Check-ins are one of my favorite classroom routines that I depend on year after year. A Check-in is a quick set of questions at the end of a lesson that tell me what students know and what they still need to know. It’s like an Exit Ticket, a popular formative assessment of many teachers, butContinue reading “How I Use “Check-ins” to Check for Understanding and Inform My Teaching”
Tag Archives: teacher hacks
The Teacher Supplies and Classroom Systems I Can’t Do Without
Over years of teaching I have identified the essential supplies that I use in the classroom every day. A lot of my supplies support the classroom systems that I put in place, like how to turn in work, and organize lesson plans. Teaching is so fast-paced that I need to have good systems in place.Continue reading “The Teacher Supplies and Classroom Systems I Can’t Do Without”
How to Teach Vocabulary With a Vocabulary Log
Vocabulary is an important part of my lessons and my teaching. Science, especially Biology, is a vocabulary dense field. If vocabulary isn’t explicitly taught, students have a hard time understanding the complex concepts and processes. With Vocabulary Logs, students define, illustrate, and summarize, which are processes that help connect ideas and information in their brains.Continue reading “How to Teach Vocabulary With a Vocabulary Log”
Beginning of Year Activity: Decorating Science Notebook Covers
During the first week or two of school, one activity I like to do is decorate science notebooks. It’s an easy way to start the year, and a lot of students have fun with this first assignment. It’s a lot of fun to design notebook covers. It’s creative and engaging. The pictures are conversation startersContinue reading “Beginning of Year Activity: Decorating Science Notebook Covers”
Science Notebooks! Or Binders! Which One?
Notebooks or Binders? Notebooks, binders, Google Drive, every teacher and every class needs an organization system for note taking and keeping track of work. My first year student teaching my master teacher used notebooks for the first half of the year, and then binders for the second half of the year. In my classroom, I’veContinue reading “Science Notebooks! Or Binders! Which One?”