In-House Field Trip
Man oh man, do I have a post for you today!! I was lucky enough for an email to come across my inbox in the fall. We have limited field trips in my district and so when I saw an email about a field trip I got excited for an opportunity to bring learning to…
Read Full PostRead Across America
Many schools celebrated Dr. Seuss’ birthday Friday, March 1st. However; we had the opportunity for our local fire department to come read fire safety books to our students in honor of Read Across America day! (some even squeezed in some Dr. Seuss!) She first read a book that outlined what to do if there is…
Read Full PostReading Celebration Day! *UPDATED*
Original Post: Feb 19th, 2013 Updated Post: June 3, 2013 My school decided to have a reading celebration day last week. Our administration put a sign-up sheet outside their office door for staff members to sign up for them to come read to the class. My former student teacher stopped by to read to the…
Read Full PostFreedom Train
As a teacher, I try to maximize a learning experience by tying together multiple pieces in efforts to create a more comprehensive picture. One of the ways I recently did this was by signing up to attend a play based on a book, called “Freedom Train.” The book level is above my third graders’ reading…
Read Full PostMy Best Principal
Have you heard of ASCD? [“ASCD is a membership organization that develops programs, products, and services essential to the way educators learn, teach, and lead.”] I receive their magazine “Educational Leadership” monthly. At the end of the magazine, there is a section called, “Tell Me About A Time…” where readers (just like us!) can write…
Read Full PostNote-Taking
I am making a radical statement today: Taking notes is a lost art, but a life skill (at least in elementary school). It is important for numerous reasons and I am full of conviction to teach this strategy correctly to my kiddos. In order to learn new information a person has to gather it together…
Read Full PostOde to my 100th Post
Hip Hip Hooray!! This is my 100th post since the conception of “Always A lesson” blog. I am so happy I have arrived at this milestone. I have learned a lot about blogging and teaching through this reflective hobby of mine. I can only hope my readers have benefited as well! In honor of my…
Read Full PostPassword Storage
I have had the hardest time remembering my passwords to access all my educational resources. My administration team gave us the best present last year- a mini file folder for passwords! On an index card, I write the program name and the password. (Disclaimer: This is not for personal use. These programs and passwords are…
Read Full PostBook Club
One of our most recent literacy objectives was to have students meet independently in a group to read the same book and have an enriching discussion. I broke up my students into 5 groups that would meet once a week with a book on their independent reading level (determined by running records). I brought students…
Read Full PostLong-Range Planning
The latest fad in my school district is providing teachers with a “Quarterly Planning” day. Substitutes take over the classroom for the day while the team of teachers meet together in a central location and plan for the quarter. The belief is that by allowing teachers time to plan effective lessons, students will become more…
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