Category Archives: Teacher Resources

Are You Ready for 2ndary?

Here’s an article that covers valuable skills for students entering middle school. It is titled “Are Your 5th Graders Ready for Middle School?” by Yonina Lermer click here

One of those skills is the importance of staying organized.  Reading the article, I also thought about the distractions that come with navigating a middle school environment for the first time. The article also discusses time management tips, and the art that note taking can become. Digital age communication skills is another area to reflect on. There are number of really cool lessons provided through Common Sense Media that can help develop how a student prioritizes and maintains their digital footprints. One of the biggest tests is accountability and helping students develop a sense of consistency as it relates to a 2ndary life style.

Families, what do you think about this article? Students, how do you feel about your strengths and challenges in these kinds of skills? For those of you that have moved on into high school and higher ed what tips would you have for 5th graders entering middle school for the first time?

Learning > Grades

How to Help Students focus on What They’re Learning, Not the Grade Article by Sarah Schroeder Full article: edutopia LINK

There are a lot of gems in this article to think about during planning, grading, prior to PLCs and especially prior to conversations that teachers have with parents. While I feel it’s great to have these conversations with students & teachers emphasizing the article’s key points, often times how we understand grades carries over from the expectations families have for their children as well. Spread the word and help alleviate the unnecessary stress that’s placed around grades and scores.

“…take the focus off what students are expected to produce and place it on the act of learning, or the process.”

3 reasons to focus on process over product (1) reduce stress & anxiety; (2) develop expert learners; (3) measure what matters

(1) Promote a sense of belonging, support and collaboration

(2) Have clear, simple expectations

(3) Encourage manageable, realistic learner goal setting

(4) Connect learning and assessment to meaningful life experiences

(5) Offer choice and autonomy to avoid a “narrow view of smart”

(6) Offer multiple attempts and revisions/resubmissions

“Start by avoiding a sense of finality in grading. As student (and educator) mental health becomes a priority, find ways to increase flexibility, support, and an attitude of continuous improvement.”

Expert learners have purpose, feel motivated, are resourceful, knowledgeable, and are strategic and goal-directed.

“To support expert learning, we need to increase opportunities for step-by-step goal setting and reflection.”

Grades should be a part of the discussion, not THE discussion.

In the article see the bulleted list that provides ideas on what the process involves when it comes to learning. What’s your favorite one? I like “using quick collection (i.e. Google Forms, quick writes, and other formative assessments) that emphasizes the importance of learners identifying their strengths and gapes for goal setting.”

This article provides many resources to develop expert learners including edoprotocols.com, The Big List of Class Discussion Strategies, and peardeck.com.

“Grades have never served students well; they don’t show a student’s ability to think, write, and problem-solve. They just show which kids have the luxury of finishing their homework at home or on time.” – Mariela Tyler

Library of Congress Resources

This year I got the chance to connect with the Library of Congress through the Citizen DJ program. During one of the workshops, members of the program shared the following links for educators interested in connecting with the programming available for teachers, students, and families.

Teaching with the Library of Congress: click here

Resources for Kids & Families: click here

Teacher in Residence Program: click here
About this program: click here

Research Guides: click here

As a Librarian: click here

Also, shout out to Mrs. Bunt who planted the idea in my mind to consider looking into this program for a chance to visit the Library of Congress.

On Teaching…

A great resource to reference for ideas On Teaching. A collection of stories published in The Atlantic from, “the most experienced teachers in America’s education system on their careers, their schools, and the history they’ve witnessed”. I discovered this collection from an edutopia article by Sarah Gonser titled “Good Teaching Is Not Just About the Right Practices”.

On Teaching: click here
The Atlantic

Below, I will note quotes from the stories On Teaching.

“An estimated 12 million students – or nearly a fifth of all students in the U.S. – don’t have internet at home.” ‘What Teachers Need to Make Remote Schooling Work by Kristina Rizga click here

+ “Effective teaching is not just about good assignments…Teaching is also about engaging students: talking to them about their work with a piece of paper in hand every day, encouraging them, helping them develop their skills in the moment.” – Robert Roth

Educator Expense Deduction

Important info to know if you’re an educator and with out-of-pocket expenses for your classroom! Save those receipts! Tax Tips for Teachers: Deducting Out-of-Pocket Classroom Expenses click here

“The primary tax break for teachers is the Educator Expense Deduction. To qualify for the Educator Expense Deduction for a given year, you must meet two criteria:

  • You worked as a teacher, instructor, counselor, principal or aide for students in kindergarten through 12th grade.
  • You worked at least 900 hours at a school certified by a state to provide elementary or secondary education. This applies to public, private and religious schools.”

Introducing the #2ndaryLibrary

I stumble across many books, especially when we were back on campus with our awesome school librarian, but today from one social media feed to another, I run into a number of titles that I think would be great for our secondary readers. I’m gonna start listing them here on site to encourage summer reading, to bookmark for myself, or to encourage teachers to integrate into classroom reading, and also to provide visitors with references to books to share with others (especially our younger readers)! The hashtag will be #2ndaryLibrary! on Twitter @mrleebooks!

I heard about the following title from the El Paso Holocaust Museum FaceBook page. It’s written by Erika Sanchez. Amazon page linked from the image below!

Mr. Lee aka BOOKMAN

Support Introverts in Class

Shout out to all of our introverts! You have a place in the classroom too! A great article of advice to look out for all of our students in the classroom. ‘How to Support Introverts in the Classroom’ click here

“Including a few minutes of quiet time in your class’s daily routine is a great way to give introverts a break from the buzz of the classroom and to show extroverts the value of taking time to reflect and work quietly.”