teacher Judi Michalik of Bangor, Maine. "I have never met a student that doesn't want to be successful. If they are misbehaving it is kind of like when a baby cries; there is something wrong in their world. If they are misbehaving for attention then find out why they need the attention and how you can give them what they need."

And don't forget to continue to work to deepen the connection, being mindful of the context and using language thoughtfully. "Don't sound surprised when remarking on struggling students' successes," said Jenni Park, a teacher from Asheville, North Carolina. "Instead of saying, 'Wow! That was amazing,' it's better to say, 'I'm proud of you, but not surprised. I always knew you could do it.'"

Finally, cultural differences can also play an unconscious role in our expectations of whether a student will succeed, so it's important to reflect on any stereotypes that come up for you. "Don't look at a single one of your kids as if they are deficit and in need of 'guidance' to become better," says elementary educator Elijah Moore, drawing over 230 positive reactions. "Cultural difference does not equal cultural deficiency."

5. Involve Parents and Guardians

"Never forget that every student is someone's child," writes Molly Francis, echoing many teachers in our thread. "Parents/guardians/caregivers want to hear that you see the good in their child. A positive connection with home can often help in the classroom."

The popular apps Remind and ClassDojo were frequently praised, and appear to be well on the way to replacing phone calls-both from teachers to guardians, and in the other direction, too. "Let's be honest," wrote middle school teacher Kristin Ward. "If some parents had my personal cell number they would be calling all the time!"

The majority of teachers send home reports of both positive and negative behaviors-it's critical to do the former, too-and also use email and text services to communicate about upcoming events, due dates, and student progress. "Catch them doing good and call their parents to let them know you noticed," suggests Barbara Rawson. And Kim Manzer (she's so nice we quoted her twice) reminds fellow teachers that the benefits of parental communication find their way back to the classroom: "It's important that parents are involved and know what's going on so they can support and reinforce at home."

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5 Principles of Outstanding Classroom Management

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When we asked our community for their best classroom management practices, over 700 ideas rolled in.

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https://www.edutopia.org/video/building-social-skills-through-cross-age-buddies

A video that shows cross-age buddies where kindergarten and third-grade students were paired for weekly learning sessions and they saw improvements in behavior and social skills as well as sweet friendships.

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When educators paired kindergarten and third-grade students for weekly learning sessions, they saw improvements in behavior and social skills-not to mention sweet friendships.

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Building Social Skills Through Cross-Age Buddies

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When educators paired kindergarten and third-grade students for weekly learning sessions, they saw improvements in behavior and social skills-not to mention sweet friendships.

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https://www.gonoodle.com/

Go Noodle brings joy and promotes health by having dance videos to promote personal and community wellness as well as mental and physical health.

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https://www.responsiveclassroom.org/

This is a student-centered, social and emotional learning approach to teaching and discipline. It is comprised of a set of research, and evidence-based practices designed to create safe, joyful, and engaging classrooms and school communities for both students and teachers.

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"Before you speak, listen." -William A. Ward Listening With Purpose As I listen in on the student conversations occurring around the classroom, I notice that my students have a firm grasp on the basics of listening and speaking. They turn their attention toward the speaker and maintain a calm...

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Responsive Classroom is an evidence-based approach to teaching that focuses on the strong link between academic success and social-emotional learning (SEL).

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https://kinderart.com/

There are many different types of art lesson plans to accessibility to do art for all students such as using materials like paper or tie dying shirts.

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KinderArt is a free resource with hundreds of art activities for kids of all ages.

The KinderArt Club is a premium, time-saving, art lesson plan membership portal for teachers, parents, homeschoolers, art studio owners, librarians and anyone else who teaches art to children ages 5 to 12yrs. ALL of our Art Lesson Bundles are unlocked and ready for you to access as soon as you become a member. Relax, you've got this. Join us today.

Welcome to KinderArt And The KinderArt Club!

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by Andrea Mulder-Slater

KINDERART NEWS

OUR STORY

I'm Andrea, that's me on the left! When my mother Jantje (to my right) and I created KinderArt in 1997, we were leading children's workshops at a local art gallery. One day we decided to look online see if there were any resources for art teachers and found that there were very few (hello Ken Rohrer and The Incredible Art Department!). Not long before, we had made the move into "cyberspace" by placing our Art Studio business online. So, along with that, we created what was at that time a modest resource for art teachers, with about 20 art lessons...

THE KINDERART CLUB

You are currently on the KinderArt.com site which features lots of free art activity ideas for kids (I hope you are enjoying them!) HOWEVER, if you are looking for more detailed art lesson plans, drawing lessons, printables, sketchbook starters (and more) provided monthly, you will LOVE The KinderArt Club - a membership portal designed for parents, homeschoolers, classroom art teachers and studio instructors.

Inside the club you will find hundreds of printable PDF art lessons designed to work in small or large group settings, with a range of ages (from 5 to 12 years). Get creative teaching kids at home, instructing students in a classroom, leading workshops in a studio, or sharing online, as you explore artists, art periods, science, nature, history, cultures and themes, with creativity and flexibility in mind.
Find out More at TheKinderArtClub.com

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KinderArt Elementary Art Lesson Plans Projects by Grade and Age

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Art lesson plans, projects, curriculum and crafts for kids in preschool elementary and middle school. For teachers and parents.

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https://www.weareteachers.com/creative-music-in-the-classroom-k-6/

Easy ways to incorporate music and technology into the classroom such as using music for transitions.

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7 Creative Ways to Use Music in Your K-6 Classroom - We Are Teachers

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Music in the classroom can help with learning, behavior management, and more. Check out these creative ways to get K-6 graders moving and singing along.

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For my resource library, I chose websites and resources that were helpful for each category and ideas that I want to implement in my classroom in the future. The resources include websites that talk about different strategies that are helpful for the topic, different online programs or videos that are helpful for the subject, or lesson plans that are provided for the specific subject. How the library is organized is first by subject and then by the 2 areas that I hope to focus on in my classroom. Another additional item I would like to include is to continue to increase the resources that I have for each category when I stumble across things that can relate to the category. I would also want to expand the categories that I have to have things more specific to my classroom such as one for EL or maybe an idea that I want to promote in my classroom like a student agency.