In my previous post, I talked about the importance of incorporating movement into classroom work and gave an example of one way to do that with an editing activity. In this post, I’d like to share a way to add movement when the class is reviewing material right before a test. It’s a strategy my co-teacher and I decided to use just recently, when our class came to the end of a challenging social studies unit.
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DEC
10
2014
Keep Your Class Moving!
It's 1:30 in the afternoon, and our class is preparing for language arts block. Recess and lunch seem like hours ago, and we still have an entire content area left to teach.…
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JUL
28
2014
Go Slow to Go Fast
My second grade class sits cross-legged on the rug. It is the first day of school, and I'm introducing a classroom tool that the children will be using today and all year.…
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MAY
02
2014
Test Prep with Less Stress
As we approached testing season, the already anxiety-prone fourth graders I teach began asking questions about test dates, format, and content. These signs of stress, combined with antsiness brought on by the…
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APR
11
2014
Teaching Skillful Communication
Ryan holds up the book so all his classmates can see the cover and begins: "Reptile Facts is my favorite first grade book. Every first grader should read this book because it…
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APR
07
2014
The Hot Seat
Are you looking for interactive learning structures that will help your students gain a deeper understanding of content while also developing and practicing higher level thinking skills? The Hot Seat is a…
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MAR
04
2014
The Language of Learning (Foreword)
Students enter our school doors with a vision of themselves as learners, filled with hopes and dreams for learning. That's what I firmly believe. With them, they bring an innate curiosity and…
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JAN
24
2014
Choices Choices
When I look around my classroom, I see students making choices. The first graders I teach make choices all through the day, from the time they arrive until Closing Circle.
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JAN
03
2014
Asking Strategic Questions
Adapted from the new book The Language of Learning: Teaching Students Core Thinking, Listening, & Speaking Skills
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OCT
29
2013
Common Core: Let’s Seize the Opportunity Together
Crafting powerful solutions for educating all children is an evolutionary and continuous improvement process. Educators and all those responsible for education must always be focused on innovating and pushing boundaries, digging deep,…
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MAR
21
2013
Challenges Are Fun!
Recently I've been thinking about how enthusiastically the students in my class take on challenges, and how challenging them has helped us build a more positive community and made learning more fun…
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MAR
05
2013
Movement Breaks to the Rescue!
While giving the January spelling assessment, I paused to look around the classroom and here's what I saw: Sara was yawning. Ben held his head in his hands. Julie's head was down…
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JAN
24
2013
When Learning Is Fun
If your classroom life is like mine these days, it's gotten harder to make learning fun. This year in my district we have a new teacher evaluation system, new report cards, new…
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JAN
15
2013
Building Community Through Academics
When they are working towards a common goal, engaged in a fascinating topic, or trying to figure out a solution for a meaningful problem, students feel more connected to school and each…
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DEC
12
2012
Are You Having Fun?
One afternoon in late October, my third grade class laughed together for the first time this year. It happened as we were getting ready to transition from science to math. "Okay," I…
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NOV
10
2011
Teaching Future Scientists
"Young engineers, it looks as if you have mastered skyscrapers. Now you are ready for the challenge of building a bridge!" said the teacher to a small group of children in a…
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NOV
02
2011
The Trouble with Testing
When I first began my teaching career in the early 1990's, it felt like an exciting time to be in education. There was incredible momentum building for rich, multi-layered, developmentally appropriate teaching.…
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OCT
06
2011
Guided Discovery: Paper, Scissors, and Glue
One of my favorite Guided Discovery lessons led children to explore ways they could use paper, glue sticks (or glue), and scissors. I was always amazed at what children could create with…
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SEP
22
2011
Books for Guided Discovery: Crayons
Use a book to kick off a Guided Discovery lesson or to reinforce learning from it. A great read-aloud can open children’s minds to the magic and possibilities of the material you’re…
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AUG
02
2011
Do You Teach Writing?
Always on the lookout for resources to help teachers, I recently found a gem: Day by Day: Refining Writing Workshop Through 180 Days of Reflective Practice (Stenhouse, 2010). Ruth Ayres and Stacey…
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JAN
11
2011
Homework: An Unwelcome Guest
Most Thursday nights, our family joins two other families for what we all call "Dinner and a Show." We congregate at one of our houses, the kids play together and we all…
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NOV
17
2010
Seeing It All Come Together
While reading Mike Anderson’s series of posts about strategies for keeping students active and engaged, I kept thinking about a second grade classroom I visited recently. I was lucky enough to watch…
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OCT
25
2010
Lecture Less
So we know students need to sit still to accomplish some school tasks, but we don't want to keep them sitting for too long. How can we minimize the amount of time…
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OCT
22
2010
Sitting Too Much?
“My students have such a hard time sitting still! They call out all the time! They’re constantly out of their seats!” After hearing this refrain over and over again from teachers, I…
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SEP
23
2010
Fall Testing Tips
It’s fall! For many of us that means cooler temperatures, crisp leaves on the playground, thoughts of pumpkins and frost, and . . . testing. Yes, the beginning of the school year…
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JUN
01
2010
Read-Alouds for the Last Day
What do you read to your class on the last day of school? I always put so much energy into that last choice. I wanted a book that would celebrate the community…
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APR
29
2010
Classroom Tension Tamers: Three More Ideas to Use Now!
I wrote last week about things you can do to ease classroom stress during testing and other high-anxiety times. Here are three more tips for keeping the atmosphere of your classroom calm…
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