Staff Recommendations
What book has inspire or help you the most as a teacher?
Kay Tharp.
Mathematical Mindsets by Jo Boaler.
Mathematical Mindsets by Jo Boaler.
- This book, and Jo Boaler, changed how I approach teaching math in my classroom. It helped transform my mindset which in turn changes how I approach teaching math to my students. This book was a game changer for me!
- Jo Boaler utilizes Carol Dweck's concept of growth mindset and applies it to the math classroom with practical advice and activities. She focuses on explaining how the brain processes math and encouraging growth through mistakes and struggles.
Gale Litt.
Do I Really Need to Teach Reading? by Cris Tovani.
Do I Really Need to Teach Reading? by Cris Tovani.
- It opened my eyes to all the ways we incorporate reading strategies into our work everyday with students. It was the book that inspired me as a returning teacher to further my research in the area of reading.
- Cris is a good writer making it easy to read and follow through with her ideas. She shares personal stories from her experiences as a teacher but also provides lots of examples to use for classrooms all across content areas.
Georgia Tucker.
What Does it Mean to be Well Educated?
What Does it Mean to be Well Educated?
- This is an interesting concept that challenges the paradigms of the U.S. educational system, prompting reflection about what we do as teachers, why we do it, and who we are really doing it for.
- Alfie Kohn provides perspective on all the requirements of teaching (testing, grading, social-emotional aspects, and what society puts upon the educational system) through a series of essays.
Sara Sandman.
Trauma Stewardship: An Everyday Guide to Caring for Self While Caring for Others.
Trauma Stewardship: An Everyday Guide to Caring for Self While Caring for Others.
- After being a school counselor for many years, this book is a refreshing way to re-energize. Students come to us with many issues and past traumatic experiences, often out of their control, and at times, it can be draining on me as a professional. The book reminds me to take care of me too. It's a book I use with my graduate-level students as well; I love helping them go into the field more prepared and with everyday strategies for coping with compassion fatigue.
- This book provides realistic, everyday practices to help cope with compassion fatigue. It focuses on handling the challenges that come with trauma-informed care by not by becoming overwhelmed but by developing a quality of mindful presence. The strategies in the book combine ancient cultural traditions with modern psychological research but are simple practices that make sense.
Jennifer Marten.
How to Give Effective Feedback to Your Students by Susan Brookhart.
How to Give Effective Feedback to Your Students by Susan Brookhart.
- It helped me look at how I was responding to student work and change based on what students needed.
- A teacher's feedback on student work can be powerful depending on how it is worded and how it is given. This book addresses what kind of content makes a feedback message helpful and includes strategies that work for delivering feedback.
Sandy Nicholson.
Hillbilly Eligy
Hillbilly Eligy
- Recent read -- great insights into the culture of our community
- I would love to see this as a book group read. Georgia can get e-copies for us. The memoir of a man who grew up in Kentucky/southern Indiana and his observations of the mindset of the people around him. Deals with the Rust Belt primarily, but I feel like it gives great insights into how people think and behave.
D. Lamb
That used to be us - by Thomas Friedman
That used to be us - by Thomas Friedman
- It's not my favorite book, but Friedman is a really smart guy, a Middle-east expert, and a NY Times columnist.
- His book described problems in the US, and a bit of the book focused on schools. He described the 3 C's that students should be able to do: collaboration, communication, and critical thinking. I try to incorporate these skills into class lessons, and I worry less about meeting formal educational standards.
Paul Krzyzaniak
Teach Like a Pirate
Teach Like a Pirate
- I found it very motivating and it helped me reflect on the things I was doing well and the things I was not doing well with my instructional planning.
- This book is about student engagement and thinking outside of the box to get kids involved.
John Lenz
Curious Case of the Dog in the Night
Curious Case of the Dog in the Night
- It is not my favorite book, but it is a book that has helped me understand, empathize, and reach students who enter my classroom with cognitive and mental difficulties. The book provided me with a new sense of patience and motivation to help ALL of my students succeed.
- The book is written from the perspective of a young student who is on the Autism/Asperger spectrum. He details many instances of educational difficulties and incidences that would have been avoided if his teachers approached him and handled the situations differently. It provides a brilliant insight into the mind of a student who is on the spectrum.
Mary strong.
Making Thinking Visible: How to Promote Engagement, Understanding, and Independence for All Learners by Ritchhart, Ron, Church, Mark, Morrison, Karin .
Making Thinking Visible: How to Promote Engagement, Understanding, and Independence for All Learners by Ritchhart, Ron, Church, Mark, Morrison, Karin .
- This is a great resource to helping students engage in their learning in ways that help them move to deeper level understanding while also taking into account various learning styles and skills.
- While the book does explain the research behind it, it spends more time explaining various strategies in a user friendly format. The reader can quickly put into practice the strategies offered to help students engage in their learning
Recommendations:
What advice do you have or strategies do you use on the first day of school to help with classroom management for the year?
Janet DeJean Newton.
Have fun. Laugh. Integrate humor. Play. Add movement, especially with the incoming freshmen.
Have fun. Laugh. Integrate humor. Play. Add movement, especially with the incoming freshmen.
Brad Smudde.
Relationship building and expectations.
Relationship building and expectations.
Amanda Koncelik.
Set up CLEAR and SIMPLE policies and procedures, as well as consequences, day one. Set up physical space to support procedures (where to turn in work, missing work, hall pass, don't make getting a tissue an Olympic event, etc). Follow through. Develop expectations as to what students expect from you, as well as from other students. Their opinions are then made to matter and expectations are student-directed. Humor is an important tool when used well. Take time to listen to students. Play a get to know you game (mine involves toilet paper, and I participate last). Model examples and non-examples of expected behaviors. Respect is earned, not given.
Set up CLEAR and SIMPLE policies and procedures, as well as consequences, day one. Set up physical space to support procedures (where to turn in work, missing work, hall pass, don't make getting a tissue an Olympic event, etc). Follow through. Develop expectations as to what students expect from you, as well as from other students. Their opinions are then made to matter and expectations are student-directed. Humor is an important tool when used well. Take time to listen to students. Play a get to know you game (mine involves toilet paper, and I participate last). Model examples and non-examples of expected behaviors. Respect is earned, not given.
Kay Tharp.
Be real and set the tone for your classroom on the first day. Smile. Have fun! Whoever said, "Don't smile until Christmas", doesn't like their teaching job. You want to not only like, but love your job. Smile and show the students you want to be there, too! My first day with students begins by sharing with them why I think they should be here. They are going to spend close to 8,000 minutes of their life with you. Why should they give up 8,000 minutes of their life for your class? I show a funny John Green video where he states, "Your nation is investing in you because they believe in you. We need you. We believe in you. We're counting on you! Go make the world a better place!" I also share a little about myself so they know I'm human, too! Often I'll show an inspirational Pep Talk from Kid President as well, who reminds students they were made to be awesome! We will wrap up the day with a math activity that includes money, which always gets their attention! The message I want my kids to walk away with is that we are all here to learn from each other, a lot of people believe in them, especially me, and that our learning is going to look messy and be challenging most days but together we can all learn and grow.
Be real and set the tone for your classroom on the first day. Smile. Have fun! Whoever said, "Don't smile until Christmas", doesn't like their teaching job. You want to not only like, but love your job. Smile and show the students you want to be there, too! My first day with students begins by sharing with them why I think they should be here. They are going to spend close to 8,000 minutes of their life with you. Why should they give up 8,000 minutes of their life for your class? I show a funny John Green video where he states, "Your nation is investing in you because they believe in you. We need you. We believe in you. We're counting on you! Go make the world a better place!" I also share a little about myself so they know I'm human, too! Often I'll show an inspirational Pep Talk from Kid President as well, who reminds students they were made to be awesome! We will wrap up the day with a math activity that includes money, which always gets their attention! The message I want my kids to walk away with is that we are all here to learn from each other, a lot of people believe in them, especially me, and that our learning is going to look messy and be challenging most days but together we can all learn and grow.
Jodi Timler.
First day of school just try to build relationships, make sure they are in the correct class, make sure you pronounce their names correctly. If there is time, play a getting to know you game. As the first week progresses, see what the students believe is important for "rules" in the classroom. Hopefully they involve respecting each other, including each others' personal belongings and space, take turns speaking and listening, and build from there.
First day of school just try to build relationships, make sure they are in the correct class, make sure you pronounce their names correctly. If there is time, play a getting to know you game. As the first week progresses, see what the students believe is important for "rules" in the classroom. Hopefully they involve respecting each other, including each others' personal belongings and space, take turns speaking and listening, and build from there.
Jay Grosshuesch.
We (Carrie Pieper and I) use a lab activity that gets students working with and getting to know their classroom peers.
We (Carrie Pieper and I) use a lab activity that gets students working with and getting to know their classroom peers.
Paul Krzyzaniak.
I have my students write an answer to the following question: Why did you sign up to take this class?
I have my students write an answer to the following question: Why did you sign up to take this class?
June Winkel.
Be positive, smile, and tell them how great it is to have them in your class! I go through the class rules, and make sure they understand that we need them in order to be successful, but keep it short. All my policies basically boil down to having respect for everyone in the room--including them self and I tell them that. Make sure they know you want them to learn lots of great things and that you will be there to help them in the process!
Be positive, smile, and tell them how great it is to have them in your class! I go through the class rules, and make sure they understand that we need them in order to be successful, but keep it short. All my policies basically boil down to having respect for everyone in the room--including them self and I tell them that. Make sure they know you want them to learn lots of great things and that you will be there to help them in the process!
Meredith Herrera.
Be yourself: show students who you are and what your goals for the year are. Establish routines and set expectations. Let students know what you expect them to do when they come in the classroom, if they need to leave the room, if they missed class, etc. Set your expectations for behavior. Constantly model your expectations for your students.
Be yourself: show students who you are and what your goals for the year are. Establish routines and set expectations. Let students know what you expect them to do when they come in the classroom, if they need to leave the room, if they missed class, etc. Set your expectations for behavior. Constantly model your expectations for your students.
Jason Jaeckels.
I feel that a classroom is most easily managed with strong relationships. As such, I use a game called Quid Quo Pro Q & A to get to know helps. They can ask me any question they like, so long as they are also willing to answer that same question about themselves. I use it to get to know each other and I also use it as a time quiz myself on students' names. Knowing a student's name shows them they are important to you and gives a strong start to building a solid relationship of mutual respect.
I feel that a classroom is most easily managed with strong relationships. As such, I use a game called Quid Quo Pro Q & A to get to know helps. They can ask me any question they like, so long as they are also willing to answer that same question about themselves. I use it to get to know each other and I also use it as a time quiz myself on students' names. Knowing a student's name shows them they are important to you and gives a strong start to building a solid relationship of mutual respect.
Lisa Keys-Dulmes.
I guess I take a more old-fashioned approach...I just have open discussions on the first day (I also have a questionnaire they fill out about themselves and what their expectations are about school). I apply what I'D feel comfortable with...talking. As a student, I never liked games or icebreakers...knowing that the teacher actually cared about my opinion was enough to get me to open up.
As for classroom management, I do hand out my "expectations" and read thru them. Consistency is the key....so, for the first couple of weeks you really have to be "on top" of behaviors. Students have to see the follow thru on your part.
I guess I take a more old-fashioned approach...I just have open discussions on the first day (I also have a questionnaire they fill out about themselves and what their expectations are about school). I apply what I'D feel comfortable with...talking. As a student, I never liked games or icebreakers...knowing that the teacher actually cared about my opinion was enough to get me to open up.
As for classroom management, I do hand out my "expectations" and read thru them. Consistency is the key....so, for the first couple of weeks you really have to be "on top" of behaviors. Students have to see the follow thru on your part.
Rommy Herrera.
My advice would be to be yourself and be excited and passionate about being there and your subject. Also, create activities where you can get to know your students, but also they can get to know you as well. Building relationships with students on the first day will help us with teaching and classroom management throughout the year. Show students you care and you will be there to help and support them and they will be there for you too. |