Even small gestures can have a big impact on our students—a look, a smile, a word can change a student's attitude and outlook. We can make them happy or unhappy. At the beginning of the holiday season, let's allow Charles Dickens to remind us to do this. We need [...]
These are some good questions that Alex, the lead teacher of a school I am working with, has asked: What habits have you observed in excellent Spanish programs? This is what has worked for me and what I have observed: • Routines. Regular, well though-out routines and rituals. - [...]
Classroom jobs let you do your job. In Herman Melville's novel Moby Dick there is a short chapter entitled The Dart that correlates with teachers' need to assign classroom jobs. The chapter talks about the role of the harpooner on a whale hunt. The role of the teacher in the classroom [...]
Think about adding these expressions for "Excuse me" and this class activity to your repertoire. Stick it in your beginning of the school year folder so you'll be ready in the fall. Here is this article in a a one-page pdf printable format. I find that these courteous expressions [...]
A coaching client asks: How to handle a kid wanting to go to the bathroom/nurse to avoid a game or interactive activity in class? FVR- How do you manage to keep the books organized so that kids can find their books the next time they go to read them? [...]
Kelly, a reader of this blog, writes: Thank you for the thorough and interesting materials on your website. I am experimenting with a bunch of them this year, especially the SSR and Quickwrite components of a daily schedule. . A quick question - would you allow students to listen to [...]