Group Roles are a valuable classroom management strategy for labs and group activities. They offer shared responsibilities, promote teamwork, and enhance communication and problem-solving skills. The roles of Captain, Recorder, Timekeeper, and Organizer ensure accountability and encourage student participation. Implemented early in the school year, Group Roles can effectively enhance classroom dynamics and student engagement.
Tag Archives: teacher hacks
Class Points: Transforming Classroom Management with Positive Reinforcement. How to Implement Class Points as a System for Classroom Management
The Class Points system enhances classroom management by reinforcing positive behavior through regular praise, feedback, and rewards. By tracking points visibly and incorporating a raffle for classes that reach milestones, teachers can foster a motivating environment that encourages engagement, accountability, and improvement among students, ultimately creating a more efficient classroom.
12 Study Tips to Teach Middle School Students
In this blog post I share some of my best study tips for middle school students. I learned them over the years from my amazing teacher mentors, while supporting my students, and becoming a better learner myself. Whether you are a teacher, student, or lifelong learner, these tips can help make studying easier and moreContinue reading “12 Study Tips to Teach Middle School Students”
9 Routine Assignments that are Easy to Prep and Make Great Sub Plans
The ideas in this blog post are great routine assignments to cycle through during the year. Plan ahead and have these assignments ready as emergency sub plans, or prep them quickly when you’re planning for a substitute. Students become familiar with doing these assignments. My students complete them independently and with minimal confusion. This makesContinue reading “9 Routine Assignments that are Easy to Prep and Make Great Sub Plans”
First Day of School Tips for New Teachers: Practical Do’s and Don’ts
If you’re a new teacher this year, I bet you are bursting with ideas, inspiration, and energy! That is the pure beauty of being a new teacher. You are unclouded, unjaded, and hyper focused on your objectives to create the best learning environment and experience for your students. That new teacher magic is an asset,Continue reading “First Day of School Tips for New Teachers: Practical Do’s and Don’ts”
High School Biology Vocabulary: Units and Key Terms for Effective Teaching
I hope you enjoy reading about my favorite science terms to teach in high school Biology. I hope this list of vocabulary terms can give you some good ideas and save you valuable planning time. In this blog post I share the vocabulary terms I teach during each unit throughout the year: How I UseContinue reading “High School Biology Vocabulary: Units and Key Terms for Effective Teaching”
Learning Styles: A Valuable Beginning of the Year Lesson
Everybody learns in different ways. Have you ever sat looking at a page in the book, just staring at the words and nothing is going into your brain? Well, that might be because visuals are not conducive to your Learning Style. It’s beneficial to know what style we are so that we can hack ourContinue reading “Learning Styles: A Valuable Beginning of the Year Lesson”
How She Teaches Presentation Skills
I do this short Presentation Skills class discussion with students before we do presentations in class. It is crazy the difference this simple exercise makes. Their presentations are much, much better. Students already know what a good presentation looks and sounds like. They just need to be reminded. That’s what this 20 minute lesson does.Continue reading “How She Teaches Presentation Skills”
7 Effective Test Review Teaching Strategies That Don’t Take Extra Planning Time!
These test review strategies are quick and easy to plan for (assuming I already made the test). I just don’t have time to make Jeopardy. Sorry, not sorry! These strategies are also effective for helping my students learn, and preparing them for tests. Hopefully these ideas are helpful and can save you some valuable time.Continue reading “7 Effective Test Review Teaching Strategies That Don’t Take Extra Planning Time!”
My Top 16 Classroom Management Strategies
I have way too much to do during the day teaching and grading to deal with all the extra stuff that happens in the classroom. I can’t waste any more time on unnecessary questions, losing stuff, waiting, cell phones, extra talking, distractions, bad behavior, and unpreparedness. They all take away from my instruction time andContinue reading “My Top 16 Classroom Management Strategies”
5 Ways to Take Notes Without a Worksheet
It’s good to keep students busy, but I don’t like to feel like I’m giving busy work. Lots of worksheets can feel like busy work. When students create things in their notebooks, they use their brains. They process information and learn. In this blog post I’m happy to share 5 different ways to take notesContinue reading “5 Ways to Take Notes Without a Worksheet”
More Tips for Using Science Notebooks as an Organization System
I had so much to say about science notebooks in my last post, How to Set-up a Science Notebook, that I needed to start a whole new one! In my 7 years of teaching, I used science notebooks most of the time. I tried binders too, but ultimately I like using notebooks the best. OverContinue reading “More Tips for Using Science Notebooks as an Organization System”
How to Set-up a Science Notebook
Many teachers I know are organized people. You have to be in order to manage hundreds of copies, handouts, and pieces of student work every single day. Organization comes naturally to many teachers, but it doesn’t necessarily for students. We teachers all know the student with the crumpled up papers at the bottom of theirContinue reading “How to Set-up a Science Notebook”
My Go-To Lesson Structure and 8 Classroom Routines for Better Classroom Management
Over the years I figured out a lot of tips to streamline my classroom. In this blog post, I’ll share my favorite lesson structure and classroom routines for a typical day. I hope the ideas in this blog post can save you some time and stress! Keep reading to learn more about my go-to lessonContinue reading “My Go-To Lesson Structure and 8 Classroom Routines for Better Classroom Management”
6 Of My Favorite Activity Ideas for the First Day of School
Going over the syllabus and class rules are important on the first day. Icebreakers are another standard activity for the first day of school. “Get to know you Bingo,” is a well known icebreaker. Nothing against Bingo, but there’s a good chance my students will do Bingo in one of their other classes. I wantContinue reading “6 Of My Favorite Activity Ideas for the First Day of School”