Student teachers are the future of our profession. To me, they have always been a welcome presence in my classroom. Having a student teacher allows you to pass on your expertise while listening and incorporating their fresh new ideas into your practice. The weeks that your student teacher is with ... Read More
18 Things That Remain the Same After 30 Years of Teaching
Sometimes it is hard to believe that I have now taught for 30 years. WOW! Over the years, I never imagined some teaching changes, such as Zoom, Smartboards, and YouTube. But as I look back over the 30 years, some things in teaching remain the same. As many people call for education reform, I have ... Read More
Restorative Practices
Hello ETTC Teaching Trailblazers! I am thrilled to present another addition to our Vlog series: “Teaching Trailblazers with Chris from Education to the Core”. The series will include interviews with a variety of professionals across multiple disciplines in our field of education. In this episode, ... Read More
A Peek Inside the SPED Community: Resources on How to Become a More Inclusive Classroom
The month of April brings more than just showers and flowers. It is a time when we celebrate our autistic students and children. It is also National Deaf History Month. We need to take the time to educate ourselves on the best practices of inclusion, and how we teach equity to our ... Read More
33 Must-Reads for Earth Day
Make every day Earth Day. I've grown up hearing this and firmly believe it. If you know me at all, you know my passion for sustainability and protecting our one and only home. I am the person who carries around a collapsible container and silverware in my purse for the leftovers from pre-COVID meals ... Read More
12 CVC Activities to Get Your Students Reading
So your students now recognize their letters and associate these letters with their individual sounds (phonemic awareness). And, they are beginning to grasp that sounds can go together to make words. As a teacher, you are ready to launch your kiddos into the world of reading. But if you are anything ... Read More
19 April Fools Day Pranks for Teachers
April Fools Day is the time when the jokesters of our class get to have their day. But what about us teachers...? We can definitely play a prank or two on our students that day as well. This year especially, I wanted to do something that would make my students laugh (we all know they deserve a ... Read More
When Our Students School Us — Amazing Things We Can Learn From Kids
We are always hearing amazing things we can learn from kids. I, every single day, leave school slightly smarter thanks to my primary students. Whether they are sharing their truths, some true facts, or some pretty thought-out perceptions, I can’t help but smile. Over 30 years, I have truly learned a ... Read More
Say You’re A Teacher, Without Saying You’re A Teacher
Oftentimes our “lingo” spills out into the real world. You know that one sentence that says you are a teacher, without saying “you’re a teacher”! I am sure we all have those moments when your spouse or friends say “what did you just say?” One of my earliest memories when I first started my ... Read More
17 Reading Intervention Strategies You Need to Try
What is reading intervention? I’ll break it down like this. It’s Girl Scout cookie season and you cannot resist the sweet smile of the little girls outside Walmart. They sucker you (I mean persuade you) into buying not one, but FIVE boxes of cookies. You start with one cookie but pretty soon ... Read More
Students Say the Sweetest Things… Sometimes
Students... the real reason we get up each morning and go to school. They shine a light and make our days enjoyable and exciting. We are served with compliments, jokes, and blunt realities each day from their little mouths. Most days, we hear "Teacher, I love you.", "You look so pretty today.", and ... Read More
10 Steps To Creating A Homeschool Unit Study
Hello Homeschool Fam! With Covid-19 so many of us have children hybrid learning, virtual learning, or homeschooling. Maybe a combination of all of them! This is going to be our second year of homeschooling, and I am so excited for this new beginning! However, the one thing I'm most excited about ... Read More
