Recent Posts

Setting the Tone: Strategies to Start the Year Off Right

Photo Credit: KB35

We all know how we start the year with students directly impacts what is to come . . . and just how smoothly it will go. Following are a few ideas to get things flowing in the right direction. Read more »

Want a Green Bulletin Board? Consider Cloth!

Photo Credit: Yaronimus Maximus

I don’t have to tell you how much paper consumption goes in to our yearly bulletin boards. I also don’t have to tell you just how tedious it is to get them ready and keep them rolling every year. Looking to save paper and a little bit of your precious time? Read on. Read more »

Project Hack: Some Thoughts on Glue Sticks

Photo Credit: Oskay

Tired of cleaning out individual glue caps with the closest available paper clip? I hear you. Here’s why glue sticks are one of my favorite classroom supplies . . . and why they always went on my new student “back to school” buy list during my classroom days. Read more »

Reviews that Rock! Great Ideas for Covering Test Content

Photo Credit: Editor B.

Tired of the groaning whenever you settle in for a topic review in class? Here are some ideas to use when getting ready for a big test, and also some strategies to keep the material fresh all year long. Bonus? Many of these ideas can be used as team activities, or as sponge activities when it’s time for transition. Read more »

Streamline Parent Communication with Your Own Blog

Photo Credit: VSQZ

Trying to accommodate parents without re-documenting every piece of communication you release? Got more than a fair number of forgetful tikes in your class whose newsletters never quite seem to make it home? Consider starting your own blog site. Read more »

News

May Round Up

Photo Credit: Per Ola Wiberg

Well, loads of articles have made it into our corner of the blogosphere this past couple of months. In case you’ve fallen behind on your reading, or haven’t had the chance to sign up for our R.S.S. feed, here are a few of the highlights. Read more »

Free ESL News Resource for Educators!

Photo Credit: Prufrock 27

With all of the not so great freebies out there you need to wade through in order to find the good stuff,  it’s always nice to find a consistently updated resource available for instant use in the classroom. If you love to cover current events and have a wide range of ages in your student base, this resource just might be for you. Read on for details. Read more »

Dollar Deals at Scholastic.Com for the Month of May!

Photo Credit: The Blue Dino

Think there aren’t any screaming deals left out there for teachers on a budget? Guess again. From now until the end of May, Scholastic is offering tons of great classroom supplies . . . all for a buck! Read more »

Teacher Strike Looming in England and Wales

Flickr Photo Credit: Editor B.

In an article posted today on BBC World News, over two thousand schools are predicted to close to some extent. Projected date? This Thursday. What threatens such an expansive occurrence of empty classrooms? Read more »

Classroom

Want a Green Bulletin Board? Consider Cloth!

Photo Credit: Yaronimus Maximus

I don’t have to tell you how much paper consumption goes in to our yearly bulletin boards. I also don’t have to tell you just how tedious it is to get them ready and keep them rolling every year. Looking to save paper and a little bit of your precious time? Read on. Read more »

Project Hack: Some Thoughts on Glue Sticks

Photo Credit: Oskay

Tired of cleaning out individual glue caps with the closest available paper clip? I hear you. Here’s why glue sticks are one of my favorite classroom supplies . . . and why they always went on my new student “back to school” buy list during my classroom days. Read more »

Streamline Parent Communication with Your Own Blog

Photo Credit: VSQZ

Trying to accommodate parents without re-documenting every piece of communication you release? Got more than a fair number of forgetful tikes in your class whose newsletters never quite seem to make it home? Consider starting your own blog site. Read more »

Art on the Cheap: Torn Paper Mosaics

Photo Credit: Chris Robinson 1945

Teaching in an extreme situation where you are short on everything, including scissors? Here’s a lesson idea I got years ago from a frugal art colleague in Micronesia. Bonus? It’s one of those great lessons that can be used from early primary through high school. Read more »

More Classroom Hacks for Teaching in the Trenches

Photo Credit: Peiqian  Long

If you’ve been following this blog all along, you’re already aware that I love to pass along great classroom hacks as soon as I think of or run across them.  This is no exception. Read on for some great ideas on getting things done on the cheap and easy. Read more »

Career

Setting the Tone: Strategies to Start the Year Off Right

Photo Credit: KB35

We all know how we start the year with students directly impacts what is to come . . . and just how smoothly it will go. Following are a few ideas to get things flowing in the right direction. Read more »

Reviews that Rock! Great Ideas for Covering Test Content

Photo Credit: Editor B.

Tired of the groaning whenever you settle in for a topic review in class? Here are some ideas to use when getting ready for a big test, and also some strategies to keep the material fresh all year long. Bonus? Many of these ideas can be used as team activities, or as sponge activities when it’s time for transition. Read more »

Career Hack: Teach to Travel

Photo Credit: Nattu

Sign up to save the world and left feeling like a chump after seeing your first paycheck from the local school district? Here’s an alternative way to maximize the perks of your career choice. It only requires a sense of adventure. Read more »

Twenty-five Ways to Say Good Job!

Photo Credit: AstroGuyz.Com

Every teacher needs an idea bank of ways to provide positive reinforcement. Looking for a few ideas to keep from sounding repetitive? Read more »