A Teacher's Daze

Wow.... 48 pages of what to do to become an M-STAR teacher..... I'm wondering if this is just too much information to digest at one time, or is it just me?  I'm also wondering why I am pondering this on July 10, when I should be enjoying the precious time we have left this summer. I suppose the next couple of years will be interesting.  I'm all for becoming the most effective teacher I can be, but I don't want it to interfere with the teacher that I am.... does that make sense?  I know there are always more effective ways things can be done, but there are also things that are individual to every teacher that works for him or her.  Can a specific guideline take that into consideration? What works for one teacher in one situation may not work for another in another situation, so that leaves me with a lot of unanswered questions.  My solace is I'm quite sure I'm not alone.  :-).... It's always good to have company.  Smiles. Hmmm.... there are s...

Memories wash over me, slowly, almost painfully.  I've decided upon "bittersweet" to describe that late day in May of 2011.  The excited chant of children at a pep-rally, but this was no ordinary pep-rally.  It was a day to celebrate the student's hard work throughout the year, preparing them for the MCT II that loomed ahead.  I joined a group of bouncing 4th graders wearing matching yellow shirts.  I watched in admiration as their teacher's enthusiasm matched their own.  My own son was privileged to be a part of this group.    From the beginning of the school year, I knew Ms. Blackwell was one of those teachers that a child never forgets.  My son, a good student, but always a bit timid, began to become more animated than I had ever seen him, describing his school day.  I realized he was learning and at the same time having a lot of fun.  This is not an easy feat for a teacher to incorporate into a classroom, especially wi...

Using quizlet in the classroom is one of the most effective tools that I have used.  It works for any subject and on any grade level.  The picture below shows my students acting out their vocabulary list for the week.  After uploading the pictures to the site. the students could go to a computer or smartphone to study their weekly vocabulary test.  Using the students' ideas to act out the words made learning their vocabulary a cinch!   It's super easy to get started.  It literally takes minutes to post an entire list of words for students to access.  You don't have to use pictures, but if you want to, but don't have any of your own, quizlet has a variety of ones to choose.   If you haven't tried this, this is a MUST TRY!!! I've used it for two years, now, with both a senior English class and a middle school class.  It really works!!! Check it out!