Podcasts about elementary classroom

Anxiety, EdTech, Not Your Job To Do  -  FAAF211In this 211th episode, I share my daily reflection posted on BlueSky, TwiX @bryoncar and YouTube shorts @FreshAirAtFiver, from March 31 - April 4, 2025 Check out the WHOLE SPOTIFY PLAYLIST I put together with all the listens mentioned below:>>> bit.ly/E211FreshAirAtFivePlayllist

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming education, but when we think about AI in the classroom, we often picture high school or college students using it for research, coding, or content creation. But what about elementary school? Can AI be a valuable tool for our youngest learners? In Episode 260 of House of #EdTech, I sit down with Dan Gallagher, an experienced ed tech coach, to explore how AI can be integrated into elementary education. We dive into the best tools, practical applications, and strategies to ensure AI enhances learning while keeping students safe and engaged. Why AI Belongs in the Elementary Classroom Many educators hesitate to introduce AI to young students, concerned about privacy, ethics, and age-appropriate usage. But as Dan explains, AI isn't about replacing teachers—it's about enhancing personalized learning and supporting creativity. AI can act as a creative brainstorming partner, a writing assistant, and even a storytelling coach, helping students generate ideas and refine their work in ways that keep them engaged and excited about learning. And the best part? When used correctly, AI doesn't replace human interaction—it amplifies a teacher's ability to provide personalized feedback. Real-World AI Applications for Young Learners So, how does this work in a real classroom setting? Dan shares some inspiring examples: 1. AI-Powered Creative Writing & Storytelling Using AI chatbots like “Waffles” (a controlled, kid-friendly chatbot), students can interact with a virtual writing partner that helps them develop their storytelling skills. The AI can ask them engaging questions, suggest details, and even provide feedback on their writing. Example Activity: A student writing a story about a time traveler can ask the AI for historical facts, unique setting ideas, or character inspiration. The AI generates possibilities, but the student makes all the creative decisions! 2. Visual Learning & Digital Art with AI Tools AI-powered platforms like Canva's text-to-image generator allow young students to turn their ideas into visual representations. Example Activity: A class studying idioms might create posters using AI-generated images. If a student picks "It's raining cats and dogs," AI can generate an imaginative illustration, sparking discussion about figurative language. 3. Personalized Learning & AI Tutors AI can function as a virtual tutor, adapting to each student's needs. Platforms like Magic School AI provide instant feedback on writing assignments, while School AI can assist with generating lesson plans tailored to students' learning levels. Example Activity: A teacher might use AI to provide instant feedback on students' sentence structures, guiding them to refine their writing step by step instead of waiting for the teacher to get to each student individually. Addressing Safety & Ethical Concerns Of course, introducing AI in elementary education requires a responsible approach. Privacy, misinformation, and ethical use are all valid concerns. Dan and I discuss some best practices to keep AI use safe and effective: Use AI platforms with built-in content moderation (e.g., School AI, which ensures safe interactions). Set up AI usage in a controlled, “walled garden” environment where students can explore safely. Teach students critical thinking skills to evaluate AI-generated content—just because AI provides an answer doesn't mean it's always correct! Engage parents and school administrators by explaining how AI is being used responsibly in the classroom. Parents, in particular, may be hesitant, so educators should communicate the benefits while addressing concerns about safety. Tools like Common Sense Media can be great resources for helping families navigate AI responsibly. How Teachers Can Get Started with AI in Elementary Classrooms If you're an educator wondering how to introduce AI to younger students, here are some practical first steps: Start with simple AI tools like Google AutoDraw, which turns students' rough sketches into polished images. Use AI for brainstorming, not answers—help students see AI as a tool for sparking ideas, not just getting solutions. Model AI usage during lessons—demonstrate how you use AI to generate ideas or enhance lesson materials. Encourage creativity—have students work in groups to refine AI-generated content rather than taking it at face value. Final Thoughts: AI as a Partner in Education This episode is a reminder that AI is not just for older students or tech-savvy classrooms—it has the potential to unlock creativity, enhance engagement, and support personalized learning for young learners as well. AI won't replace teachers, but it can help them provide better support to more students—a true game-changer in today's classrooms.

In order for a classroom to run smoothly, sometimes it takes more than just the teacher to make it happen. Getting students involved provides them with responsibility and ownership of the classroom and building its community. One of the best ways to achieve this is by incorporating classroom jobs. But like with everything, class jobs have their own set of headaches. So in today's episode, we're sharing how to troubleshoot your classroom job system and ways to make them work for you.For all the resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.secondstorywindow.net/podcast/classroom-jobsResources:Classroom Procedures and Routines Planning Guide and ChecklistHere One Moment by Liane Moriarty Hampton Forge KnivesConnect with us on Instagram @2ndstorywindow.Shop our teacher-approved resources.Join our Facebook group, Teacher ApprovedLeave your review on Apple Podcasts!Mentioned in this episode:Do you have a question or concern that could use a teacher-approved solution? We'd love to answer your question on the podcast! Submit your question to hello@secondstorywindow.net and put "podcast question" in your subject line.

Once you get to know your students, use that knowledge to allow them the power to choose the best way to demonstrate their learning! It's a win-win and today's episode will make it easy to get started.Episode HighlightsWhat are choice boards and why they are beneficialTypes of activities that can be includedBest practices when using choice boardsResources and LinksMultiple Intelligences Choice BoardsEnneagram Choice BoardsReading Response Choice Board BundleBlog Post - Episode 67Let's Connect!Shop ResourcesInstagramWebsiteJoin the Facebook GroupMentioned in this episode:Smart and Simple Social Studies Membership WaitlistCalling all Texas teachers! Take Social Studies off the back burner with time-saving, easy-to-prep, and engaging resources at your fingertips! Be the first to know when the Smart and Simple Social Studies Membership opens this summer!Join the Membership Waitlist!5 Social Studies Guided NotesGet guided notes covering 5 common social studies topics that are low-prep and easy to use as reference guides, anchor charts, and more! Grab the Free Guided Notes!

When we explore multiple intelligences as a classroom community, everyone wins! Teachers learn about the types of activities that are best for each student AND big kids learn about how they learn best. Join me as we discuss characteristics and best ways to support students in the elementary classroom with a theory that supports the diverse learning styles and personalities of your students!Episode HighlightsThe history of the Multiple Intelligences theoryCharacteristics and typical careers of each of the 8 learning profilesBest ways to support each intelligence in the classroomResources and LinksMultiple Intelligences for Big KidsWaitlist MembershipBlog Post - Episode 66Let's Connect!Shop ResourcesInstagramWebsiteJoin the Facebook GroupMentioned in this episode:Grab the Back to School Social Studies Pack!Get your upper elementary students excited to start the school year using these low-prep back to school social studies getting to know you worksheets! With 20 pages of engaging activities targeting geography, history, and classroom community building, it makes a great back to school resource for the first week or first month of school!Learn more about the Back to School Social Studies ResourceFREE PODCAST SERIESReady to foster a classroom community you and your students love? Tune into the FREE 5-day podcast series with a unique approach to 4 key strategies on building a positive classroom community!Listen to the Essential Classroom Community Podcast Series!

In this episode: Listen in as we talk about helping students develop a growth mindset in order to foster independence during your upper elementary literacy block.  We talk about: The what, the why and the how of building independence by cultivating a growth mindset in your upper elementary literacy classroom. Quotables:  -Independence is the ability of a student to do something that we have taught them to do without relying on us and being capable of acting for oneself. -In order to cultivate independence in our literacy classrooms we need to make helping students develop a growth mindset part of our plan. -We set the tone for this shift in student thinking and we have to ensure that we are ready to highlight the positive examples of growth mindset when we see them.  Links to resources mentioned in the podcast: Launching Independent Reading Workshop Book a discovery call for one on one coaching or school professional development Grab my free guide for keeping your mini lesson mini  Next Steps: If this episode resonated with you, take a screenshot of the episode and tag me on instagram @msevamireles.  This helps my show remain active in order to continue to help other upper elementary teachers get ideas they can use in their class today. The Reading Teacher's Playbook  Search for my show on iTunes or Stitcher. Click on ‘Ratings and Reviews.' Under ‘Customer Reviews,' click on “Write a Review.” Sign in with your iTunes or Stitcher log-in info Leave a Rating: Tap the greyed out stars (5 being the best) Leave a Review: Type in a Title and Description of your thoughts on my podcast Click ‘Send' Leave a Rating and Review:

There's a lot that goes into creating your daily classroom schedule. Trying to figure out how to effectively fit all the events you can't control, where to put instructional time, and the smaller transitional moments can be extremely tricky. But don't worry, we're here to help! In today's episode, we're sharing eight steps to intentionally craft your daily classroom schedule. For all the resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.secondstorywindow.net/podcast/daily-classroom-scheduleResources:First Day of School Planning Guide and Lesson PlanBTS Success WaitlistWhen: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing by Daniel H. PinkConnect with us on Instagram @2ndstorywindowShop our teacher-approved resourcesJoin our Facebook group, Teacher ApprovedLeave your review on Apple Podcasts!Mentioned in this episode:Do you have a question or concern that could use a teacher-approved solution? We'd love to answer your question on the podcast! Submit your question to hello@secondstorywindow.net and put "podcast question" in your subject line.Grab your free ticket to the Teacher Summer Talks Summit, where we will help you learn all summer long with audio-only sessions you can listen to on the go or by the pool: https://www.secondstorywindow.net/summer

As they round out AAPI Heritage Month, David is joined by K-6th grade art teacher, photographer, and new mom, Victoria Willis, out of Northern Virginia to discuss being a rare Asian American voice in the public school system, what motherhood has taught her so far, and much more. Vicky also shares what's unique about her Filipina heritage, and how teaching her students how to navigate race conversions has been both challenging as well as life-giving. Notes: Follow Vicky @veryvicky_ Please consider joining our patreon: https://www.patreon.com/raciallyspeaking

One of the things I was nervous about when I got into my own classroom was how to deal with and manage the challenging behaviors of students.  So, in part four of this series, I'm discussing the four ways to prevent challenging behavior in your elementary classroom. Show Notes: https://www.drlorifriesen.com/blog/challenging-behaviors  Buy my new book, Dear New Teacher, Here's Exactly What to Do: Your 5-Step Ready for School Roadmap Book for Elementary Classrooms: https://amzn.to/3w3zZJ7  New Masterclass - How to Get Ready for the School Year in 5 Weeks or Less: https://www.drlorifriesen.com/ready  Check out Lori's TpT store (Beginning Teacher Talk): https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Beginning-Teacher-Talk  Connect with Lori on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/drlorifriesen/ Connect with Lori on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beginningteachertalk If the Beginning Teacher Talk podcast is helping you in your teaching and if you're feeling extra loving, I would be so grateful if you would leave a positive review for the show! Your kind words mean the world to me. Just click here to leave your review now (and be entered into our draw for a $25 Amazon Gift Card)! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beginning-teacher-talk/id1456137677 I hope you have a wonderful week, and remember - just because you are a beginning elementary teacher, there is no need for you to struggle like one. Xo Lori P.S. Do you have your copy of my FREE Ultimate Classroom Management Checklist? Get yours by clicking here now! https://www.drlorifriesen.com/ultimate-classroom-management-checklist

Understanding how to facilitate, organize, and prepare an environment that fosters student choice is one of the most challenging aspects of being a Montessori Elementary teacher. Educators who follow the Montessori approach know that Maria Montessori placed a lot of emphasis on the idea of “choice,” and while the notion of choice is universally celebrated and held sacred for young children up until the age of 6 (such as in other Montessori environments or in play-based preschools), this idea sometimes falls to the wayside when children enter into elementary and adolescent programs. In today's episode, Letty Rising explains that there are different levels of choice, and that students can have choice in their work and still develop the skills needed to master standards.What's in this episode:What different levels of choice look like in the Elementary classroomFacilitating an environment that allows the opportunity for children to choose their workBuilding common core standards around a child's interestSupporting children who struggle with independence and making choicesWhen teacher choice and child choice come into playEnsuring students are progressing in key areas by using tools for accountabilityFor full show notes, resources, links and to download the transcript, visit:https://www.trilliummontessori.org/Resources Mentioned in This Episode:N/AConnect With UsVisit our websiteFollow us on InstagramConnect with us on Facebook

Join Megan and Laura as they give us a quick and demystified run down of the heart and soul of the academic curriculum of the Montessori elementary classroom: Cosmic Education! What is a cosmic curriculum, why is it so important, what are the 5 major “Great Lessons” at its core? The second plane of development is a wild and exciting time, often misunderstood by many, so this episode aims to explain the major work of Cosmic Education, and how this approach to educating the second plane child is truly mind-blowing!  If you are interested in a workshop where we teach the Five Great Lessons, send us a message!  Instagram: @MontessoriMomsintheWild Email: MontessoriMomsintheWild@gmail.com Resources referenced in this episode: Ellen Lebitz, AMI article: https://montessori-ami.org/trainingvoices/cosmic-education Children of the Universe book: https://a.co/d/83wYuZH The Deep Well of Time: https://a.co/d/iwX6F0F Listen to our whole episode on the characteristics of second plane: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/tiRfPTzzBJb --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/montessorimomsinthewild/support

In this episode:             I talk about the what, why and how of reflecting on our past school experiences and the positive and/or negative impact they have on your teaching.  We talk about: 1.What it means to reflect on our school experiences.  2. Why taking time to reflect on past school experiences is a necessary step in growing our practice as teachers.  3.How to reflect on both the positive experiences and think about the impact they have on your teaching.  Quotables: - Our school experiences whether positive or negative are likely impacting how we show up in our classrooms with our students every single day. - There have been times when a teacher has told me that they hate teaching reading, because they themselves feel like they weren't good at reading.  -I had a teacher who would tutor me in highschool and helped me to see that I could figure things out as a learner. She showed me what a growth mindset was before that was a thing.    Links to resources mentioned in the podcast: Linked Conference for Upper Elementary Teachers Book a discovery call for one on one coaching or school professional development Next Steps: If this episode resonated with you, take a screenshot of the episode and tag me on instagram @msevamireles.  This helps my show remain active in order to continue to help other upper elementary teachers get ideas they can use in their class today. The Reading Teacher's Playbook  Search for my show on iTunes or Stitcher. Click on ‘Ratings and Reviews.' Under ‘Customer Reviews,' click on “Write a Review.” Sign in with your iTunes or Stitcher log-in info Leave a Rating: Tap the greyed out stars (5 being the best) Leave a Review: Type in a Title and Description of your thoughts on my podcast Click ‘Send' Leave a Rating and Review: --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/eva-mireles/message

In this episode:             I talk about the what, why and how to leverage your small group time as part of your test prep strategy. We talk about: 1.What test prep should look like during your upper elementary literacy block. 2. Why leveraging small group instruction should be a part of your test prep strategy. 3.How to incorporate small group instruction into your test prep strategy using 3 simple steps. Quotables: -Upper elementary students are just like us, if they think they already know how to do something they check out, if they are bored with the material or the presentation of the material they check out.  -Small group test prep helps you monitor student engagement, address test anxiety, and tailor instruction to what your upper elementary students need most.  -Both standardized and anecdotal data should help you plan for what skills students need  help reviewing during small group instruction.  Links to resources mentioned in the podcast: Book a discovery call for one on one coaching or school professional development Test Prep Planning Guide  Episode 76 Episode 77 Next Steps: If this episode resonated with you, take a screenshot of the episode and tag me on instagram @msevamireles.  This helps my show remain active in order to continue to help other upper elementary teachers get ideas they can use in their class today. The Reading Teacher's Playbook  Search for my show on iTunes or Stitcher. Click on ‘Ratings and Reviews.' Under ‘Customer Reviews,' click on “Write a Review.” Sign in with your iTunes or Stitcher log-in info Leave a Rating: Tap the greyed out stars (5 being the best) Leave a Review: Type in a Title and Description of your thoughts on my podcast Click ‘Send'Leave a Rating and Review: --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/eva-mireles/message

When events only happen once every few years, or in this case every four years, it creates a unique opportunity to learn about and celebrate it in your classroom. This February we'll have Leap Year, so we wanted to take advantage of that and created some fun ways to celebrate this rare occasion. In today's episode, we're sharing a few elementary Leap Year activities that engage your students while putting an emphasis on learning targets.For all the resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes:https://www.secondstorywindow.net/podcast/elementary-leap-year-activitiesResources:Leap Day Resource PacketIf You Decide to Go to the Moon by Faith McNultyOne Giant Leap: The Story of Neil Armstrong by Don BrownWhat the Moon is Like by Franklyn BranleyOne Giant Leap by Robert BurleighTour of the Moon in 4K YouTube VideoTrain Like an Astronaut - NASA Stem VideoTra Company WebsiteConnect with us on Instagram @2ndstorywindow.Shop our teacher-approved resources.Join our Facebook group, Teacher ApprovedLeave your review on Apple Podcasts!Mentioned in this episode:Do you have a question or concern that could use a teacher-approved solution? We'd love to answer your question on the podcast! Submit your question to hello@secondstorywindow.net and put "podcast question" in your subject line.

In this episode:             I talk about the what, why and how of SOR or Science of Reading in the upper elementary classroom.  We talk about: 1.What is the science of teaching reading? 2. Why does this research matter to upper elementary teachers? 3.How can I implement it into my literacy block?  Quotables: -SOR centers explicit and systematic instruction in the skills that teach students how to decode and understand what they read. -Science of Reading matters, because ensuring that all students have access to explicit and systematic instruction ensures a more equitable experience for all students.  - The best way to deliver explicit instruction in each component of reading is to use the mini lesson framework Links to resources mentioned in the podcast: Book a discovery call for one on one coaching or school professional development Episode 61: The Real MVP of Your Literacy Block Grab Your Free Mini Lesson Guide Next Steps: If this episode resonated with you, take a screenshot of the episode and tag me on instagram @msevamireles.  This helps my show remain active in order to continue to help other upper elementary teachers get ideas they can use in their class today. The Reading Teacher's Playbook  Search for my show on iTunes or Stitcher. Click on ‘Ratings and Reviews.' Under ‘Customer Reviews,' click on “Write a Review.” Sign in with your iTunes or Stitcher log-in info Leave a Rating: Tap the greyed out stars (5 being the best) Leave a Review: Type in a Title and Description of your thoughts on my podcast Click ‘Send' Leave a Rating and Review: --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/eva-mireles/message

ODD, or Oppositional Defiant Disorder, is a neurological pattern that is responsible for a person's reasoning, judgment, and impulse control. Teaching students with ODD can be extremely challenging. Today I'm sharing 12 ways to manage these students and make them feel successful in the classroom. Show Notes: https://www.drlorifriesen.com/blog/odd-students  Join The Classroom Management Club: https://www.drlorifriesen.com/club  Check out Lori's TpT store (Beginning Teacher Talk): https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Beginning-Teacher-Talk  Connect with Lori on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/drlorifriesen/ Connect with Lori on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beginningteachertalk If the Beginning Teacher Talk podcast is helping you in your teaching and if you're feeling extra loving, I would be so grateful if you would leave a positive review for the show! Your kind words mean the world to me. Just click here to leave your review now (and be entered into our draw for a $25 Amazon Gift Card)! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beginning-teacher-talk/id1456137677 I hope you have a wonderful week, and remember - just because you are a beginning elementary teacher, there is no need for you to struggle like one. Xo Lori P.S. Do you have your copy of my FREE Ultimate Classroom Management Checklist? Get yours by clicking here now! https://www.drlorifriesen.com/ultimate-classroom-management-checklist

Some call it a calming station, calming corner, or pause place.  Whatever the name, it's a helpful tool for helping students regulate emotions. Our guests explain how the stations work, how to set one up, and the essential key to using them effectively. Follow on Twitter: @jenorr @SELtreasures @Jonharper70bd @bamradionetwork Mary Karapetian Alvord, Ph.D., is a psychologist and director of Alvord, Baker & Associates, LLC, located in Rockville and Silver Spring, Maryland. She specializes in individual and group treatment of anxiety disorders in children and adults, and ADHD and problems of emotional and behavioral regulation in children and teens. Dr. Alvord holds a position as Adjunct Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavior Sciences at The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, where she supervises psychiatry fellows in cognitive-behavioral therapy. With more than 35 years of experience. Marie Weller has over 30 years of experience in education and has recently retired after serving 17 years as an elementary school counselor in central Ohio. As a school counselor, she worked with many teachers to incorporate calming corners (Pause Places) into their classrooms. This experience led her (and her principal) to co-author the Cranium Critters picture book series for elementary students. The books feature Scout, the brain's safety pup, and Einstein the wise owl, who work together to teach children (and adults) how the brain works and offer ideas for creating and using Pause Place tools in the classroom or at home. More information about Cranium Critters can be found on their website craniumkidsmedia.com.   Jennifer Orr has been an elementary school classroom teacher for more than two decades, teaching kindergartners through fifth graders. She is the author of Demystifying Discussion: How to Teach and Assess Academic Conversation Skills, K-5 and the coauthor of We're Gonna Keep on Talking: How to Lead Meaningful Race Conversations in the Elementary Classroom. She is a National Board Certified Teacher, a Teacher Consultant with the Northern Virginia Writing Project, and a frequent mentor to new and pre-service teachers.

Airlines provide bags to barf in if passengers get sick, but what does an airline do if a drunk passenger barfs all over YOUR bags? If it's American Airlines... NOTHING. Thankfully the passenger wasn't drunk on Dorito's-infused BOOZE. But would YOU get drunk on it? It may not make you barf, but having a bowl of hot, steamy, "penis & testicle" soup just might trigger your gag reflexes. My Insane FL Nephew, "Pancho Guero" has the recipe. The year 2023 comes to a close with this...the most stupid episode of the year. Recalled washing machine explodes & it's all caught on camera; NY Cosmetic Clinic Launches $3.7K 'Penis Fillers' Just in Time for Gray Sweatpants Season; SC Woman Sings Gospel Songs, Pees on Herself After FL DUI Arrest; Dad Banned From Helping With Elf on the Shelf After Putting Elf in X-Rated Scene; YouTube Star "MrBeast" Denied 'Deez Nutz' By A Jax Candy Company; Having 2 Kids Makes You Live Longer, but 3 Kids Will Kill You/Other Reasons to Have Kids; A Guy Tried to Hold in a Sneeze While Driving & Tore a Hole in His Throat; Thieves Argue For A Lesser Charge Saying They Stole Sale Items & Had Coupons; Here's What Your Christmas Tree is Telling the World About Your Personality; Escaped Prisoner Recaptured Following Penis Enlargement Surgery; Drunk Men on Roof of Building Site Arrested After 9-Hr. Stand-Off; FL Parents Angry Over "Krampus" Horror Movie Shown in Elementary Classroom; A Man Was Arrested for "Sexually Molesting" a Manatee Mannequin; TX 'Operation Naughty List' Nabs High School Principal Soliciting Sex for $90; Man In Gingerbread Costume Tried Breaking Into VA Family's Home; Senate Staffer Caught Filming Gay Sex Tape In Senate Hearing Room...Now being slammed for implying that HE'S the victim; 74% of Americans can't tell what's real or fake online anymore; OH Man Shot in Testicle by Ex-Girlfriend…But He Still Loves Her! Play along with "Pancho" this week & see if you can do better then he can at guessing in the "Insane Game Show" & find the answers to life's biggest questions when you hear his profound wisdom as he answers more questions from those who want to "ASK PANCHO" for some advice! "Pancho" addresses the burning questions about “Help! – My Husband Opposes Buying Christmas Gifts For Our Pets" & “Help! – I Accidentally Dropped a $100 Bill Instead Of A $10 Bill In A Donation Bucket!" Don't forget to download the TELEGRAM MESSENGER & join the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠"Insane Erik Lane's Stupid World" Channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to read the actual stories used for the podcast & check out the photos & videos with them! It's FREE & available for Windows, Linux, Android, & Apple for both mobile & desktop! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/eriklane/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/eriklane/support

Sometimes there just doesn't seem like there's enough time in the day. If you find yourself constantly cutting activities short to move to the next event on the agenda, hopefully this episode will have some supportive ideas to help.Episode Highlightsdigital slidesdaily agendastimersexpectationsResources and LinksNo time to create your own slides? Try my editable slides!Refresh your classroom management in a flash with this FREE classroom community mini course.Blog Post - Episode 27Let's Connect!Shop ResourcesInstagramWebsiteJoin the Facebook GroupMentioned in this episode:Black History Month Unit for your Social Studies Curriculum Are you an upper elementary teacher looking to find a quality TEKS- and CCSS-aligned resource that covers important events and figures in black history? Looking for minimal-prep and engaging lessons and activities to teach social studies concepts to your 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students? Look no further! Purchase the Black History Month Unit!Love Chocolate? You'll LOVE this resource!Are you an upper elementary teacher looking to find a quality resource that covers the history of chocolate and how chocolate is made? Looking for minimal-prep and engaging lessons and activities to teach nonfiction, informational or expository text to your 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade students? You'll love this FUN 3-week unit all about chocolate! The Story of Chocolate Unit starts with an engaging fiction story about a chocolate bear. Students compare characteristics of fiction and nonfiction text before diving into the interesting history of the cocoa bean, how they are harvested and processed, and how they turn into the delicious chocolate treats we know and love! This 3-week unit includes lesson plans, digital slideshows, colorful and real photos, informational passages, vocabulary and comprehension questions, a project, unit assessment, and more.The Story of Chocolate Nonfiction Unit

The elementary age is the time when children are really developing their executive functioning skills. A highly teacher-directed environment doesn't really give students the space and grace to explore and develop these skills. A Montessori environment, on the other hand, is built for such exploration.In today's episode, we're talking about the various executive functioning skills that children need to develop, how the Montessori classroom encourages students to learn at their own pace, and ways that teachers can support their students in developing these skills.What's in this episode:[01:12] What executive functioning is, and how the Montessori environment supports the development of independence and give students the space to practice a variety of skills[04:47] How Montessori students are encouraged to learn planning skills, including collaboration, and how an emphasis on flexible thinking helps children learn how to be adaptable[08:17] How choosing their own activities and setting their pace helps students learn how to manage their time effectively[10:21] How teachers can create a supportive and nurturing environment for students to feel comfortable and confident developing their executive functioning skills, and why the Montessori environment is conducive to this learningFor full show notes, resources, links and to download the transcript, visit:https://www.trilliummontessori.org/Resources Mentioned in This Episode:N/AConnect With UsVisit our websiteFollow us on InstagramConnect with us on Facebook

You know you need to differentiate, but do you need fresh ideas for HOW to differentiate? This episode is packed full of practical tips that truly make a difference for learners.Episode HighlightsWhat is differentiation?Hands on activitiesTips for giving directions effectivelyGrouping studentsResources and LinksReady for even more FREE differentiation ideas? You'll love this 10 minute training.You might also enjoy this podcast episode about 7 Ways to Use Flexible Seating to Create a Positive Learning EnvironmentBlog Post - Episode 25Let's Connect!Shop ResourcesInstagramWebsiteJoin the Facebook GroupMentioned in this episode:Black History Month Unit for your Social Studies Curriculum Are you an upper elementary teacher looking to find a quality TEKS- and CCSS-aligned resource that covers important events and figures in black history? Looking for minimal-prep and engaging lessons and activities to teach social studies concepts to your 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students? Look no further! Purchase the Black History Month Unit!Love Chocolate? You'll LOVE this resource!Are you an upper elementary teacher looking to find a quality resource that covers the history of chocolate and how chocolate is made? Looking for minimal-prep and engaging lessons and activities to teach nonfiction, informational or expository text to your 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade students? You'll love this FUN 3-week unit all about chocolate! The Story of Chocolate Unit starts with an engaging fiction story about a chocolate bear. Students compare characteristics of fiction and nonfiction text before diving into the interesting history of the cocoa bean, how they are harvested and processed, and how they turn into the delicious chocolate treats we know and love! This 3-week unit includes lesson plans, digital slideshows, colorful and real photos, informational passages, vocabulary and comprehension questions, a project, unit assessment, and more.The Story of Chocolate Nonfiction Unit

Last week I brought attention to vocabulary acquisition and the importance of expanding your students' vocabulary toolbox. But before you start incorporating more vocabulary into your instructional day, I wanted to bring awareness to some common vocabulary myths and misconceptions as you focus on this in your upper elementary classrooms. So in today's episode, I'm debunking vocabulary myths and highlighting the need for structured vocabulary instruction, along with different ways to embed vocabulary.Reading and memorization were always the standard ways for teaching vocabulary, but we have since learned those aren't effective ways to learn new vocabulary words. Instead, incorporating vocabulary in discussions, stories, and explicit instruction will make vocabulary more memorable and meaningful for students. Additionally, I provide examples on how using vocabulary in context creates a deeper understanding of the word. In order to expand a student's vocabulary, it's more than just exposure while reading texts. It's actually intentional instruction with application as the end result. By knowing common vocabulary myths and how to teach it effectively, your students will have more vocabulary words in their toolbox and use it in other contexts. Stay tuned to next week's episode where I dive into strategies and actionable tips for vocabulary!Show Notes: https://theliteracydive.com/episode146Resources Mentioned:Join The Daily Writing DisguiseVocabulary Writing Prompts FREE SampleVocabulary Writing PromptsEpisode 145, Unpacking the Role of Vocabulary AcquisitionConnect with Me:Join The Daily Writing Disguise Membership hereShop my TpT store hereCheck out TDWD Collections hereReceive emails from me hereFollow me on Instagram hereRead my blog posts here

Our classrooms have the potential to be spaces where we learn how to have conversations about challenging topics with respect, curiosity, and kindness. Contrary to the voices that say race is not an appropriate topic for school, in this episode we're saying just the opposite. My guests are Matthew Kay, author of the book, Not Light, But Fire: How to Lead Meaningful Race Conversations in the Classroom, and Jennifer Orr, Kay's co-author of the follow-up book, We're Gonna Keep On Talking: How to Lead Meaningful Race Conversations in the Elementary Classroom. I talked with Matt and Jen about the value of discussion as a teaching tool, the elements that are necessary for creating a healthy ecosystem for race conversations, some strategies for having these conversations in organic and authentic ways, and a message for teachers working in states that are hostile to conversations about race. Thanks to NoRedInk and The Modern Classrooms Project for sponsoring this episode. You can find links to both books and a full transcript of our conversation at cultofpedagogy.com/pod/.

When I was a young teacher, I believed two things about student engagement: kids would automatically be interested in what I was teaching and the role was on the kids, not the teacher. Well, I turned out to be wrong! I realized that if I wanted my students to be engaged, I needed to ignite their spark of curiosity for learning. In last week's episode, I started this series on sharing ideas for creative strategies for ultimate student engagement, and in today's episode, I'm going to continue with more ideas surrounded by one overarching idea: student-led lessons. Show Notes: https://www.drlorifriesen.com/blog/student-engagement-strategies  Join The Classroom Management Club: https://www.drlorifriesen.com/club  Check out Lori's TpT store (Beginning Teacher Talk): https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Beginning-Teacher-Talk  Connect with Lori on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/drlorifriesen/ Connect with Lori on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beginningteachertalk If the Beginning Teacher Talk podcast is helping you in your teaching and if you're feeling extra loving, I would be so grateful if you would leave a positive review for the show! Your kind words mean the world to me. Just click here to leave your review now (and be entered into our draw for a $25 Amazon Gift Card)! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beginning-teacher-talk/id1456137677 I hope you have a wonderful week, and remember - just because you are a beginning elementary teacher, there is no need for you to struggle like one. Xo Lori P.S. Do you have your copy of my FREE Ultimate Classroom Management Checklist? Get yours by clicking here now! https://www.drlorifriesen.com/ultimate-classroom-management-checklist

Getting your students interested in what they're learning is the key to keeping them engaged in a well-managed classroom. I want your students to enjoy what they're learning in fun and creative ways. These next few episodes are going to be an idea dump of all the ways that you can effectively enhance your lesson plans that fosters student engagement. Think of it as a buffet of ideas to choose from when your activities, lessons, review, and more need to be fun! Show Notes: https://www.drlorifriesen.com/blog/student-engagement  Join The Classroom Management Club: https://www.drlorifriesen.com/club  Check out Lori's TpT store (Beginning Teacher Talk): https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Beginning-Teacher-Talk  Connect with Lori on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/drlorifriesen/ Connect with Lori on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beginningteachertalk If the Beginning Teacher Talk podcast is helping you in your teaching and if you're feeling extra loving, I would be so grateful if you would leave a positive review for the show! Your kind words mean the world to me. Just click here to leave your review now (and be entered into our draw for a $25 Amazon Gift Card)! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beginning-teacher-talk/id1456137677 I hope you have a wonderful week, and remember - just because you are a beginning elementary teacher, there is no need for you to struggle like one. Xo Lori P.S. Do you have your copy of my FREE Ultimate Classroom Management Checklist? Get yours by clicking here now! https://www.drlorifriesen.com/ultimate-classroom-management-checklist

I want to make sure that you feel supported and have all the information you need to support students with autism in your classroom. By understanding the general idea behind autism, you will be able to identify challenges they face and then make subtle changes that make them feel successful and supported. In this episode, I share several strategies for supporting autistic students in your elementary classroom. Show Notes: https://www.drlorifriesen.com/blog/supporting-autistic-students   Join The Classroom Management Club: https://www.drlorifriesen.com/club  Check out Lori's TpT store (Beginning Teacher Talk): https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Beginning-Teacher-Talk  Connect with Lori on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/drlorifriesen/ Connect with Lori on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beginningteachertalk If the Beginning Teacher Talk podcast is helping you in your teaching and if you're feeling extra loving, I would be so grateful if you would leave a positive review for the show! Your kind words mean the world to me. Just click here to leave your review now (and be entered into our draw for a $25 Amazon Gift Card)! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beginning-teacher-talk/id1456137677 I hope you have a wonderful week, and remember - just because you are a beginning elementary teacher, there is no need for you to struggle like one. Xo Lori P.S. Do you have your copy of my FREE Ultimate Classroom Management Checklist? Get yours by clicking here now! https://www.drlorifriesen.com/ultimate-classroom-management-checklist

We've spent the last three weeks discussing why sentences are important to a student's reading and writing skills and activities to implement. So, even if you're ready to focus on sentences more, where are you finding the time? I've got the answer for you! I'm sharing 7 ways that you can incorporate more sentence level work into your instructional day without changing up your schedule.Get my Weekly Sentence Writing Routine free sample here! And get the paid TPT resource here.Check out my Free Literacy Workshop. For more information, click here. Sign up for my FREE private podcast, the Confident Writer Systems Series, here!Join us in the Stellar Literacy Collective Membership: stellarteacher.com/join To check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode164

Task cards bring a fresh approach to learning and provide new ways to review concepts as a whole class, small group, or as partners. Additionally, they're easy to differentiate and portable, which also makes them beneficial for teachers. If you haven't used task cards at all or are looking for new ways to utilize them in your classroom, this episode is for you! I'm sharing 15 different and creative ways to use task cards that are both fun and incorporate learning with your students. Show Notes: https://www.drlorifriesen.com/blog/classroom-management-strategies  Free Download! The Ultimate Classroom Management Checklist: https://www.drlorifriesen.com/ultimate-classroom-management-checklist  Join The Classroom Management Club: https://www.drlorifriesen.com/club  Check out Lori's TpT store (Beginning Teacher Talk): https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Beginning-Teacher-Talk  Connect with Lori on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/drlorifriesen/ Connect with Lori on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beginningteachertalk If the Beginning Teacher Talk podcast is helping you in your teaching and if you're feeling extra loving, I would be so grateful if you would leave a positive review for the show! Your kind words mean the world to me. Just click here to leave your review now (and be entered into our draw for a $25 Amazon Gift Card)! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beginning-teacher-talk/id1456137677 I hope you have a wonderful week, and remember - just because you are a beginning elementary teacher, there is no need for you to struggle like one. Xo Lori P.S. Do you have your copy of my FREE Ultimate Classroom Management Checklist? Get yours by clicking here now! https://www.drlorifriesen.com/ultimate-classroom-management-checklist

The school day can feel long for kids, especially being expected to focus and pay attention while sitting at their desks. One way to get students refocused while also incorporating learning is through movement. Getting students engaged and moving amongst your classroom benefits students in so many ways while also providing an aspect of fun. In today's episode, I'm sharing 4 specific movement routines for you to incorporate in your upper elementary classrooms. Check out my Free Literacy Workshop. For more information, click here. Sign up for my FREE private podcast, the Confident Writer Systems Series, here!Join us in the Stellar Literacy Collective Membership: stellarteacher.com/join To check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode160

In this episode, the topic of nurturing musicianship in the elementary classroom is explored. Dr. Houlahan, an expert in music education, discusses the importance of developing musicianship in both teachers and students. Drawing from his experience in different parts of the world, he highlights the value of integrating music theory and performance skills. He emphasizes that teachers should approach music education as both musicians and educators, enabling them to engage students effectively. Dr. Houlahan also introduces the concept of "Sound Thinking Interactive," a comprehensive program designed to support music teachers by providing curriculum resources, lesson plans, assessment tools, and professional development. The program aims to bridge the gap between technical instruction and artistic expression, fostering a passion for music and a strong foundation in music literacy skills among students. Micheál Houlahan is a Professor of Music Theory and Aural Skills and currently serves as the Chair of the Tell School of Music at Millersville University of Pennsylvania. He received an Irish Arts Council Scholarship for graduate studies at the Liszt Academy in Hungary and a Fulbright Research Scholarship for doctoral studies in Music Theory at the Catholic University of America in the United States after graduating from St. Patrick's College, Ireland. His research has also received support from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Dr. Houlahan has obtained Licentiate diplomas and Fellowships in Piano Performance from Trinity College and London College of Music, London. He has lectured extensively on music theory and Kodály studies in Ireland, Italy, Denmark, Finland, Hungary, Estonia, Netherlands, England, and China. In 2016, he was awarded the Organization of American Kodály Educators (OAKE) Lifetime Achievement Award. In addition, the Hungarian Government invited him to present a lecture on his research and teaching at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. He was also a featured clinician for the 2017 Texas Music Educators Conference. Dr. Houlahan is currently a member of the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) accreditation commission and serves as an Accreditation Team Leader and Visiting Evaluator for NASM. He was a guest speaker at the Forum Among Leaders of Higher Music Institutions, China Conservatory of Music, Beijing, China, in 2017 and served as an Honorary Professor (2017-2020) at the Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Chinese National School of Music and China Conservatory of Music. Dr. Houlahan collaborates with Dr. Tacka; they have authored numerous books, chapters in books, and articles. Check out their works at: https://soundthinkinginteractive.com https://www.youtube.com/@kodalytoday2289/playlists https://www.facebook.com/groups/1469799603314646/ Enroll in the ⁠Sound Thinking Interactive Subscription Sign up for⁠⁠⁠⁠ teacher coaching ⁠⁠⁠⁠or ⁠⁠⁠⁠business coaching⁠⁠⁠⁠ with Jessica. Find out more about the HARMONY membership ⁠⁠⁠⁠here.⁠⁠⁠⁠ Find out more about the Curriculum Design Roadmap course ⁠⁠⁠here.⁠⁠⁠ Get your copy of ⁠⁠⁠⁠Make A Note: What You Really Need to Know About Teaching Elementary Music⁠⁠ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thedomesticmusician/message

In this episode I have the Merrills.Kristin is a fourth grade teacher, certified Microsoft Innovative Educator, and Certified Microsoft Innovative Educator. She is an ambassador for: Flipgrid, Seesaw, Classkick, and Buncee. Kristin has co-hosted events like Ed Camp Flipgrid, and is also one of the moderators of the #FlipgridFever chat. She has been teaching for over 13 years and works hard to engage students in learning by reaching them in ways that are responsive, relevant and interACTIVE through the intentional infusion of technology in the classroom.Joe is a first grade teacher and certified Microsoft Innovative Educator. He is an Apple Certified Educator, Certified Microsoft Innovative Educator, and Flipgrid Certified Educator. He is an ambassador for Flipgrid, Seesaw, Buncee, and Book Creator. Joe is also one of the moderators of the #FlipgridFever Twitter chat. He has spent the last four years implementing 1:1 iPads. Joe has co-authored the books "The InterACTIVE Class," (Elevate Books EDU), "The Microsoft Infused Classroom," (Elevate Books EDU) and self published several eBooks: “#AppSmashing with @MrMerrillsClass” (Vol. 1 & 2), which are available for free download on www.themerrillsedu.com.They are also on twitter

Send us a textYou are in for a real treat in this PBL Showcase episode because we have Brittany Tinkler from Perry Township School with us today. Brittany is a rockstar PBL Teacher and recent recipient of the prestigious Milican Award.Brittany shares her ‘why' for education and the changes that she has made in her classroom. She talks about receiving the Milican Award and why she is excited for the opportunities this award brings. Brittany shares about starting Project Based Learning in your school. Ryan and Brittany also talk about 51/2051, when 51% of schools are doing Project Based Learning by 2051.In this episode of the PBL Simplified Podcast, we have Brittany Tinkler from Rosa Parks Elementary in Perry Township, Indiana. Brittany has recently been recognized by the prestigious Milican Award, which is awarded to early to mid career educators around the country, for their already impressive achievements and more significantly, for the promise of what they will accomplish in the future. Brittany is also a PBL Certified Facilitator for Magnify Learning at workshops during the summer. Her passion for the work is very evident and contagious. ORDER THE NEW BOOK PBL SIMPLIFIEDhttps://amzn.to/3VLsBtGSCHEDULE A PBL TRAINING WITH MAGNIFY LEARNINGhttps://resources.magnifylearningin.org/onsite-workshopsCHECK OUT RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THE PODCASTPBL Simplified Podcast LinksASK RYAN A QUESTION FOR THE PODCASThttps://www.magnifylearningin.org/ask-ryan-your-pbl-questionsFOLLOW RYAN ON TWITTERhttps://mobile.twitter.com/ryansteuerBOOK A MAGNIFY LEARNING DESIGN DAYS WORKSHOPhttps://www.magnifylearningin.org/design-days-sign-upONLINE PBL COMMUNITYhttps://resources.magnifylearningin.org/join-today

Co-teaching in a Montessori classroom can definitely be a challenge. And with so many differing opinions on how to best approach a co-teaching relationship, it can be confusing to know how to get started.In today's episode, I'm chatting with Tania Torres-Delgado and Gabriela Gonzalez, co-teachers of a classroom of 48 students at Guidepost Montessori School in Hollywood Beach, FL. They're sharing how they work together and manage such a large class, what works well for them when it comes to everything from transitions to lesson-planning, and their advice for other teachers on how to successfully build an environment where students can thrive.What's in this episode:The benefits and challenges of having a large classroom, and how Tania and Gabriela navigate keeping the space cohesive and functionalThe systems they have in place for keeping such a large classroom organized and authentic to the Montessori philosophy, including student conferences and lesson planningHow they use silent transitions to keep the flow going between lessons, lunch, and breaksHow they divide responsibilities as co-teachers, the importance of constant communication, and how identifying each other's strengths and weaknesses has made them more efficientWhy they do all of their planning together, and why they chose to divide their responsibilities by subject areasThe variety of interest and creativity that they see in a large classroom, and their advice for teachers who also have a large classroom, and why procedures help the students to be more independentHow their mentorship student program works, and how they pair up students with similar interests and choose leaders with strong executive functioning skillsFor full show notes, resources, links and to download the transcript, visit:https://www.trilliummontessori.org/Resources Mentioned in This Episode:N/AConnect With UsVisit our websiteFollow us on InstagramConnect with us on FacebookThe Montessori Classroom Bootcamps will be open for enrollment July 24-31. Classes begin August 1.Elementary Classroom Planning Bootcamp for 6-12 with Letty RisingClassroom Setup Bootcamp for 3-6 with Seemi Abdullah

In this episode of Teacher's Corner, we tune into a conversation between Matthew Kay and Jennifer Orr, authors of We're Gonna Keep On Talking: How To Lead Meaningful Race Conversations in the Elementary Classroom.  They discuss how they chose the book's title, productive strategies for talking about race with young children, and what readers can expect in their new book. LINKS   Matthew's Twitter Jennifer's Twitter

In this episode: Listen in as I talk about the first question you need to ask yourself as you reflect on this past school year in your classroom.  We talk about: 1.What- What does it mean to reflect on what is going well in your classroom this year? 2. Why- Why should you take time to reflect on the good things going on in your classroom this year? 3. How- How do you go about reflecting on what went well in your classroom this year? Quotables: -Not making a habit of reflecting on what is going right in our classrooms becomes a problem, because then you turn into someone who is constantly reinventing the wheel, quickly burns out or only sees what's wrong in a situation.  - No one else knows how many things you've tried, how long you have studied, the amount of data you've collected etc… in order to get your class where it is right now. Only you fully understand this which means that only you can truly celebrate you and your accomplishments.  -Writing down what is going well in your classroom helps you solidify your thoughts as well as serves as a concrete reminder of this accomplishment that you are taking time to reflect on. Links to resources mentioned in the podcast: Grab my free guide for keeping your mini lesson mini  Get on the mini lesson revamp bootcamp waitlist Book a discovery call for one on one coaching or school professional development Next Steps: If this episode resonated with you, take a screenshot of the episode and tag me on instagram @msevamireles.  This helps my show remain active in order to continue to help other upper elementary teachers get ideas they can use in their class today. The Reading Teacher's Playbook  Search for my show on iTunes or Stitcher. Click on ‘Ratings and Reviews.' Under ‘Customer Reviews,' click on “Write a Review.” Sign in with your iTunes or Stitcher log-in info Leave a Rating: Tap the greyed out stars (5 being the best) Leave a Review: Type in a Title and Description of your thoughts on my podcast Click ‘Send' --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/eva-mireles/message

What should conversations about race look and sound like in the elementary classroom? How do we respond authentically and truthfully to children's questions about the world? And how can we build classroom communities that encourage these meaningful conversations about race? Matthew Kay and Jennifer Orr take on these questions and more in We're Gonna Keep On Talking: How to Lead Meaningful Race Conversations in the Elementary Classroom. A companion work to Kay's Not Light, But Fire, this book focuses on the unique and powerful role discussions about race can play in the elementary classroom. In this episode, Matt and Jen share a peek at We're Gonna Keep On Talking with a reading of the Introduction.   LINKS  We're Gonna Keep On Talking   Follow Matt and Jen on Twitter: Matt: https://twitter.com/MattRKay Jen: https://twitter.com/jenorr    

In this episode: After listening to this episode you will leave with clarity around the what, the why and the how of tier 1 instruction in the literacy classroom.  I talk about: 1.What- What is high quality tier 1 instruction anyway? 2. Why- Why is tier 1 instruction important and why is it important to make it available to everyone? 3. How- How do I deliver high quality tier 1 instruction? Quotables:  - Tier 1 instruction is what every single student in your classroom is entitled to. It consists of the basics as dictated by your grade level standards that students need in order to grow as readers. -Tier 1 instruction is important. It's important because tier 1 instruction gives students access to instruction in their grade level standards and gives them the necessary foundation on which to add new learning along the way. - An intentional mini lesson really is the best vehicle for delivering high quality research based instruction.  Links to resources mentioned in the podcast: Guided Reading Basics Episode Conferring Basics: Use Data to Determine Types of Small Group Instruction (Blog Post) Grab my free guide for keeping your mini lesson mini  Get on the mini lesson revamp bootcamp waitlist Book a discovery call for one on one coaching or school professional development Next Steps: If this episode resonated with you, take a screenshot of the episode and tag me on instagram @msevamireles.  This helps my show remain active in order to continue to help other upper elementary teachers get ideas they can use in their class today. The Reading Teacher's Playbook  Search for my show on iTunes or Stitcher. Click on ‘Ratings and Reviews.' Under ‘Customer Reviews,' click on “Write a Review.” Sign in with your iTunes or Stitcher log-in info Leave a Rating: Tap the greyed out stars (5 being the best) Leave a Review: Type in a Title and Description of your thoughts on my podcast Click ‘Send' --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/eva-mireles/message

Jeff has worked in International Schools, consultant, founder  Learning2, COETAIL, Edurolearning and now Shifting Schools. In this podcast we take the opportunity to learn about Jeff 's  new professional interest as a property investor http://www.g3-homes.com/ in the Seattle area . In this podcast we explore the new workflows, how to juggle the education and property professions together and further reflections, with some tips for International Educators thinking of purchasing a property in their home country.   About Jeff Utech   Jeff is an educational consultant and presenter. He began his career in the Elementary Classroom in Washington State. In 2001, he was the recipient of a Bill and Melinda Gates Grant, the Technology Leadership Program. This started his journey into the world of connecting students and using the world as his curriculum. From 2002 – 2012 Jeff taught at International Schools moving from a classroom teacher into technology roles and administrative positions. He has authored books, worked as a consultant for technology startups, and continues to speak at schools and educational events around the globe. He gave a TEDx talk at the first TEDx event in Bangkok, Thailand focused on education. In 2018, he was invited to the Global Knowledge Summit in Dubai to be part of global conversations about the future of education in this Knowledge Economy. Today, Jeff makes his home in Seattle, WA having worked with and supported over 20 1:1 deployments, both within the US and Internationally. During the COVID-19 pandemic Jeff supported the State of Washington and it's educators in shifting through multiple school scenarios. As you can tell, Jeff brings a very global perspective to his trainings and conversations. His passion is inspiring and working long-term with schools and districts in supporting educators in prepare students for their future not our past.   Jeff Utech on Social Media   Twitter: https://twitter.com/jutecht Website: http://www.jeffutecht.com/   http://www.g3-homes.com/    Further resource you would like participants engage with http://www.shiftingschools.com    Free Resources: https://www.shiftingschools.com/free-pdfs    John Mikton on Social Media LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmikton/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/jmikton Web: beyonddigital.org   Dan Taylor on social media: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dantcz/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/DanTaylorAE Web: www.appsevents.com   Listen on: iTunes / Podbean / Stitcher / Spotify / YouTube   Would you like to have a free 1 month trial of the new Google Workspace Plus (formerly G Suite Enterprise for Education)? Just fill out this form and we'll get you set up bit.ly/GSEFE-Trial

Do you do 3D printing in your classroom or hoping to get started? 3D printing isn't as complicated as you might think with young students. In fact, I do 3D printing lessons will all of my students K-5! In today's episode, I'll be sharing with you my top tips for 3D Printing in the elementary classroom. Head to the show notes for a full transcript of this episode, pictures, and all the links: https://naomimeredith.com/episode69Free K-5 STEM & Teach Year-Long Plan Leave a voice message HERE for the podcast with your questions and comments! Course: STEM Teacher 101 Workshops: K-2 STEM Planning & 3-5 STEM Planning STEM Teacher Book Club: naomimeredith.com/bookclubwaitlist Check out more inspiration on her website: naomimeredith.com Connect with her on Instagram: @naomimeredith_ YouTube Channel: Naomi Meredith Facebook Group: The Elementary STEM Coach Community | Technology & STEM for K-6 Teachers

In this episode: After listening to this episode you will leave equipped with the what, the why and the how of using one text for multiple mini lessons. I talk about: What a mentor text is and its purpose in the RLA classroom. Why using a mentor text for your RLA instruction will: save you time, save students processing time, save you instructional time How to make using mentor texts for multiple mini lessons a reality in your classroom. Quotables: - Mentor texts can be used for several lessons to model what good readers and writers do. -Mentor texts save you planning time, instructional time and help save students processing time. -Planning for mentor texts means long range and short range planning so that you can get the most out of using key texts for your next unit. Links to resources mentioned in the podcast: Grab my free guide for keeping your mini lesson mini Get on the mini lesson revamp bootcamp waitlist How Do I Teach Nonfiction? (podcast episode) Book a discovery call for one on one coaching or school professional development Next Steps: If this episode resonated with you, take a screenshot of the episode and tag me on instagram @msevamireles. Leave a Rating and Review: This helps my show remain active in order to continue to help other upper elementary teachers get ideas they can use in their class today. The Reading Teacher's Playbook Search for my show on iTunes or Stitcher. Click on ‘Ratings and Reviews.' Under ‘Customer Reviews,' click on “Write a Review.” Sign in with your iTunes or Stitcher log-in info Leave a Rating: Tap the greyed out stars (5 being the best) Leave a Review: Type in a Title and Description of your thoughts on my podcast Click ‘Send' --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/eva-mireles/message

Rounding Up Season 1 | Episode 8 – Unpacking ICUCARE Guests: Dr. Pamela Seda & Dr. Kyndall Brown Mike Wallus: What does it mean to offer our students a culturally relevant experience in mathematics? This is a question on the minds of many, particularly elementary mathematics educators. Today we're talking with Pamela Seda and Kyndall Brown, authors of “Choosing to See: A Framework for Equity in the Math Classroom.” We'll talk with our guests about what culturally relevant mathematics instruction looks like and identify practical steps educators can take to start this important work in their classrooms. Mike: So, hello, Pam and Kyndall. Welcome to the podcast. We're so glad to have you with us. I'm wondering if both of you would be willing to take a turn and just talk a little bit about what brought you to writing the book. Pamela Seda: OK, well I'll start. This book really started with my dissertation research. And when I started my Ph.D. program, I was very well aware of the achievement gap and the lack of opportunities for so many students, and I just wasn't satisfied that there was a gap. I had to find answers. And so, my Ph.D. program was my quest to find answers. In the process of finding answers, I created this framework that came out of my study, and I had the opportunity to think about how to support teachers. Firstly, implement it in my own classroom and then figure out how to help teachers implement this. And it was just one of those things that I knew that there were a lot of people who wanted to do better for their kids, but they weren't quite sure how to do it. And so, therefore, this book was really kind of a nuts-and- bolts place to start. Mike: And, Kyndall, if you can pick up the story, how did the two of you start collaborating around the book? Kyndall Brown: So, I met Pam at the National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics Conference in Boston in 2015. I was doing a keynote presentation focused on equity and mathematics, and Pam was in the audience. And at the end of the presentation, she approached me and suggested that we start doing presentations together. So ever since then, we were collaborating to do presentations at national conferences. I had been approached by a publisher about writing a book focused on equity in mathematics. So often when those of us who've been doing this equity work over the years, what we hear from math teachers in particular is, ‘What does it look like in the math classroom?' In language arts, you can read the literature that's reflective of your student population. And [in] a social studies class, you can study the cultures of the student populations in your classroom. But math teachers were always wondering, ‘What does equity look like in a math classroom?' And so, one of the first things Pam did when we met was, she introduced me to her ICUCARE framework. It just made perfect sense to use her framework. I asked if she would like to collaborate. She said yes, and this is what we did during the pandemic. Mike: Well, I'm wondering if the two of you could just start and unpack the premise of the book and describe the framework that you all have proposed for people who may not have read it yet. Pamela: Well, ICUCARE is the acronym. The first part is, ‘I include others as experts; C, be critically conscious; U, understand your students well; and then the second C is, use culturally relevant curricula.' Kyndall, you want to take it from there? ( laughs ) Kyndall: ( laughs ) Sure. The next principle is, ‘Assess, activate, and build on prior knowledge; then comes release control; and the final principle is, expect more.' Mike: You know, we could do a podcast episode for every component of the ICUCARE framework, but today we're really focused on using culturally relevant curricula. I suspect there are many educators listening who are kind of in the shoes that Kyndall was describing earlier, this idea that they're interested in the work, but they're not sure how to start, particularly in the math classroom. So, I'm wondering if you all could just spend a little bit of time talking about the guidance you would offer folks when it comes to culturally relevant curricula in a math classroom. Kyndall: Well, first of all, in order to make a task or your curriculum culturally relevant, you have to know who it is that you're teaching, right? You can't make assumptions and assume that you know who they are based upon some physical characteristic or some other information that you might have with your students. The first thing you have to do is get to know who they are, what their interests are, what their concerns are, and then you can begin to start making the curriculum culturally relevant. Mike: Hmm. Pamela: I always say, if we're talking about a task, let's start with something that is cognitively demanding; something that is accessible but also cognitively demanding. And so, oftentimes we describe that as a low-floor, high-ceiling task. And it's real important that students have that opportunity to be able to have cognitively demanding tasks. I say that's a good place to start. We can use textbook problems, we can go to websites—things like Jo Boaler and Achieve the Core and Bridges—those kinds of things. And that's a good place to start. And so, then you might say, ‘OK, well how do I know that's culturally relevant?' Well, that's what we start with, the good task, and then we're going to take that and make it culturally relevant. And one way I say to take a baby step is, take that task and then just change the names and put some names in there that are meaningful to your students. Pamela: And I say, put your students' names in there rather than just trying to come up with some ethnic-sounding names. Put your students' names so that they can see themselves in there. Put your school's names, put the other teacher's names. The key is students need to be able to see, ‘I am a part of mathematics, that mathematics is a part of who I am, a part of who we are.' And so, I think that's a very good baby step to take is just put meaningful names in there. I know that it was very effective. My students really enjoyed it. I could tell, like, even I purposely oftentimes would do that on tests to help reduce the anxiety level of taking a test. And my students, you would see them kind of smile and look around for the persons that they saw whose name was mentioned in the problem. Pamela: So, that's a good first step. And then I would say, the next thing you could do after you've changed the names is then change the context. Change the contexts to things that are meaningful. But as Kyndall said, this is going to require you understanding something about your students. And some things that you can do to understand your students: You can interview your students. And one of the things we talk about in our book is empathy interviews that you can do. You can have listening conversations. Just have conversations with your students in the hall. What are they talking about in the hall? What are they talking about at lunch? What are they talking about at the bus stop? Just pay attention to those conversations, those social conversations, to figure out what's important to them. And then just do community walks. Find out what's in the community. What are popular places that kids hang out, that they go? What's meaningful to them and their families? And incorporate those contexts into problems. And then after that, if you've gotten used to changing the context, then I suggest what I call go to a Stage Four Task. And then you try to engage their agency and help them understand that math can be a tool to use. Mike: I would love for you to—either of you—to talk a little bit more about that last bit that you mentioned, Pam, when you talked about ways to build up kids' sense of agency. Would you be willing to indulge and just go a little bit further down into that conversation? Pamela: Absolutely. So oftentimes, even if we have these wonderful contexts that students will solve problems and become engaged problem-solvers, there's always the question is, like, ‘So what now? What do I do with this? Why is this important to even get this answer?' And it has to be more than, ‘Well, it's going to be on the test,' right? ( laughs ) And so, helping students understand and solve problems that help them see that they can be a part of solutions [to] things that are important to them. So, for example, I remember taking a problem. And it was something about increase in numbers. There was something about what percent did this increase? And I changed the context to the housing market because we had just actually had some storms that had come through our state and had created a lot of damage to houses and homes. And so, then the very next step was I started having them think about, ‘Well, how much might it cost to rebuild these homes? Were some houses damaged more than others?' Pamela: And ‘What could you possibly do to help?' Those are just some kinds of things to help kids understand that, ‘Oh, well, I'm not just trying to find percent increase or decrease, but there's some contexts here that matter, and it may cause me to do some more research.' And even thinking about, ‘Well, if there are neighborhoods that were impacted, what are some things that I can do? Could there be some money that we raise? If I'm going to rebuild the house, how much might I need to spend? How much might I need to invest so that this maybe doesn't happen again?' Those are just all different types of questions to help students understand that you can use math as a part of your community. I also talk about an example of how I was teaching a unit on regression equations, and I know this is an elementary audience, but it was just an example of the fact that we give tests all the time. Pamela: We give those state standardized tests, and I decided to use our district's data for the schools in our district, and things like that, to actually do the mathematics. And students care about that. They got to see their state scores, and they got to see the scores of their neighborhood, of friends who maybe go to a school down the street. And then not only did they get to do the math with that, then they got to have some input. I gave them that opportunity to basically talk to fellow students, talk to fellow teachers, talk to fellow administrators about, ‘What do you think should be different now that you've analyzed and looked at this data?' Kyndall: And I would just add that Lisa Delpit, an education scholar, wrote this book in the early 2000s called ‘Multiplication is for White People.' And that's an extremely provocative title, but it was actually a quote from an African American student of ours. And it kind of spoke to that student's math identity. The actual quote was, ‘Multiplication is for white people, addition and subtraction is for Black people,' right? And so that speaks to what that student's identity was about. The ability of certain people to do math based upon their racial or ethnic background. So, it is very easy to go through the U.S. educational system and come to the conclusion that mathematics is pretty much the domain of mostly white, European men, right? Mike: Certainly. Kyndall: When nothing could be further from the truth. There's an excellent book called ‘The Crest of the Peacock: Non-European Roots of Mathematics' that shows very clearly that mathematics is a cultural endeavor. It's a humanistic endeavor that all humans all over the planet have engaged in. And that other cultures have made significant contributions to the field of mathematics. And so, we need to do a lot better job of exposing students to that so that we can make sure that they see mathematics is as much a part of their culture as any other racial or ethnic group. And they need to see examples of people that look like them in the math textbooks, on the walls of their classrooms, as another way to help build that mathematics identity. Mike: You know, and I think that is actually one of the things that I really appreciated about the way that you all structured the book. I know that I've heard other people who have read it say how much they appreciated being able to hear the stories from your own classrooms, the experiences that you had with students, and really being able to put those out there in a way that help people see where there might be pitfalls and where there might be opportunities. I'm curious if either of you would be willing to share a story about culturally relevant curricula and the impact that you saw on a particular student. Kyndall: Well, Pam has a couple of really good stories in that chapter, so I'm going to let her ... Pamela: ( laughs ) Yeah. So, one of the things I talk about is Jasmine. Jasmine was one of my students who, we'll just say we didn't see eye to eye on most things ( laughs ). Jasmine was very openly hostile towards me, and I was expending a lot of my energy just trying to get her to do anything. And she just made it very clear to me she wasn't interested in doing anything I asked her to do. And so I gave her that project that I talked about, where we decided to look at our test scores, our standardized test scores throughout the district, and applied the math content of the standard that we were using to this, to where she got to make an analysis and be able to see if there was a relationship between the percentage of Black students in our school and then our college and career readiness index, and those kinds of things. Pamela: And I was just really amazed about the transformation that happened with her. Because previously, not only was she not willing to work with me, she didn't want to work with her classmates either ( chuckles ). Mike: Mm. Pamela: And she, as a result of working on this project, asked to be a part of a group. When she found out that she had made some mistakes on some of the data, she willingly stayed after school to fix her mistakes. And I even remember the day that the project was due. She stayed late to put her finishing touches on it. And so, I just was amazed. She was just ... became pleasant. And as a result, I wanted to talk with her about the impact that this project had on her. And she said she really wanted to do it. It wasn't like it was just for a grade. She really wanted to learn the information. And the other thing that was kind of interesting is she didn't really see it as math. She didn't really think that what she was doing was really math, even though she was using Excel spreadsheets and she was using formulas. What that told me was how her perception was that school math wasn't what real math was, and that what we were doing that was connected to her community didn't feel like math. And I felt like that's something that we really need to change. Mike: Yeah. Kendall, I saw you nodding on the other ... (this podcast was recorded via Zoom with video) Kyndall: Well, I think the general public has come to believe that the only thing that counts as math is what you do in school, in a math classroom, right? Mike: Uh-hm. Kyndall: That all of these ways that people are engaging in mathematical thinking and reasoning all day, every day, they don't see as math. And so, they don't see themselves as math people, right? Because they were not successful at school math. Right? Mike: Right. Kyndall: And so how do we undo that perception and get people to recognize the myriad of ways that they're engaging in mathematical thinking and reasoning all the time? Mike: Absolutely. Yeah. I was just going to ask you if there's anything in particular you think might be important for an elementary math educator to be thinking about when they're trying to apply the ideas, some of the suggestions that you all have when it comes to ‘Choosing to See.' Is there anything in particular that folks who are operating at the elementary level might consider or might think about that has come to y'all as you've brought the book out into the world and had people interact with it? Pamela: Well, one thing that I've come to understand is that, while we do need to have good tasks—and the work that we ask students to do needs to be meaningful and needs to be accessible—tasks don't teach kids. And we need to think about how do we structure how kids experience the mathematics in our classrooms? And that to me is what the framework does. It's a lens to help teachers think about, ‘How do I engage my students? How do I structure the instruction so that kids have a positive experience around the mathematics?' So, it should not be thought of as, ‘Oh, this is just once I get the math, then I'm going to go and think about this as a add-on.' Mike: Hmm. Pamela: There are myriads of strategies out there. It's not saying that you should throw out everything that you've ever done before. It's just look at the strategies and the things, the rituals and routines that you've been using in your classroom. And think about them in terms of this lens. If you're getting ready to do an activity, you might say, ‘OK, here's a routine that I normally have. How can I adapt it so I can include others as experts, so I'm not the only one that's doing all the talking? How can I engage my students so that I expect more out of them?' Right? So that they're doing more of the work? So, it's really a lens of how to think about the work that you do and the work that they do. Mike: That totally makes sense. Kyndall: Right. And the research shows that tracking begins very early in elementary school, right? And so elementary teachers need to be conscious of all of these different issues so that they can be on guard at the very early stages to not allow that tracking to begin. Mike: For educators or instructional leaders who are new to the conversation, in addition to reading ‘Choosing to See,' are there other resources that you think would be helpful in supporting people in learning more about equity in the mathematics classroom? Pamela: Well, yes, I know that I've just started reading recently, it's a new book this out called ‘Engaging in Culturally Relevant Math Tasks: Fostering Hope in the Elementary Classroom.' And it's by our good friends Lou Edward Matthews, Shelly M. Jones, and Yolanda Parker. It's at Corwin books, and I definitely recommend that that is a great resource. Kyndall: There's a new book that just came out. It's called ‘Middle School Mathematics Lessons to Explore, Investigate, and Respond to Issues of Social Injustice,' by Robert Berry and his colleagues. In 2020, they released a high school version of the book. And in the fall of 2022, they're planning on releasing an upper- and lower elementary version of these books. And the first section of the book is really talking about the kind of pedagogy needed to implement social justice tasks. And then the second part of the book has lessons aligned to the different content strands that are social justice focused, a lot of digital resources. And so, I think that is an excellent resource for teachers. Mike: That's fantastic. Pam and Kyndall, I want to thank you both so much for being here with us today, for sharing the book with us. It's really been a pleasure talking with both of you. Kyndall: Thank you. Pamela: Well, thank you. Mike: This podcast is brought to you by The Math Learning Center and the Maier Math Foundation, dedicated to inspiring and enabling individuals to discover and develop their mathematical confidence and ability. © 2023 The Math Learning Center | www.mathlearningcenter.org

CALLING ALL CHROMEBOOK CLASSROOMS!Using classroom technology can be an amazing way to enhance your students' learning experience — but that doesn't mean it comes without its challenges.When it comes to using technology with elementary students, teachers often find themselves frustrated and overwhelmed when students lack basic technology skills (20 minutes to login, anyone?), or don't know where to find important websites needed at a small-group center.That's why I brought on John Sowash - Chromebook expert and enthusiast!  John Sowash is an experienced classroom teacher, former school administrator, author of The Chromebook Classroom, and founder of the Google Certification Academy. John inspires educators to use technology to connect with and challenge students.And today, he's inspiring US to get comfortable with using Chromebooks in the classroom.  And even if your students a different device, John's tips will certainly help you as well.FOR COMPLETE SHOW NOTES VISIT:  classroomnook.com/podcast/144Links & Resources Mentioned in the EpisodeJohn's Resources for Teachers: Class Login Challenge Turn on Domain Autocomplete DirectionsEnable PIN Login Directions Blog Post: Teach “Chromecabulary” Student Technology Skills ChecklistCreate a Class Start Page: ExamplesTeach Students to Use the Camera AppCreate QR Code Cards: TemplateEPISODE 38: Tips & Best Practices for Technology in the ClassroomEPISODE 141: 3 Myths of a 21st Century Classroom

Young children have many different ability levels with math concepts. Understandably, kindergarten and elementary teachers need to reach every student where they are on their learning journey, but it isn't always easy. Dr. Carol Ann Tomlinson, an expert on the topic, gives an overview of how to differentiate math instruction with younger students.  See notes and transcript: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e793 Sponsor: Thank you, eSpark for sponsoring today's show. eSpark is a differentiation and intervention tool that helps teachers of kindergarten through grade five save time by providing ready-to-go, standards-based reading and math activities that students love. eSpark is free for teachers. Each Quest includes a pre-quiz, framing videos, instructional videos, practice activities, critical thinking challenges, a post-quiz, and an optional student recording. I love that for activities to remain in the eSpark catalog that it must have a high student engagement rating based on a student-chosen thumbs-up or thumbs-down. You can even import NWEA or STAR data to give students a more differentiated experience from the first log on. Oh and did I say it is free for teachers! So, go to go.eSpark.app/coolcatteacher. You'll be glad you did. Carol Ann Tomlinson - Bio as Submitted [caption id="attachment_28916" align="alignright" width="200"] Dr. Carol Ann Tomlinson[/caption] Carol Ann Tomlinson is William Clay Parrish, Jr. Professor Emeritus at the University of Virginia's School of Education and Human Development where she served as Chair of Educational Leadership, Foundations, and Policy, and Co-Director of the University's Institutes on Academic Diversity.  Prior to joining the faculty at UVa, she was a teacher in public schools for 21 years, during which she taught students in high school, preschool, and middle school and also administered programs for struggling and advanced learners.  She was Virginia's Teacher of the Year in 1974.  She was named Outstanding Professor at UVa's School of Education and Human Development in 2004 and received an All-University Teaching Award in 2008.  In 2022, she was ranked #12 in the Education Week Edu-Scholar Public Presence Rankings of the 200 “University-based academics who are contributing most substantially to public debates about schools and schooling,” and as the #4 voice in Curriculum & Instruction.  Carol is the author of over 300 books, book chapters, articles, and other educational materials.  Her two latest books are So Each May Soar: The Principles & Practices of Learner-Centered Classrooms (2021) and Everybody's Classroom: Differentiating for the Shared and Unique Needs of Diverse Learners (2022). Her books are available in 14 languages. She works throughout the United States and internationally with educators who seek to create classrooms that are effective in reaching diverse student populations. Twitter @cat3y Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a “sponsored podcast episode.” The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers and are from companies I can recommend. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

You know that moment during the day when everything seems to click and things just seem to work? Your lesson falls into place, your kids are engaged, and you feel like a total rockstar teacher. That's what I'm talking about. Sure, there are days when things don't go as planned – but those days shouldn't overshadow the great ones. And let me tell you, integrating arts into your teaching can take your lessons from good to great in an instant. Seriously – it's that powerful. Here's how you can get started. Join Kathryn Patricia and myself as we have an inspiring conversation that will leave you motivated and ready to take action. Kathryn Patricia is a performing artist, composer, and educator from Canada's capital.  Kathryn is a Loop pedal violist, who brings interactive concerts, and workshops to schools, community centers, and concert halls both virtually and in-person.Links Mentioned in the Show:OTT 170: What's Really Wrong With the School System From the Eyes of a MillennialKathryn Patricia Workshops and PerformancesButton Join Mastering Makerspace: From Zero to AmazingSubscribe and Review: Are you subscribed to my podcast? If you're not, I want to encourage you to do that today. I don't want you to miss an episode. I'm adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the mix and if you're not subscribed there's a good chance you'll miss out on those. Click here for iTunes. Now if you're feeling extra loving, I would be really grateful if you left me a review over on iTunes, too. Those reviews help other people find my podcast and they're also fun for me to go in and read. Click here to leave a review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let me know what your favorite part of the podcast is. Thank you! 

One of the best ways to get kids excited about learning is by incorporating music into classroom activities. Studies have shown that music has a positive effect on cognitive function and memory recall, so it makes sense to use it as part of our lesson plans whenever possible! There are endless possibilities when it comes to using music in class.Today, I sit down with Elizabeth Peterson,  the creator of SEAL, Social-Emotional Artistic Learning, a unique method of integrating the arts with SEL that empowers teachers to truly reach and teach their students. You won't want to miss this episode.Links Mentioned in the Show:The Inspired Classroomteachseal.comButton Join Mastering Makerspace: From Zero to AmazingSubscribe and Review: Are you subscribed to my podcast? If you're not, I want to encourage you to do that today. I don't want you to miss an episode. I'm adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the mix and if you're not subscribed there's a good chance you'll miss out on those. Click here for iTunes. Now if you're feeling extra loving, I would be really grateful if you left me a review over on iTunes, too. Those reviews help other people find my podcast and they're also fun for me to go in and read. Click here to leave a review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let me know what your favorite part of the podcast is. Thank you! 

Listen in as: I unpack the three most common time sucks and how to avoid them so that you are saving time in the long run. I talk about: -What time sucks are, how they fool us into thinking they are good for us and a plan for how to avoid them all together. They are: Going down the TPT rabbit whole without a clue of what we actually need or what we already have. Not knowing our grade level standards well enough to know what our students need most to understand the current reading unit. Not planning and trying to wing it, which really just keeps us in a constant state of overwhelm Quotables: Looking at TPT before really analyzing what we already have or tapping into our resources aka our people is a time suck. Not knowing your standards well enough to vet potential resources, know what students need to know most and have the confidence in your ability to get students to a point of mastery is a time suck. We plan because doing so respects our craft and we plan because it helps us to get a better handle on what  our students need and how we plan to get them to mastery. Links to resources mentioned in the podcast: The Mini Lesson Revamp Bootcamp Waitlist Book a discovery call for one on one coaching or school PD Next Steps: If this episode resonated with you, take a screenshot of the episode and tag me on instagram @msevamireles. Leave a Rating and Review: This helps my show remain active in order to continue to help other upper elementary teachers get ideas they can use in their class today. The Reading Teacher's Playbook Search for my show on iTunes or Stitcher. Click on ‘Ratings and Reviews.' Under ‘Customer Reviews,' click on “Write a Review.” Sign in with your iTunes or Stitcher log-in info Leave a Rating: Tap the greyed out stars (5 being the best) Leave a Review: Type in a Title and Description of your thoughts on my podcast Click ‘Send' --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/eva-mireles/message

Teacher Summer Road Trip 2022:  Week 8This summer we are revisiting some of the most popular tourist destinations (aka popular podcast episodes) of the 2021-2022 school year.Each week join us here on the podcast as we revisit these action-packed, and idea-inspiring episodes as your rest, and refuel for the upcoming school year.This week's stop:  Gamification in the Upper Elementary ClassroomDestination Highlights:What is gamification and how does it work in the classroom?Easy ways you can make learning feel more like playingHow to gamify every day learning...without a lot of workFOR COMPLETE SHOWNOTES FROM THE ORIGINAL EPISODE: CLICK HERE------------------------LINKS & RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE:Click HERE to listen to the TED talk with Paul AndersonLearning Game Apps:KahootQuizletJoin the LINKtivity Learning Membership and get access to my entire vault of LINKtivity Interactive Learning Guides - Click HERE to join.

PLAYING IS LEARNINGOver 10 years ago I started a blog called The Classroom Game Nook blog.  I started it because I am a big fan of finding ways to make learning more fun for students.  When learning is fun, motivation, engagement, and student success often follow.On my blog the Classroom GAME Nook, I shared all the ways that I used fun and games in the classroom.  And, although over the years I dropped the word “game” from my title, and am now just The Classroom Nook, I certainly did not stop striving to find ways to make learning fun through games.I want to explore gamification in the classroom.  Gamification is a term that we've heard pop up in the education world lately.  Kids love games.  When they play games, they have fun, and when they have fun: they learn.  So, what is it about games that are so attractive?  And how can we capture those elements and apply it to other areas in the classroom?  Well - that's exactly what we're about to explore.FOR COMPLETE SHOW NOTES VISIT:  classroomnook.com/podcast/115Links & Resources Mentioned in the EpisodeClick HERE to listen to the TED talk with Paul AndersonLearning Game Apps:KahootQuizlet

CHOICE IS A POWERFUL MOTIVATOR.Studies have show the benefit of giving students choice in their learning.  One of the ways teachers do this is by implementing the use of choice boards in the classroom.A choice board is simply a collection of activities (they can be digital, nondigital, or a combination), usually formatted visually on a grid.  Students are then invited to choose one or more of those activities to complete.  They are the ones choosing which activity interests them.  So - right away, they are taking ownership of their learning.FOR COMPLETE SHOW NOTES VISIT:  classroomnook.com/podcast/113LINKS & RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE EPISODEEPISODE 91: The TRUTH About Learning StylesJoin the LINKtivity® Learning Membership and get access to my entire vault of LINKtivity Interactive Learning Guides - CLICK HERE to join.

EFFORTLESSLY DESIGN CLASSROOM RESOURCES!We're back with another installment of a fun new series that I've started here in 2022 called “H(APPY)” Hour.  That's happy with an emphasis on APP.  In this series I'm sharing a must-try app that teachers can use for themselves or with their students.  And in today's APPY Hour, I'm going to share about an app is use absolutely every single day without fail!It's called Canva and it's one of the best apps out there for creating amazing resources for students, eye catching images, and even videos!  Seriously - if you have not heard of this app, you're in for a treat.If you a DIYer like I was in the classroom and love creating fun resources for your students - Canva is a must-have.  If you have a teacher Instagram or even a classroom Facebook group - Canva is a must-have. If you love creating digital anchor slides for your morning work, or for really, anything in your classroom —then stick around because I'm going to share with you the power that is Canva!FOR COMPLETE SHOW NOTES VISIT:  classroomnook.com/podcast/109-------------------------------------------Links & Resources Mentioned in the EpisodeCheck out Canva HERE.Join the LINKtivity Learning Membership and get access to my entire vault of LINKtivity Interactive Learning Guides - CLICK HERE to join.