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Social Emotional Learning (SEL) has become a critical part of learning and instruction in schools. It is how we describe the ways in which students manage their emotions and make responsible decisions. Actively involving students in their own social and emotional development encourages them to practice good habits. There are many approaches to integrating SEL in the classroom and it can be even more effective when you use multiple strategies.

Social Emotional Learning (SEL) has become a critical part of learning and instruction in schools. It is how we describe the ways in which students manage their emotions and make responsible decisions. Actively involving students in their own social and emotional development encourages them to practice good habits. There are many approaches to integrating SEL in the classroom and it can be even more effective when you use multiple strategies.

Below are some engaging SEL activities teachers can use in their classrooms.
→ Check out our SEL Whitepaper
5 Popular SEL Activities for the classroom

Mindfulness

Starting the morning with some quiet time for each student helps them to focus on the day ahead. Mindfulness encourages students to center themselves, focus their breathing and release any stress or agitation. This activity should be modeled by teachers to support students in getting comfortable with habit. Teachers should give explicit instructions and demonstrate any body postures like closed eyes or planted feet.

Acknowledge that the silence and stillness of the group can be a new experience but commit to continuing the practice. When engaging in mindfulness, give students techniques to help them focus, like deep breathing or closing their eyes. This a great way to lower stress and increase emotional control. Adding soothing sounds and music can also help to facilitate the experience.

Name the emotion

This activity gives each student time to think and share their emotions. This is a great morning activity because it gives the class and teacher important information about what each person is carrying into the classroom and sets the tone for how a student and their peers might respond throughout the day. For instance, if a student shares they are anxious or flustered, then this may flag for the teacher to find some time to check-in throughout the day.

An awesome addition to this is encouraging students to use different adjectives to describe their emotions. Have the students think beyond words like happy or sad, instead encourage them to use strong words like cheerful or melancholy. This is a way to increase vocabulary in the classroom that could spark discussion later in the day.

Apology, Applause, Awareness

Gather the students in a circle (sitting or standing) and close out the school day with group communication. During this activity, each student should share an apology, applaud someone or share a moment of reflection. Imagine a student saying; "I apologize for distracting the class during silent reading. I applaud my classmates for their great presentations. After today's science lesson I am more aware of how recycling affects the environment." This should spark a reaction from other students in the circle. As the teacher you can decide if everyone should share or if you are open to a more organic flow. This activity allows students to share not only personal reflections but also acknowledge others in their community.

Weekly powerful messages

Introduce a weekly mantra that relates to an experience or upcoming opportunity in your classroom. For example, if students have a test coming up, you can encourage the group by repeating; "You can do anything you put your mind to." Throughout the week, create opportunities for students to reflect on the quote through quick writes or pair-shares. This is a great way for students to process their own reactions and share with others. If this is done consistently, students can begin to identify a message they might need individually. Give them the agency to identify song lyrics, quotes, or individual ideas that they feel are relevant to the class. This can be an exciting way for students to lead their class.

Arts and Crafts

Time to be creative and work in groups is critical to student development. Arts and crafts help them practice skills like patience and focus. Align crafts in your classroom to a specific unit and encourage students to use their knowledge from the lesson to create a masterpiece. For example, if you are doing a history unit, students can identify with a person or event and develop a collage that connects to that moment in history. This also encourages students to think critically and reflect on the content. Introduce new materials during each craft so students can learn to work with different resources.

To make it even more fun, add these activities to a spin wheel or have students participate in choosing the activity they will do each day.

As you are implementing these activities, be sure you are giving clear instructions and welcoming all students to engage, while keeping an organized classroom. Don't be afraid of silence, especially if an activity calls for individuals to share. Give students time to think and respond to their thoughts and ideas. The first few times will be a learning experience for everyone, but keep working together. This develops a culture of high expectations that involves each person in the classroom. As you get to know your students, you will learn more about what activities they like and can continue to challenge them with new opportunities.

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Popular Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Activities in the Classroom

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Social Emotional Learning (SEL) has become a critical part of learning and instruction in schools. It is how we describe the ways in which students manage their emotions and make responsible decisions. Actively involving students in their own social and emotional development encourages them to practice good habits.

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Staying True to yourself

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Welcome to our supplemental Social Emotional Learning Activities page!

As you will see below, many of the supplemental SEL activities and lesson plans include characters from our game-based, social emotional learning interventions. And when you use the online programs with your students, these activities will reinforce the learning that occurs during game play.

These supplemental resources - lessons, activities, and worksheets - are in the following SELskill areas: Communication, Cooperation, Emotion Regulation, Empathy, Impulse Control, and Social Initiation.

These resources are age-appropriate for elementary and middle school students and are typically used in a classroom or a small group setting. And in most cases, if materials are required for the activity, they are items that you already have in your classroom or office.
Note: Please share this page on your school website so other educators may also benefit.
Social Emotional Learning at Home

Additional Resources for Social Emotional Learning

Our classroom management plan is a step-by-step guide and includes proven strategies, tips and printables for elementary school teachers, and it covers four key components for establishing a successful, well-managed classroom.

These free downloadable posters will decorate your classroom and be great teaching resources, reinforcing social and emotional skills in your classroom and reminding students to practice their skills like emotion regulation, impulse control, empathy, and more.

Social Emotional Learning Quotes

For each of the topics below, we have curated a list of quotes. You can incorporate these quotes in your social emotional learning lessons, add them to social media images, create classroom posters, or write one on your whiteboard each day.

Need Something More Engaging And Effective For A Few Students?

Simply request a FREE Centervention educator account and start using our online programs!

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95 Free Social Emotional Learning Activities

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95 free social emotional learning activities, worksheets, and lessons to help students in elementary and middle school. Most are no-prep and ready to go.

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Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

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Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

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A great website for students to explore about space. fun pictures, information and games.

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NASA.gov brings you the latest images, videos and news from America's space agency. Get the latest updates on NASA missions, watch NASA TV live, and learn about our quest to reveal the unknown and benefit all humankind.

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Great Resource for students. They can explore the website and learn about different animals, where they are and descriptions

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Great website for science videos

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science scienceforkids education scishow "hank green" kids elementary ngss cartoon animation puppet biology chemistry physics engineering stem steam

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From the team behind the YouTube series SciShow comes SciShow Kids! Join Jessi, Squeaks the Robot Lab Rat, and all their friends at the Fort as they conduct experiments, research new questions, and talk with experts to learn about the science-filled world around us.

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Library of science and social studies articles. allows for differentiation of reading levels

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© Copyright 2024 Kids Discover. All Rights Reserved.

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Ways of what it means to be a friend and how they should act

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A Story about Confidence and Self-Love

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Trouble with fitting in and missing out on fashion trends

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Overcoming fear

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rhyming and identify

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Combines Science, S.S, and ELA

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The beauty of our planet

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A great game for students to practice their skills

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Tons of different games for every subject

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Browse Online Games. Award winning educational materials designed to help kids succeed. Start for free now!

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2023 MrNussbaum.com is a copyright of the Nussbaum Education Network,LLC.

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Over 300 of the web’s best and most original and creative learning games in all subjects for kids in grades K-8.

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https://www.allsides.com/unbiased-balanced-news

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YourCommonwealth | The Youth Perspective

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YourCommonwealth | the youth perspective

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With so few women represented in science and related fields, it is no wonder why more girls aren't attracted to these disciplines. But why are women s...

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spelling activities

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Word Study Activities For Any List Of Words Teaching Resources | TpT

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Browse word study activities for any list of words resources on Teachers Pay Teachers, a marketplace trusted by millions of teachers for original educational resources.

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Words Their Way Free Resources for Word Study — Tarheelstate Teacher

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Download FREE Words Their Way word study activities and resources for upper elementary. The activities, resources, tips, and more included in this blog post will help you get your word study routines and schedule ready and organized!

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Princess Presto’s Spectacular Spelling Play

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SUPER WHY, the animated television series and interactive website, helps children ages 3-6 learn key reading skills, including alphabet, rhyming, spelling and reading comprehension, through interactive storybook adventures.

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| | Filed Under: Writing & Grammar

A few years ago, I wrote a blog post about how I used a variation of Daily Three in my reading classroom. Since writing that post, I have gotten several questions about a word study activity I mentioned in the post.

As an upper grades teacher, I have always struggled with finding word study activities that are appropriate for my students. To be honest, I still struggle and my personal goal for this school year is to work on developing or finding more word study activities that are engaging, grade level appropriate, and truly help my students think about, analyze, and explore words. This post shares one of my favorite go-to word study activities for upper elementary students that I have used for the past five years. This word study activity can be completed during centers or even as a whole group activity.

About the Word Study Activity

Basically, students choose one of their spelling words for the week and then "Make Connections" between that word and other known words or words they specifically search for while they are reading.

Here are the "Making Connections" choices that students can choose from at the beginning of the year to complete this word study activity. We do add to this list as the year goes on and the students become more proficient with these choices and are ready for more.

Introducing the Word Study Activity

I spend the first few weeks of school modeling each one of the choices. It helps ensure the students understand the choice and understand how to find words that meet that requirement.

To do model this, we choose one word from our spelling list. The students help me choose "Making Connections" choices from the list that we have not used before. We go through the entire activity with students volunteering words that fit the choices we chose. When we have four words for each, I have them choose another word from the list to complete the activity on their own with the same "Making Connections" choices.

This can be done on a piece of paper easily, but I like to use a printable. It helps keep the work neat and organized, and I really dislike grading things work like this on notebook paper for some reason.

The students write their chosen word in the middle of the printable. Then they write their four chosen "Making Connections" choices in the four outer boxes. As you can see, this student chose same number of syllables, synonyms, same part of speech, and same ending sound.

Completing the Word Study Activity

After making their choices and clearly labeling each box with their choice, students get to work finding words that they can connect with their chosen spelling words. They can pull from their own knowledge, previous spelling lists, books they are reading, and even dictionaries.

I do require that they double check the spelling in a dictionary before recording the word in their printable. This takes extra time at first, but it takes care of my dictionary skills for the year and the students get faster as they use it more.

I also have a requirement of at least four words in each of the outer boxes. However, I have been known to allow students to do five in one box and three as long as they average about four words in each box.

Since this word study activity requires thinking, searching, and double-checking with dictionaries, I only require one printable (with one spelling word) to be completed during a 20 minute center in the beginning of the year. After Christmas, I require two to be completed. I do have some students who actually finish more than the required amount during the time frame. For students who need more time, you could lower the requirement to two words per "connection."

In addition to using this in a word work center or station, this can also be done whole group. Read more about implementing word study in a whole class format versus centers by clicking here.
Click here or on the image below to download the FREE word study activity printable.
Download the Word Study Activity Printable Here

Do you have any word study activities that you have your students complete that you love? Let me know in the comments.

Want more word work activities? Click here to check out my FREE Word Work Activities using Jenga blocks!

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Free Word Study Activity for Upper Elementary

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Filed Under: Writing & Grammar A few years ago, I wrote a blog post about how I used a variation of Daily Three in my reading classroom. Since writing that post, I have gotten several questions about a word study activity I mentioned in the post.

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Make Word Study Fun: Strategies For Playing With Words - Markers & Minions

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Teaching children to read is perhaps the single most important job we have as elementary school teachers. Reading is the foundation for everything! There have been a lot of theories and much debate about the best strategies for teaching reading. I’ve spent a lot of time studying literacy—enough to k…

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Make Word Study Fun: Strategies For Playing With Words

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As part of our Humpty Dumpty rhyme time today, we build a nursery rhyme wall. After all, Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall... so we needed to make one! We started off with a Sharpie,

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Last year, in honor of National Poetry Month, I shared 32 poetry pairings (that's a total of 64 poems!) so that you could host a poetry tournament in your classroom. If you can't wait until April, there's still time for you to use the same poems to create a March Madness bracket. You can find the paired poems and tournament directions here.

Many students are intimidated by poetry, so using music can help you ease them into poetry analysis as there's really no difference between looking at the lyrics of a song and the lines of a poem. These 15 song and poem pairings will also help you to tackle the analysis of "how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take." If you are in a Common Core state, that's Reading Anchor Standard #9, and if you are not a Common Core state, it is still a worthwhile exercise.

1. "Annabel Lee" by Edgar Allan Poe and "Annabel Lee" by Tiger Army
This is an easy pairing to start out with as the song is simply a retelling of the poem. I like to show students the lyrics first before playing the song for them as hearing the music that accompanies the lyrics can be quite a surprise. Tiger Army is considered a psychobilly band, part of the rock music fusion genre that mixes elements of rockabilly and punk rock. After listening, discuss with students whether the music changes the meaning and tone of the lyrics. This pairing is also a perfect addition to your unit on Edgar Allan Poe.

2. " The Lighthouse" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and "The Lighthouse's Tale" by Nickel Creek
Students love the lighthouse imagery in each of these texts, and are quick to suss out the symbolism. However, once they push further, they can analyze the different perspectives offered (the song is from the POV of a lighthouse, while the poem's narrator simply admires and assesses the lighthouse from afar) and the impact on the audience. Both texts together work well to show students the effect of mood and tone. The song also works well alone as a first foray into song analysis as it offers a rich melody and emotional lyrics.
*Recommended by Danielle Hall from Nouvelle ELA

3. "Song of Myself" by Walt Whitman and "Sake of the Song" by Blackmore's Night
One of the verses of "Sake of the Song" reads, "Could you ever be just for the sake of being? Could a melody ever be wrong? Could you ever sing just for the sake of singing? Set your spirit free for the sake of the song." Those lines capture much more simply, and succinctly, Whitman's message in "Song of Myself." I don't suggest reading the whole poem with students. I recommend just the first three sections unless you assign each student a different section or two (there are 52 total) to try to translate. Add this pairing to your American Literature unit.

4. "Richard Cory" by Edwin Arlington Robinson and "Eleanor Rigby" by The Beatles
"All the lonely people, where do they all come from?" Each of these texts creates a rich character sketch of someone who wears a mask for the world, but deals with some tough emotions. These two texts offer easy opportunities for comparison: both have strong settings and character development. I like to have students follow up with writing their own character portrait poetry, zooming in on someone real or made up. Students always surprise me by creating an intense portrait in a very small amount of space.
*Recommended by Danielle Hall from Nouvelle ELA

5. "Because I Could Not Stop for Death" by Emily Dickinson and "Seasons in the Sun" by Terry Jacks
With this poem and song, students can consider the poet and artist's feelings about death. Do they fear death or do they welcome it? How do the poet and artist feel about the life they have lived? Both the poem and song have lines that require some thinking. For example, what does Terry Jacks mean when he sings, "But the stars we could reach were just starfish on the beach"? In Dickinson's poem, students can examine her use of personification. How does death become a character in her poem? Students can also consider her use of capitalization and how it affects (or doesn't affect) meaning in the poem.

6. "Pyramus and Thisbe" by Ovid and "Sk8er Boi" by Avril Lavigne
Forbidden love is a theme that always engages my students. When my freshmen read Romeo and Juliet, I begin with a thematic hook. As a class, we listen to songs like Avril Lavigne's "Sk8er Boi" and The Shangri-Las "Leader of the Pack." We also read " Pyramus and Thisbe" and discuss popular movies like Shrek, Hitch, Divergent, Lady and the Tramp, and the Titanic. All of these examples help us pose the question: Why are stories of forbidden love so popular? As students make connections, offer opinions, and draw thematic conclusions, we prepare to begin Shakespeare's play. This discussion is the perfect way to make classic poems relevant. Why read Romeo and Juliet? Why read "Pyramus and Thisbe"? The stories reflect modern issues that impact modern teens.
*Recommended by Melissa from Reading and Writing Haven

7. "Sympathy" by Paul Laurence Dunbar and "Caged Bird" by Alicia Keys
The lyrics of "Caged Bird" are a direct nod to Dunbar's poem. In comparing the poem and song, first have students focus on the birds. What are the conditions of their imprisonment? Then move on to the tone of the poet and artist. Are they similar or different? How does that connect to the experiences of the birds? Finally, have students discuss the use of the different gender pronouns. How does Dunbar's use of he and Keys's use of she potentially transform the meaning in the poem versus the song?

8. "I, Too" by Langston Hughes and "The Times They are A-Changin'" by Bob Dylan
Poetry challenges many students, but I've found that if you can present songs as poems, you can often get students to have a better understanding of their reading. In fact, when I introduce American Literature at the beginning of my semester, I use poetry, music, and art to get students engaged. One of my favorite pairings is to use "Let America Be America Again" by Langston Hughes with "The Times They Are A-Changin'" from Nobel Prize winner Bob Dylan. Both the poem and song share a purpose to improve American society, the song as an anthem for the Civil Rights movement and the poem as an appeal for equal treatment of all Americans. Excellent for analysis of poetic devices, both include examples of rhyme, alliteration, figurative language, symbolism, and allusion. If the poem is too long or complex for your students, Hughes's "I, Too" also makes a strong connection to the song.
*Recommended by Kim, OCBeachTeacher

9. "The Road Not Taken" Robert Frost and "Any Road" by George Harrison
As their titles suggest, both this poem and song focus on the road, a symbol of our journey in life. Once the symbolism is discussed, you can have students practice identifying rhyme scheme. Do students prefer one pattern over the other? This pairing can also lead to a deep philosophical discussion about choices and fate. Robert Frost maintains that "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I- I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference, " while George Harrison claims that, "If you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there." Poll your students for their opinions on whether our fate is pre-determined or whether the choices we make determine our fate. Then allow students to debate the question using examples from literature.

10. "Chicago" by Carl Sandburg and "This City" by Patrick Stump
These two voices are so distant in time and genre, but share such a scrappy, unapologetic sense of pride for their cities. Both poets use a counter argument structure: they acknowledge the faults of their cities, then come right down and defend their homes. Stump identifies the "unethical politician" while Sandburg references having "seen the gunman kill and go free to kill again." The reason I enjoy pairing these two together is because Stump's version is so simple and approachable. His language is plain and the song is catchy, so it makes for a nice scaffold. Once you layer on "Chicago," the language gets more difficult, but since you're approaching it in the same context as "This City," the students already have a frame for the poem. As you look through these parallels with students (and there are several more!), I would suggest focusing in on four major aspects of the poems: the tone, the message, the speakers, and the figurative language. Depending on your class, you might even narrow that list down to just two things to focus on. I use a structured Venn diagram lesson as well as a deeper analysis writing activity with these two poems that would also work with any other pairing.
*Recommended by Amanda Cardenas, Mud and Ink Teaching

11."Mother to Son" by Langston Hughes and "Dear Mama" by Tupac Shakur
Paired together, this poem and song create a beautiful dialogue of a mother sharing her struggles with her son and a son recognizing the difficulties faced by his mother. After sharing with students that the poem was published in 1922 and the song was released in 1995, discuss what the "tacks" and "splinters" might symbolize in Hughes's poem and if they are the same types of struggles Tupac's mother endured. For a more contemporary song, you could also use"Hey Mama" by Kanye West (just be sure you are comfortable with all of the language before sharing it with your students). As a follow up to reading, students could write their own mother to son, father to daughter, etc. piece and a response, which are wonderful writing pieces for students to give as gifts.

12. "The Fish" by Elizabeth Bishop and "Hall of Fame" by The Script
My sophomores love our poetry unit because I infuse music throughout it as often as possible. Music is such a powerful way to teach poetic and rhetorical devices, but it can also bring poems to life. When paired well, music can make the thematic relevance of a poem tangible. Our poetry unit explores various poem structures, one of which is narrative. We use "The Fish" by Elizabeth Bishop because it's so rich in imagery - an important story element. In order to hook students, we surround this poem with multiple examples of songs that have a similar theme of resiliency. As we listen to "Hall of Fame" by The Script, "Fight Song" by Rachel Platten, and "It's Not Over Yet" by King and Country, we analyze the message, the author's purpose, and the social, cultural, and historical significance of the songs. With this prior knowledge in tow, we read "The Fish" and make as many connections as possible between characters and themes in the poem with those in the lyrics. It's fun to use the same analyzing music assignment when reading the poem as when studying the songs to prove to students that music really is poetry. My students always love this study because it makes poetry engaging, they get to listen to music, it scaffolds analysis, and everyone leaves in a good mood. Teenagers themselves have quite a bit to overcome, and our discussions often focus on positive ways they can address their own obstacles.

*Recommended by Melissa from Reading and Writing Haven

13. "Saturday's Child" by Countee Cullen and "Cat's in the Cradle" by Harry Chapin
The importance of time versus money is at the center of this comparison. "Saturday's Child" is narrated by a child reflecting on his impoverished childhood, while "Cat's in the Cradle" is narrated by a father who regrets not spending more time with his son. Both the poem and song make reference to a silver spoon, but have students determine whether the allusion has the same meaning in both pieces. "Saturday's Child" can be examined for personification and irony can be discussed with "Cat's in the Cradle."

14. " The Highwayman" by Alfred Noyes and "Everywhere" by Fleetwood Mac
Few can resist a love story and a classic song. The combination of the two make Alfred Noyes' poem, "The Highwayman," and Fleetwood Mac's song, "Everywhere," a perfect combination for bringing narrative poetry into the class. I begin with the poem. Students dissect the narrative elements and tease apart the storyline. We talk about what happens and the poetic devices Noyes uses. (It's strong on repetition, rhyme, alliteration, similes and metaphors.) Then students listen to the Fleetwood Mac song and watch the video. We discuss the similarities, the themes of each, and the ways the song's video connects to the poem. If there is time for more, we compare both to other song and video renditions. In the end, students have a solid appreciation for narrative poetry and this poem. Introducing them to a classic song and band is a bonus.
*Recommended by Writing by Rachel, Rachel Cummings

15. "Choices" by Nikki Giovanni and "Change" by Taylor Swift
Begin with a comparison of tone and theme as you examine "Choices" and "Change." While both the poem and song deal with the quandary of not getting what you want, Giovanni and Swift have very different attitudes about their problems, which results in the presence of two very different messages. "Choices" is from Giovanni's poetry collection titled Cotton Candy on a Rainy Day, which was published in 1978, and "Change" is a song from Swift's album titled Fearless, which was released in 2008 and used during the 2008 Summer Olympics. Discuss whether students attribute the difference in tone and theme to the time period, the women's racial identities, or a combination of both. What made Swift's song an appropriate choice for the Olympics? After reading, students could write about the changes they'd like to make in themselves or the change they'd like to see in the world.

You can find all of my resources for teaching poetry here.

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The Literary Maven: 15 Poem and Song Pairings to Liven Up Your Poetry Unit

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Many students are intimidated by poetry, so using music can help you ease them into poetry analysis as there's really no difference between looking at the lyrics of a song and the lines of a poem. Read on for 15 song and poem pairings that will liven up your poetry unit.

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Acrostics can be quite entertaining, both for the poet and for the reader. Perhaps you might try your own hand at creating an acrostic poem. But don't cheat! There are many programs on the internet today that will do the work for you, but the real pleasure of acrostics poems is the challenge of solving the puzzle.

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The easiest most fun way to practice math facts in a classroom! Instantly engaging and perfect for all-class activities. No students' accounts required.

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Free Teacher Google Slides themes and PowerPoint templates

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Download and customize our Teacher Google Slides themes and PowerPoint templates and create educational presentations ✓ Free ✓ Easy to edit ✓ Professional

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A post shared by Catherine Coyle (@classroomcreations_)

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Contact me via email at richardbyrne (at) freetech4teachers.com

About the blog:
The purpose of this site is to share information about free resources that teachers can use in their classrooms.
In 2008 Free Technology for Teachers was awarded the Edublogs Award for "Best Resource Sharing Blog."
In 2009 Free Technology for Teachers was again awarded the Edublogs Award for "Best Resource Sharing Blog" and was awarded the Edublogs Award for "Best Individual Blog."
In 2010 Free Technology for Teachers was awarded the Edublogs Awards for "Best Resource Sharing Blog," "Best Ed Tech Support," and "Best Individual Blog."
In 2011 Free Technology for Teachers received the Edublogs Award for Best Ed Tech Blog.
In 2012 Free Technology for Teachers received the Edublogs Award for Best Ed Tech Blog
Free Technology for Teachers is read by an audience of more than 500,000 educators worldwide.

About Me (Richard Byrne):
Currently, I am a high school computer science teacher in Maine. Previously, I spent eight years as a consultant helping teachers all over the world develop interesting ways to use technology in their classrooms. And prior to that I taught high school social studies for nearly a decade.

I have been invited to speak at events all over North America, Europe, Australia, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. My work is focused on sharing free web-based resources that educators can use to enhance their students' learning experiences.

I am a five time winner of the Edublogs Award for Best Resource Sharing Blog. I became a Google Certified Teacher in 2009. In 2012 and 2019 I received a Merlot Classics award from chancellor's office of California State University. In 2010 I was a finalist for ACTEM's (Association of Computer Teachers and Educators in Maine) educator of the year award. Tech & Learning Magazine named me one of their "people to watch" in their 100@30 30th Anniversary celebration (http://techlearning.com/article/26660).

On a daily basis Free Technology for Teachers reaches a subscriber base of more than 60,000 educators. In addition to writing Free Technology for Teachers, I also maintain PracticalEdTech.com where I offer online professional development courses for teachers.

My printed work includes a monthly column for School Library Journal, contributing author to What School Leaders Need to Know About Digital Technologies and Social Media, and contributions to Teacher Librarian.

I believe that when used correctly, technology has the power to improve student engagement and student achievement. I also believe that technology gives teachers the ability to form powerful, global, professional learning communities.

I am available for professional development workshops. I can offer workshops on the use of video creation tools in all subject areas as well as workshops about classroom uses for Google Earth, Google Maps, Google Books, Google Search, and developing an online personal learning community. I can also customize a workshop specifically for your group. If you are interested in having me conduct a workshop for your school or conference, please contact me via email at richardbyrne (at) freetech4teachers.com

Please see mywork with me page for a list of my popular presentation topics and a list of some places where I've presented in past.

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Contact me via email at richardbyrne (at) freetech4teachers.com About the blog: The purpose of this site is to share information about free resources that teachers can use in their classrooms. In 2008 Free Technology for Teachers was awarded the Edublogs Award for "Best Resource Sharing Blog."

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MapPuzzle.xyz - Puzzle game application based in maps

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Educational cartographic puzzles, you can complete maps of the world, Spain, USA, Japan... and more, share your results on social networks.

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Blooms Taxonomy and DOK Chart - Google Docs

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Creative Clips_School Favorites Printable Bulletin Board

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"The environment should act as an aquarium which reflects the ideas, ethics, attitudes, and culture of the people who live in it. This is what we are working towards." Loris Malaguzzi

With the new school year fast approaching for many, setting up the classroom environment is one of the first steps in our preparation for the new school year. When we set the space to support and facilitate children's interests - we set in motion the magic and wonder of the third teacher.

Over the next few weeks - we are going to take a peek into several teacher's preliminary steps in preparing the environment.

This week, we are looking into Sidney Webb's classroom, a PreK teacher from Rosa Parks Elementary in Tulsa, OK. It is important to know that Sidney will pull the details together in this room once the children come and put their imprint on it.

I love how the natural elements create such a calm and welcoming canvas. Note the hanging branch from a bush.

Light & Shadow Center

Notice the materials that surround the light table. I love how she has provided enough to see what captures the children's interest. Magnifying glasses to take a deeper look at creations on the table. Brilliant!

Fabulous clear container that calls me to go play!

Translucent pattern blocks displayed in a 3-section dip container.

Magnetic Tiles in the light area for building!

Light Table Loose Parts: Sensory bottles, translucent 3-D shapes, party store drink stirrers, party store shot glasses

Storage containers: plastic drinking glasses,

Construction Center

Adding a pallet and wooden spool to expand the possibilities of building.

A rug to give boundaries to the building space plus baskets for storing materials and resources.

Gray plastic spools for building and constructing.

A wooden crate as a shelf! No need to spend a fortune on unique shelving and look at how inviting it is for children! Also take note of those loose part wood cookies that she cut for FREE!

Atelier Center

Sidney used mason jars and jam jars to display the rainbow of colors for crayons, markers and colored pencils. Note the breathing space around each jar.

Sorting by colors is a great way to stay organized and teach organizing... No worksheets needed to teach color matching

Paint displayed in an old soda crate.

Writing Center

A sectioned gift basket to display different sizes of clipboards. A mason jar display to give access to different writing tools. Love the accessibility to clipboards for writing around the room.

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Setting Up The 3rd Teacher: A Peek Into Sidney's Classroom

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"The environment should act as an aquarium which reflects the ideas, ethics, attitudes, and culture of the people who live in it. This is what we are working towards." Loris Malaguzzi With the new school year fast approaching for many, setting up the classroom environment is one of the first steps in our preparation for the new school year.

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"The environment should act as an aquarium which reflects the ideas, ethics, attitudes, and culture of the people who live in it. This is what we are working towards." Loris Malaguzzi

With the new school year fast approaching for many, setting up the classroom environment is one of the first steps in our preparation for the new school year. When we set the space to support and facilitate children's interests - we set in motion the magic and wonder of the third teacher.

Over the next few weeks - we are going to take a peek into several teacher's preliminary steps in preparing the environment.

This week, we are looking into Sidney Webb's classroom, a PreK teacher from Rosa Parks Elementary in Tulsa, OK. It is important to know that Sidney will pull the details together in this room once the children come and put their imprint on it.

I love how the natural elements create such a calm and welcoming canvas. Note the hanging branch from a bush.

Light & Shadow Center

Notice the materials that surround the light table. I love how she has provided enough to see what captures the children's interest. Magnifying glasses to take a deeper look at creations on the table. Brilliant!

Fabulous clear container that calls me to go play!

Translucent pattern blocks displayed in a 3-section dip container.

Magnetic Tiles in the light area for building!

Light Table Loose Parts: Sensory bottles, translucent 3-D shapes, party store drink stirrers, party store shot glasses

Storage containers: plastic drinking glasses,

Construction Center

Adding a pallet and wooden spool to expand the possibilities of building.

A rug to give boundaries to the building space plus baskets for storing materials and resources.

Gray plastic spools for building and constructing.

A wooden crate as a shelf! No need to spend a fortune on unique shelving and look at how inviting it is for children! Also take note of those loose part wood cookies that she cut for FREE!

Atelier Center

Sidney used mason jars and jam jars to display the rainbow of colors for crayons, markers and colored pencils. Note the breathing space around each jar.

Sorting by colors is a great way to stay organized and teach organizing... No worksheets needed to teach color matching

Paint displayed in an old soda crate.

Writing Center

A sectioned gift basket to display different sizes of clipboards. A mason jar display to give access to different writing tools. Love the accessibility to clipboards for writing around the room.

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Setting Up The 3rd Teacher: A Peek Into Sidney's Classroom

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"The environment should act as an aquarium which reflects the ideas, ethics, attitudes, and culture of the people who live in it. This is what we are working towards." Loris Malaguzzi With the new school year fast approaching for many, setting up the classroom environment is one of the first steps in our preparation for the new school year.

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Transforming your third teacher (room) is something that can be as simple as focusing on just one area in your room and can change how your children interact instantly with each other and the materials!

The Third Teacher is a powerful teacher when remembering that setting up a room is not just about setting it up to be "pretty or cute" but to create a space that welcomes children to play, create, and interact with THEIR space.

The OU students in Tulsa, OK paired up with some fabulous teachers in Oklahoma to transform their spaces. I was so inspired myself to see the transformation! There are so many incredible details that they added and changed to the rooms, but today I want to share just a glimpse into some of the areas in these transformed rooms.
Before: After:
Notice the simple movement of several items, especially the book shelf that provides such an array of books right at their level. The addition of fabric and lights defines the area while providing a cozy and comfort environment for group and reading. Decluttering the whiteboard honors this age of children and makes it more useful. What a lovely space she had before and now it is taken to another level!
Before: After:
One of my favorite things I love about this particular transformation is the movement of tables from long rows to put together and placed in different parts of the room. The centers become the primary focus versus the tables. It call children to come play and explore! The fabric hung that defines different spaces is such a beautiful element.
Before: After:
Notice the expansion of this construction area! Love! Providing a bigger and more robust construction area leads to a deeper exploration and building time. The addition of loose parts will enhance their constructions and creativity. The spool in the middle gives the children height to build on and around.
Before: After:
Such a great idea to repurpose a doll house into an area for documentation and books. When something isn't working in your classroom for a period of time, simply moving it to another area, repurposing it, or calling attention to it may shift how children interact with this. This is simply lovely and inviting.
Before: After:
Notice how they moved Loose Part materials on top of the shelf with defined baskets and organized the colors and writing materials below. LOVE the paint swatches to help children match the colors back when they're finished. Making them more independent when cleaning and working on those matching skills.

Thanks again to these fabulous teachers and OU students for sharing their incredible transformations. What inspired you most about what you saw? Share below in the comments and share your space!
BONUS! Want to go a bit deeper in planning not only the Third Teacher but planning your day to day in a Reggio Inspired mindset? Click Here to download a Reggio Inspired Planning Form to help you brainstorm and reflect each day!

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How to Transform Your Third Teacher: A Peek Inside a Real Transformation

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Transforming your third teacher (room) is something that can be as simple as focusing on just one area in your room and can change how your children interact instantly with each other and the materials!

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Learn why hundreds of NY schools trust Newsela's content for ELA, Science, Social Studies & SEL.

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reading levels, highlighting notes

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July 1, 2021 - New Music on FMA
In an effort to push forward more music productions and make way for new music to be shared, we invited talented musicians, supervised by Tribe of Noise's Head of Music, Marko Roca, who challenged each artist to create something different, unique - for this project. Outcome? Four amazing new albums (below) with completely new original music.

Over 30 new tracks are ready to be discovered on Free Music Archive and ready to be licensed for your next (commercial) media project via Tribe of Noise PRO.

Winter Haze, Summer Daze
By Mr.ruiZ
FMA free to access | ToN PRO commercial use

The Crown & Lobster Trilogy Selection
By Eric Van der Westen
FMA free to access | ToN PRO commercial use

Shall we Move On?
By Balkan Jingles
FMA free to access | ToN PRO commercial use

Avant la Lettre
By Another Brick
FMA free to access | ToN PRO commercial use

Read a bit more over this project on this new FMA Blogpost

Free Music Archive is powered by Tribe of Noise. Together we care about free access to original music and growing fair trade opportunities & our social impact in favor of talented musicians worldwide: Decent Work and Economic Growth, Reduced Inequalities, No Poverty and Gender Equality.

1) We support over 50,000 creatives. Mostly independent singer songwriters and music producers from 190+ countries.

2) We host over 150,000 original songs and can brief our artists directly if you need bespoke content for your project.

3) Half a million YouTubers, podcasters, film makers and other folks in need of original music are signed up to our services.

Would you like to learn more about Free Music Archive or talk to us in person? Contact Meghan: meghan@tribeofnoise.com

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July 1, 2021 - New Music on FMA In an effort to push forward more music productions and make way for new music to be shared, we invited talented musicians, supervised by Tribe of Noise's Head of Music, Marko Roca, who challenged each artist to create something different, unique - for this project.

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Beginning of the year.
We created this anchor chart on ways to pay it forward, and I keep it posted all year.

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Developed for use in middle and high school classrooms, Mission US engages students in the study of transformational moments in American history. Each mission consists of an interactive game and a set of curriculum materials that are aligned to national standards and feature document-based activities.

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Screen Time You Can Feel Good About

Our mission is to make screen time better.

Unlike traditional cartoons and movies, Vooks allows for children's imaginations to engage; it encourages reading; it promotes attention and focus. By bringing storybooks to life, Vooks redefines what screen time can be.

Start Your Free Month

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100% safe, ad free, a better form of screen time Vooks is a streaming service that brings children's storybooks to life with animated illustrations and narrated story. Imagine storybooks where the illustrations move, the sounds sound, and the story comes to life! Children can read along, watch, or giggle at will.