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Articles

Five Steps for Responding to Midyear Misbehavior

It’s January, and you notice that over the break your students seem to have forgotten all the routines they had been practicing since the start of the school year. Students are acting disrespectfully toward each other. During discussions, classmates are calling out when others are talking. They are showing they…
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Jan 20 2023

Everything You Need to Know to Prepare Students for Winter Break

As winter break approaches, students tend to get distracted by the excitement of the holidays and the anticipation of vacation. As a result, they are often more restless, irritable, and exhausted than usual, and it can be difficult to keep them engaged and focused on learning. Returning from winter break…
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Dec 16 2022

Ways To Address Common Behavior Challenges That Pop Up Midyear

It’s a few months into the school year, and you may be noticing an increase in challenging student behaviors. Suddenly students are struggling to follow classroom rules that they learned at the beginning of the year. Some students are testing limits, both in their relationships with teachers as well as…
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Dec 02 2022

Ten Ways to Set Up Your New Classroom for Success, Literally!

The physical space of the classroom plays a significant role in both the culture and community of your learning environment. In fact, I consider the space to be a third teacher, alongside the students and myself. Classroom space is most effective when it invites and encourages learning: bookshelves invite readers…
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Aug 19 2022

Four Ways to Include Families at the End of the Year

As the year comes to a close, you have likely considered activities and ways to bring the year to a joyful end with students. The end of the school year also provides the opportunity to recognize the other important stakeholders in the year’s success: families. Here are a few ways…
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May 27 2022

Quick Ways to Recognize and Celebrate Every Student at the End of the Year

The end of the school year is always an exciting time—full of opportunities to celebrate and reflect. The students we met in August and September have grown in innumerable ways—they've learned to master new reading strategies, perfect new spelling patterns, embrace new math skills, and develop new social skills. We…
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May 20 2022

Pause, Ponder, and Reflect: Six Ways to Celebrate School Year Success

The countdown to summer can be bittersweet as fond memories of activities, moments, and achievements from the school year intermingle with the excitement of summer’s many possibilities. As our minds start to drift toward summer plans, it is important for both students and educators alike to look back and take…
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May 13 2022

Five Ways to End the School Year With Joy!

The end of the school year is approaching, and with it comes a flood of thoughts and emotions, from relief to reflection to anticipation of summer’s promise of rest. One emotion that deserves to be honored is the satisfaction you and your students feel from having worked together to build…
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May 06 2022

Teaching Diversity Beyond Black History Month

Growing up, I always looked forward to Black History Month at my public school in New York City. My teachers taught lessons about Black people who made notable contributions to our country. We sang spirituals that my ancestors sang and recited works from great writers such as Langston Hughes, Gwendolyn…
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Feb 25 2022

Beyond the Heritage Month: Teaching Black History All Year Long

Black History Month is a critical time to acknowledge the systemic oppression and racism that Black people have experienced in this country while also celebrating their incredible contributions to American history and society. Heritage months were established to honor cultures that otherwise went ignored or underappreciated. However, observances like Black…
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Feb 11 2022

Seven Tips for the Transition Back to School From Winter Break

For so many teachers and students, returning after winter break can feel like the first day of school all over again. The routines, rules, and procedures that were once so familiar are now a distant memory, and it takes a conscious effort to get back into rhythm with them. For…
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Dec 31 2021

Use Responsive Advisory Meeting to Lend a Helping Hand

The holidays are a time everyone looks forward to. Some of us cannot wait to relax and binge watch our favorite TV shows; some are ready to eat delicious holiday foods; some are ready to spend quality time with family and friends. But the holidays are not just for rest…
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Dec 17 2021

Handle the Holidays With Morning Meeting

As the holiday season gets into full swing, maintaining a productive and pleasant classroom atmosphere can become a difficult task. During this time of year, students are frequently distracted by the excitement of holiday events at home and school events such as assemblies, class plays, and holiday dinners, which can…
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Dec 10 2021

Inviting All Winter Holidays Into the Classroom

Q: The students in my classroom come from many different traditions and cultures. I know the winter holidays could be a great opportunity for students to learn about each other’s cultures, but I’m not sure where to begin. Do you have any suggestions? A: I think asking this question shows…
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Dec 03 2021
Maintaining a Positive Community Remotely

Maintaining a Positive Community Remotely

Over the weekend, a friend shared a video with me that you may have seen as well, as it has been widely shared on social media. The video was taken in a neighborhood in Naples, Italy, a country that is currently under national quarantine. Despite that restriction, the residents of…
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Mar 19 2020
Pause and Celebrate

The End of the School Year: A Time to Pause and Celebrate Successes

The walls of the classroom look emptier than they looked a month ago and a few remnants of the presence of students remain: a pencil here or a sticky note there containing a past thought. As the last student leaves the room in which you’ve built a community, many emotions…
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Jun 03 2019
Poetry

Six Ways to Celebrate Poetry Month in the Classroom

Did you know that according to poets.org, National Poetry Month is actually the biggest literary celebration in the world? It’s never too early to start fostering a love of the English language with your students, and there’s no better time to begin than Poetry Month! Following are some great ways…
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Apr 25 2019

The Natural Learning Cycle

It’s the perfect time of year to pause and reflect on your personal teaching and learning goals—the hopes and dreams you set when school began. First, let’s take a step back and look at that learning from a big-picture point of view. We know that the most meaningful learning happens…
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Dec 21 2017
Getting Started with Responsive Classroom

Getting Started with Responsive Classroom

It’s July. You’re in that sweet spot between packing up your classroom for the summer and unpacking it again for the new school year. You’re not ready for summer to end, but you’ve just gotten back from your first Responsive Classroom four-day course and you find yourself thinking about your…
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Jul 20 2017
Photograph by Jeff Woodward.

Academic Engagement in the Home Stretch

You’ve made it to the last few months of the academic year! From spring fever to state testing, there are lots of reasons why students might need a nudge to stay engaged in academics around this time of year. Here are some tips that can help! Keep things moving Attention…
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Apr 12 2017
Photograph by Jeff Woodward

Engaging Middle Schoolers During the Holiday Season

With the winter holiday season upon us, it’s common for teachers to feel overwhelmed. Classroom schedules are interrupted by school assemblies and special events; students are distracted by the excitement and stress the holidays can bring. Plus school vacations, and in many parts of the country weather delays and cancellations,…
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Dec 06 2016
Photograph by Jeff Woodward.

Joyful Endings: The Last Few Weeks of School

Although we hope that our students’ learning won’t stop just because school does, it’s good to help them reach a sense of closure during the last few weeks of the year. Good endings leave students with feelings of pride in their growth, a strong sense of themselves as capable learners,…
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Apr 30 2015
Photograph by Jeff Woodward.

Class Memory Books

On Move-Up Day, a rite of passage for the children at my school, I tend to feel a bit wistful as the second graders I've been teaching head off to meet their new teacher, and I welcome next year's class. Although the first graders are always eager to meet me,…
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May 29 2014
Photograph by Jeff Woodward.

Reflecting on Your Teaching Year

At the end of another school year, it's tempting to count the days left, wave goodbye to my class, pack up my room, and mentally check out for the summer. I've earned it, haven't I? But as the year winds down, I'm reminded that many of the end-of-year activities I…
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May 19 2014

Making Up for Lost Time

"Maybe we'll get to teach in February." That's been the joke at my school after snow, ice, and extreme cold, plus holidays and teacher workdays meant that last month we had only nine full days of school! I love snow days, and I love the excitement my students bring back…
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Feb 10 2014
Photograph by Jeff Woodward.

November Blues

What teachers have to deal with at this time of year (in addition to teaching, of course) can be daunting—writing report cards, meeting with families at conferences, grading papers, adjusting to a time change, and in some cases, even dealing with the aftermath of a hurricane. It is natural for…
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Nov 11 2012

When the Teacher Is Away

For years, I had wanted to travel with my father to India, his native country. Finally, I had the opportunity—but the trip meant I would miss five days of school right after winter break. I was so excited, but more than a little daunted by the challenge of preparing my…
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Aug 01 2012

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Classroom Management & Discipline
Positive Community
Whole School
Teacher Language
Morning Meeting
First Weeks of School
Engaging Academics
Energizers & Activities
Positive Language
Families
Special Times in the Year
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