One of the most effective things a teacher can differentiate is the environment. There are a lot of ways to do that, and one of them is to use magazines. The good news is that it is very easy! If you’ve been put off of the idea of differentiation because
I understand that there is a large contingent of people who think that best practices for testing in schools involves no testing whatsoever. Testing is a reality, however, so I’m sharing some best practices for testing in schools with the disclaimer that I’m not a fan of over testing. Best
Gifted kids often finish first, even on high stakes tests, and that gets on people’s nerves, especially concerned teachers. I’m going to explore some of the reasons why gifted kids test quickly and why that is okay. (This applies to gifted adults as well, actually.) Test taking is complex, isn’t
I’m sharing seven things not to do while studying as a companion to my post on 6 Strategies for Effective Studying. The truth is that some things don’t work, even though they’re popular. Here are some tips for what NOT to do. Just a spoiler: you’re not going to like this
I’ve compiled this list of 6 strategies for effective studying just for you. You know who you are. You don’t like studying. In fact, when people suggest that you study, you’re not completely sure what they mean. Study? Isn’t that the room where Colonel Mustard was with the candlestick in Clue? As
Before I talk about the benefits of wordsearches, let’s acknowledge the haters. Wordsearches get a bad rap. There’s a lot to hate about wordsearches. They look a lot like busywork. They look really low level. They look like everything wrong with a worksheet culture. They look ridiculous next to advanced
I’m going to tell you the truth about teachers. But first, let me go backwards a little bit. A few weeks ago, someone posted a comment to a post on my blog. I didn’t let it go through because I would have had to go all cray-zay on the person,
The Backstory When I was at the TAGT conference in San Antonio, a fantastic new science resource caught my attention. I don’t promote products very often (read: as in never), but I absolutely fell in love with this, so I’m sharing it. When I was looking at it at the
What’s your sentence? What is one sentence that would convey what you are all about? I loved this idea when I saw it in this video: It’s part of Dan Pink‘s work on motivation, which I love and speak about in my trainings on internal motivation. I started incorporating “What’s
Brainstorming with Microsoft’s SmartArt is an easy and free way to make brainstorming in class a breeze. Brainstorming is one of the most common classroom techniques, and Microsoft’s SmartArt can make it easier than you ever imagined. There’s no need to invest in graphic organizers when Microsoft’s SmartArt is there
Helping children appreciate and enjoy art doesn’t need to be daunting. Gifted children are often tuned in to the aesthetic nature of things and can easily become aficionados with very little encouragement. Both the Waldorf and Montessori methods are based in part on the idea that even very young children can
I became a teacher because I like office supplies. I love kids, and I love learning, but let’s face it: I’m also in it for the colored pens. I think it began with these guys. If I ever meet Mr. Sketch in person, I’m going to plant a big smooch
