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Creativity in the Modern Classroom

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Top 5 Back to School Tips for Balancing Schedules and Routines

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The beginning of the school year is fast approaching. For first year, and even veteran teachers, working on schedules and routines can be a stumbling block. But we have 5 tips that should help you start the year off great.

The beginning of the school year is fast approaching. For first year, and even veteran teachers, working on schedules and routines can be a stumbling block. But we have 5 tips that should help you start the year off great.

1. Make connections with colleagues

In order to make your schedule work, you have to know the extent of how many different educators you may be working with during the school year. There is the special education teacher, the gifted and talented teacher, a Title 1 teacher, the Speech teacher, an ELL (English Language Learners) teacher, and possibly more professionals that you will be sharing students with.  Be thankful that there are so many educators that are there to help your children succeed. Make sure to meet with them before the first day so you can figure out what times these educators will be either taking students out of your room, or working with them in the classroom.

2. Required Minutes

Most states have mandated minutes that you have to teach the core subjects. Your best resource for a sample daily teaching schedule would be a teaching partner at the same grade level, or your principal. If you have a teaching partner, it would be a good idea to look at how the schedule is organized and see if you both agree that you like the way it is set up. If you make changes, make sure to include all the educators that may be affected such as: special education, title 1, ELL, Speech, etc…

3.  Reading Rotations

If you teach guided reading, you know what kind of a headache it can be to fit in all of your groups. We have found that three-twenty minute rotations works best for us. We do not like to have groups bigger than 6 students. So where does that leave the other students that can’t meet during three rotations? We use Daily 3 at the 5th grade level where students have choices between read to self, word work, and work on writing. Here is a blog post we wrote about the Daily 3. We meet with our two lowest groups every day and rotate in the higher groups every other day. It works extremely well!

4. Interventions

Using the RtI (Response to Intervention) framework, it is important to meet the needs of all of your learners. We have a designated 30 minute block of time each day set aside for this to occur. During this time, any classroom teachers at the same grade level as us, along with any resource teachers (special education, Title 1, ELL) will take small groups of students and work on specific standards. This focused time allows us to work closely with those students and really target what they need.

5. Morning Routines

If you want to success to happen right off the bat, you need to have morning routines in place. Nothing is worse than chaos to start the day. Make sure the students know what they are expected to do as they enter the classroom. We wrote a blog post about soft start mornings that has been very popular with educators.

If you liked this blog post,, you will want to check out The First Year Teacher eBook with 29 pages of helpful tips for beginning teachers.

first year teacher ebook

You will also want to check out our companion guide: The First Year Teacher Resources which contains 40 different items you can use your first year of teaching!

first year teacher resource activity guide

Thanks and here is to a successful year of teaching!

If you would like to be a part of our newsletter that will be full of tips, hints, strategies, and free resources to use in your classroom click here. 

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Top 5 Classroom Décor Ideas for First Year Teachers

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The first year of teaching is a challenge. One of the biggest obstacles you will face is finding ways to create an inviting classroom on a fixed budget. Eric and I hope to offer you some tips that will save you both time and money with these top five decorating tips for the classroom!

The first year of teaching is a challenge. One of the biggest obstacles you will face is finding ways to create an inviting classroom on a fixed budget. Eric and I hope to offer you some tips that will save you both time and money.

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1. Back to School Sales

Many teachers hate to see fliers and advertisements out already in June for Back to School sales. But this is a prime opportunity for you to find amazing bargains. Stores such as Target, Wal-Mart, Dollar Stores and others will have items on sale that you can use to help decorate your classroom. Take advantage of these sales.

Also, online retailers such as Amazon will have deals going as well. Don’t forget to shop online for some great bargains.

2. Tablecloths

Yes, you heard us right, tablecloths. These inexpensive household items are great for bulletin boards. They are sturdy, colorful, and last longer than the cheap bulletin board paper. You can use them year after year.

Ideas for decorating the classroom! Pick a theme like this classroom did – Peanuts and Football! (Picture used with permission.)3. Pick a Theme

Depending on your grade level and your interests, you will want to pick a theme for your classroom. We have seen themes range from sports, to jungles, to oceans, to even animals. Whatever theme you pick, you may be able to find discounted items at the above-mentioned stores or even garage sales. Believe it or not, garage sales can offer some great deals for teachers.

4. Name Tags

Many teachers spend money every year on desk name tags, only to have them peel off at least once during the school year. We have found that oil-based pens are a great way to write your students’ names on their desks. They come off easily with a expo marker and magic eraser too!

5. Friends

The best time saver we can recommend for you is your friends. When you are set to start decorating your classroom, enlist the help of your friends. Not only will it save you precious time (that you will need to learn curriculum, lesson plan, read cumulative files…), but it will also be more fun for you as well. Rely on people around you!

If you liked this blog post on our inexpensive ideas for classroom decor, you will want to check out The First Year Teacher eBook with 29 pages of helpful tips for beginning teachers.

This first year teacher ebook will help new teachers with back to school ideas and tips for the whole school year.

You will also want to check out our companion guide: The First Year Teacher Resources which contains 40 different items you can use your first year of teaching!

First Year Teacher Resource Guide

Thanks and here is to a successful first year of teaching!
Brian and Eric
Wise Guys

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Image credits: Flickr CC

How to Spark Engagement with Genius Hour Math!

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You hear it every year from some students. “I hate math!” Well, it doesn’t have to be this way. With Genius Hour Math implemented in your classroom, watch the negativity disappear with highly-engaging passion projects that students get to select on their own.

Genius Hour is a time set aside for students to work on a project they are passionate about. This typically has been used for any type of concept that students show a deep interest, but we have found Genius Hour Math to be that extra spark that so many struggling math students need.

How Does it Work?

You can decide when to implement Genius Hour Math. Whether it be the first week of school, after winter or spring break, or even at the end of the year when the class, and yourself, is running on empty, the choice is up to you! In our Genius Hour Math resource we have included detailed teacher tips that will walk you through the entire process. No need to guess on how to use the great resources included. We do the dirty work for you!

Why is it so powerful?

The power is in choice. We all know that students learn better when they take part in their learning. That is exactly what Genius Hour Math provides. Students get to pick their project. Whether is be learning about statistics in baseball, creating a city out of geometric shapes, or designing a tree house, students get to decide on the project that interests them!

What results can you expect?

Number one, students will be more excited about math class, and will beg you to work on their Genius Hour project. Second, your class will be more engaged in your normal lessons because they are now looking forward to math class. Third, you should see test scores rise on your everyday curriculum as students begin to develop more confidence in their math abilities.

Is it right for me?

Yes. Plain and simple this will be the best thing you will ever implement into your math instruction. If you want to see student engagement and excitement increase in your classroom, then this resource is right for you.

Start Genius Hour Math now with your class. You won’t regret it!



The Ultimate Editable Teacher Calendar and Planner

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As educators every year we scour local stores to find the perfect teacher calendar and planner. But every year we come home disappointed because there is nothing out there in stores that is geared for teachers. So what do we end up doing? We buy the plain white and black planners and calendars and come to the realization that we have to be satisfied with that.

Well, not anymore! After spending months researching and evaluating what teachers want in their calendars and planners, we have designed our own! No more do we just have to go out and buy something that doesn’t fit our needs. We now have a teacher calendar and planner set that will meet our needs in the classroom.

Here are 5 things we know teachers will love about our teacher calendars.

1. They are editable!


No more dealing with teacher calendars or planners that can’t be changed. We offer editable versions where you can change the calendars to fit your needs. They are editable in both PDF and Microsoft Word so you have both options available to you. We know how teacher plans can change from day to day. Well, now you have the calendar perfect for those situations!

editable calendar

2. They come in different formats.


Each educator is different and so are our planners! You can choose a calendar layout, a two-page weekly binder layout, or a two-page monthly planner layout. We want you to be able to choose what format works best for you. This resource is filled with choices, exactly what educators love!

3. They come in black and white or color.


Not all educators have access to color printers so wanted to offer both options. No need to spend your hard earned money on color ink at home. But if you are one of those lucky educators that has a color printer at home, go ahead and print away. You can make them as eye-catching as you want with our variety of covers to choose from.

4. They contain trivia, facts, inspirational quotes and unique celebrations.


We didn’t want our teacher calendars to be boring. Instead we have included some fun little tidbits that would be great for you or even your students if you choose to hand them out to your class. Make each day fun with including a unique celebration or inspirational quote!

5. Once purchased, there are FREE yearly updates!


Yes, you heard us right. You only need to purchase our teacher calendars once! We will update the calendars each year! All that you have to do is go in and re-download the newest version for free. Not many businesses will offer a free planner every year. But we know how hard teachers work. We also know how you can stretch a dollar more than most consumers. So purchase it once and enjoy it for a lifetime!

We are excited to be offering you a teacher calendar that is meant for you. To see the quality of our work, we have created our 2019 August Calendar for free. You can download it here to see what will be included.


Then, check out our 2019-2020 Editable Teacher Calendar here. You will not be disappointed!

The Power of Persuasive Writing

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Not one teacher will doubt the power of persuasive writing. The question is are you doing it the right way?

As educators with over 50+ years of combined teaching experience, we have seen the teaching of writing evolve into a dynamic interactive process with full student engagement and that is the key. We want our students to be active participants and change agents when it comes to persuasive writing.

The art of persuasion is used every day by people around the world. Whether it be convincing someone to try a new food, or to close a multi-million dollar deal, persuasion is a fundamental cornerstone of initiating change in society.

At the end of this blog post, we will be offering you a free resource that will help your students navigate the art of persuasion and allow them to become effective persuasive writers.

Persuasive writing can be defined as a piece of writing in which the writer uses words to convince the reader that the writer’s opinion is correct with regard to an issue.

Effective persuasive writing requires the writer to clearly make his/her claim and support it with reasons and examples. This takes work and cannot be simply someone’s opinions with out facts and evidence to back it up.

What is the role of the teacher in this process? Teachers have to model and guide students through the process of becoming effective persuasive writers. It is not just requiring all students to write about the same topic, but letting their passions drive what they want to write about. This requires a lot of brainstorming about topics that really matter to them.

We have developed a nine step process to help your students become expert persuasive writers. These steps are easy to follow and will effectively help your class write effective essays. We have briefly outlined the steps below.

  1. Brainstorm: With the help of the teacher, students brainstorm topics that are important to them.
  2. Audience: This is where students think about who their audience is. Would it be fellow classmates, the teacher, the principal, a parent, an opinion piece in the local newspaper so more people can be impacted?
  3. Purpose: Is the purpose to call people to action, to inform the public, to have someone change his or her ways? This is an important step to help students solidify why they are writing their essays.
  4. Main Claim: This is the student’s thesis statement. It has to be clear, specific and well-stated.
  5. Support: A student cannot have an effective essay without support. This step often involves research and the teacher can provide the necessary tools and support for this step.
  6. Objections: Every effective persuasive essay has to include the objections that people may have to a student’s topic. The next step will explain why.
  7. Response to Objections: When considering opposing views, a student must disprove the objections with reasons and examples. This step is necessary to add more credibility to their essay.
  8. Final Plea: This is where the student makes a convincing argument of why his/her topic is so important. It often restates the main claim with reasons.
  9. Effective Lead: The lead sets the stage for the rest of the essay. Depending on the audience, the lead will vary. But it is the first step in making a connection with the reader.

We have a free resource that includes these nine steps and is ready to use in your classroom right now. You can download it for free here or click on the picture below.

We are excited to hear about how using this resource will make your students effective persuasive writers! Find our free resource here.

If you would like to be a part of our newsletter that will be full of tips, hints, strategies, and free resources to use in your classroom click here. 

Top 5 Transition Time Ideas

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Transition time in classrooms has always been a struggle. How do we get our students ready for the next class in a timely manner? So much time can be wasted with students not having their materials ready in a timely manner. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

We have 5 sure fire ways to make transition time go smoothly in your classroom.

  1. Set an Alarm

    This is our go to method for transition time. We have an digital timer that we set for a specific amount of time and display it on the document camera so students can see. They look at this as a challenge and are always trying to beat the timer. It is by far our best way to get students ready for the next subject.

  2. Play a Song

    There are many songs that you can find on youtube or out of your personal collection that only run for a certain amount of time.  The Jeopardy theme song or the Mission Impossible theme are class favorites of ours. Find songs that fit you and your classroom and let them know that they have to be ready once the song is done.

  3. Show a video

    You can also show a favorite video clip to the students that is a specific amount of time. It can be a science, reading, math or even an approved engaging video clip that you can use in your classroom. The goal would be for the students to be ready by the time the video is done. If they are ready early, they can enjoy the rest of the video.

  4. Use an Online Timer

    This is similar to #1 above, but it is an online timer that you can use. You can use the one here of if you type in a Google search for “online timer” Google has one too. This is easy to display on the projection system in your room so students have a visual to see as the time clicks down.

  5. Go Noodle

    A fun way to get your students to transition quickly is to play a Go Noodle video. Students will quickly get their materials out and then will want to participate in the video.

    We would love to hear ideas you use in your classroom for transitions!

    Please subscribe to our newsletter for monthly tips, strategies, and free resources to help boost teacher morale! We want to make a difference!

 

How to Make Teaching US History Engaging for Students

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When we were kids social studies was taught directly from a textbook. We would read a lesson, do the questions at the end of the lesson and then repeat until the chapter was done. At the end of the chapter, we would take the test from the book. This went on for most of our elementary and middle school lives, the same boring routine, the same boring textbooks.

It wasn’t until we took the social studies methods class in college that we realized that there was so much more to the teaching of social studies. Our past teachers had made the subject so drab that we couldn’t possibly think that social studies could be exciting, engaging, and fun to teach. That thinking was about to change for us and was about to change for the students we were going to teach. It was time to make history engaging.

The Textbook is Not the Bible

First, our college professor told us that the textbook should not be “The Bible” of a social studies curriculum. It should be one of the many resources that you can use to share knowledge. It should not be the only source that students are exposed to in social studies.

Incorporate Primary and Secondary Sources

Second, teachers should incorporate both primary and secondary sources into the lessons. What better way for students to learn then through the primary source documents of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Gettysburg Address and so many other sources crucial to US history. History comes alive when students can access actual documents that are part of the United State’s past.

Include the 8 Strands of Social Studies

Third, involve all 8 strands of social studies into your units. The strands are: citizenship, culture, economics, geography, government, history, science/technology/society, and social studies skills. There is so much more to social studies than just history. All the strands are intertwined together and help to tell a bigger picture of what happened in US history.

Use an Inquiry Approach

Fourth, use an inquiry approach to pique students interest. Many states have now gone to inquiry based learning for social studies. According to the Wisconsin State Standards for Social Studies, “Advances in human knowledge come about not because people can memorize factoids or were great at filling out worksheets in school; rather they come about when people ask questions and pursue those questions in critical ways.” We must allow our students to ask questions about the past, formulate questions, and then seek out answers using multiple sources.

Put the “Social” Back in Social Studies

As kids, we never worked with a partner or in groups. It was always by ourselves with our textbook. In the modern workforce, most jobs require the ability to work with others. As educators we have to help teach our students how to work cooperatively in groups, how to compromise, and how to come to a consensus. These life skills are crucial to success later in life. Social studies lends itself to partner projects, group work and whole class debates. This is the perfect time during the school day to let your students work together to analyze documents, critically think about historical events, and to collaborate together.

Bring Social Studies to Life

Being social studies teachers for the past 20+ years, we have been able to develop some engaging and creative social studies units based around United States history. Below are a few examples of how the teaching of social studies can be engaging, creative, and meaningful for students.

Oregon Trail Simulation

Give your students the Oregon Trail experience. We’ve built a simulation activity that will engage your students from Independence, Missouri, to the Northwestern part of Oregon!

This resource provides an interactive experience that engages students to become pioneers and make decisions vital to the survival and success of their caravan wagon. As wagon members, each student will have a specific job to do in their journey to the Oregon territory that keeps everyone involved until they reach their destination, or a tragic end!

Watch your students have a blast while participating in the Oregon Trail simulation and leave them with an advanced understanding of the period, along with critical thinking skills. You can find it by clicking here. 

Oregon Trail Simulation

Declaration of Independence Detectives

The purpose of this Declaration of Independence activity is to engage your students by having them become detectives and learn about the Declaration of Independence in a fun and engaging way. Students will become Declaration Detectives and will have to dig into the famous document to find out why it was so important to the Patriots and how it changed history forever. You can find the resource by clicking here. 

Declaration of Independence (Detective Activity)

Revolutionary War Escape Room

The purpose of this activity is to engage your students in an American Revolution Escape Room activity. Many of the American colonists have been suffering from fatigue and extreme forgetfulness. It is up to the students to solve the mystery quote and the person who said the quote. Students will learn more about the American Revolution as they work through five different clues (activities) to help them escape (or return) back to the 21st century. Find the Escape Room activity by clicking here. 

Revolutionary War Escape Room Activity

Constitution Detectives

The Constitution contains phrasing that can make it difficult to grasp all the concepts. But in this activity, students will be able to break down the terminology in terms they can understand. Make it easier for your students to be Constitution Detectives, not harder. Click here to read more!

Constitution Detectives

Free Resources

You will also want to try out our free resources below. They will give you a taste of some of ways we cover material in class.

Free Oregon Trail Introductory Handout

This is a great activity to get your students ready for the Oregon Trail Simulation. Included in this free resource is: an introductory letter from a pioneer, two pages of questions to answer about prior knowledge of the Oregon Trail, key vocabulary related to the journey westward, and a United States map to locate important places along the trail. This intro activity will get your students excited about learning more about Westward Expansion. Find the free resource here.

Free Civil War Citing Evidence Activity

In this activity students will have to use evidence to support their answers about the Civil War. Included are 10 questions, a response sheet, and a hints page to help students to cite evidence. This is an important skill that all students should learn. You can find this by clicking here.

Make history engaging for your students.

 Please subscribe to our newsletter for monthly tips, strategies, and free resources to help boost teacher morale! We want to make a difference!

It’s Time for Teacher Gift Tags

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teacher gift tags

Teacher Gift Tags

It is that time of year when teacher morale starts to slip a little. It is the doldrums of winter; less sunlight, colder temperatures, and less patience in the classroom with your students.

You are ready for a change, or for some inspiration to hit you, so you can get through the couple of months before spring break. Well, we have found the perfect solution to help boost teacher morale in your building, teacher gift tags with treats!

Who doesn’t love a little surprise in his/her mailbox in the morning? With these 12 creative teacher gift tags, you can surprise your colleagues and put a smile on their faces.

Included are 12 pages of gift tags. On each page there are four different options to choose from for each treat. You can decide to give your colleagues the same treat, all a different treat, or  a mixture of both. The possibilities are endless!

Examples

You can choose the snack size portions or the larger bars. In our examples below we chose the larger bars for our colleagues.

      
We know that your colleagues will appreciate this gesture. It is a relatively inexpensive way to show them how much they mean to you. It will also make you feel good knowing that they mean so much to you! You can find the gift tags by clicking here.

If you are looking for other ideas to help boost morale in your building check out our inspirational quotes and sayings by clicking on the links below.

Why Inspirational Quotes for Educators Make a Difference

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The Struggle is Real

Going to school every morning can be a struggle some days. You want to lean over and throw your alarm out the window. You may stub your toe getting out of bed, spill part of your breakfast (whether it be a solid or liquid), or even put your clothes on the wrong way.

When days like this happen, you know it is usually not a good omen for what will transpire at school. Your drive to work is filled with “What else can go wrong today?” Just the thought of entering the building sometimes is enough to want you to stay in your car and listen to that one last song a little bit longer.

When these terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days occur, what can we do as educators to stop them in their tracks? Is there a way to start the day on a positive note?

Well, we sure think so! From the moment you step out of your car and walk toward your school, it is time to stop and say to yourself, “I am here for my students. My students are depending on me to not only teach them, but to care about them as well.”

No matter how crappy of a morning you have had up to that point, your invisible superhero cape is wrapped around your neck. Your superpower is teaching and it is time to shine!

OK, maybe we got carried away a little bit here, but it is true. Those students are counting on you to be your best each and every day. We all know that is a hard standard to live up to each and every day. But we have to try.

Need Some Inspiration?

One of the things that we have done recently is upon entering our classroom is read an inspiring quote that helps us get focused for the day. We didn’t think a simple saying could do the trick, but it has. A daily reminder of who we are and why we teach is powerful.

Just taking time each morning to read the quote and look at the picture inspires us to be the best possible teachers we can be for our students.
teacher morale, inspirational quotes

That is why we created a set of 30 inspirational and motivational quotes for you. They would be great to print out and display in your classroom. Or you could keep them as a digital file and look at every day. We know it has made a positive difference in our attitude. And isn’t that what this is all about?

If we can start the day knowing that we make a difference, that will positively impact our students’ lives.

Inspirational Quotes

You can find the inspirational quotes by clicking here or on the image below.

Thank you for all that you do for the children you work with each and every day!

 

Please subscribe to our newsletter for monthly tips, strategies, and free resources to help boost teacher morale! We want to make a difference!

Why Teachers Should Have Big Dreams Too

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WHAT IS YOUR DREAM?

On August 28, 1963 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech in Washington, D.C. In this speech, he called for civil and economic rights and an end to racism in America. The road he traveled was not easy. He fought long and hard against some of the most powerful people and groups in the United States. His passion and determination helped to spark change for equality for all.

Public education and the teaching profession is currently at a crossroads. The system is being challenged by private charter schools who do not face any accountability measures. Teacher morale is low. State and national mandates continue to trickle into our classrooms. Pay is not on the same level as other professions with the same college experience. Many educators ask themselves why they are still teaching.

What can we do about all this negativity? As educators, we do have the power to instill change in America’s schools. We do have the right to stand up for our students and for our profession. Change will not happen overnight. It is a process, however, that must start now. We must begin to implement small steps in our buildings that will eventually lead to change at the local, state, and federal level.

FREE RESOURCE

January is the first month of the new year. It is also the month where we honor and celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  This is the perfect time to begin to instill change.

As educators, our dreams for our students and our profession do matter. If we want to instill change, it starts with our hopes and dreams for what we would like to see in public education. Your dreams do not have to be big. Every dream matters, even the smallest one.

Your task is to complete the accompanying activity below as soon as possible. Then you are to post it in a place where you will be reminded daily of what your dream is for the rest of the school year. You do make a difference in the lives of the children you teach. You can make a difference in change in public education.

Let us each be an agent of change. Let us work toward improving public education for ourselves, our colleagues and our students.

To find the FREE teacher “I Have a Dream” resource, you can click here or on the image below.

teacher dream, teacher morale

 

IMPROVING TEACHER MORALE

If you would be interested in our 50 Teacher Morale Cards that contain inspirational and motivational quotes and sayings (perfect for your desk) click here.

Please subscribe to our newsletter for monthly tips, strategies, and free resources to help boost teacher morale! We want to make a difference!