Teachers can tell when that kindergartener needs to be rushed into the bathroom, and we can also tell when that older student is texting under the table. There are some expressions you get to know. But in many classrooms across the country, cell phones are no longer confiscated. Instead,… Continue reading
I find myself in a lot of conversations on 21st Century skills — the things our students will need to know to compete in the global marketplace in the 21st century. The thing that strikes me about these conversations is how few of the people in them actually compete in… Continue reading
Many teachers have a favorite Back to School Lesson Plan to kick off the new school year. Heather McDonnell from Walter Turnbow Elementary suggested an unusual one. She studies skylines. Heather’s mission, she says, is “to bring the world to my classroom.” So she uses the Dr. Seuss bookOh,… Continue reading
One of my pet peeves with educational technology is the fact that so much teacher tech training is just about how to use one little thing — PowerPoint, maybe, or one website. It’s as though there were a workshop on art for the classroom, and you spent the whole time… Continue reading
Fish make a fun classroom theme for summer school or any time of year. There are lots of ready-made bulletin boards with fish: Trend’s Fish Bowl bulletin board is designed to use for math, and I love it for that, but it’s extremely versatile. Trend also has an Under… Continue reading
Japan’s lucky cats, or Maneki Neko, have become a popular good luck charm or symbol. The original story tells of a white cat at the Gotoku-ji temple. The temple was poor, and the monks living there struggled with cold and hunger, yet they shared their food with the cat.… Continue reading
The Five Chinese Brothers was written by Claire Huchet Bishop in 1938. While it is generally described as a Chinese folktale, I haven’t found any earlier collections of it. The story begins, “Once upon a time, there were five Chinese brothers, and they all looked exactly alike.” Each brother… Continue reading
Rumpelstiltskin is a story from the Brothers Grimm. In the story, a miller claims that his daughter can spin straw into gold. The king demands that she prove it. She is locked in a room full of straw, despairing, when a funny little man comes in and offers to do… Continue reading
Probably the best thing to do for classes on Earth Day is to get out of the classroom and enjoy the beauty of the earth, or perhaps clean up a bit. You may not have that option. It’s not too late to plan a classroom lesson. Here’s a nice… Continue reading
Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass is a perennial favorite, and for good reason. In the story, Alice falls down a rabbit hole and ends up in a marvelous world full of frankly irritating creatures and surprising events. The story continues with Alice’s adventures as she… Continue reading
