Last week, my students learned a new vocabulary word: sensationalize. The usual best practice approach to teaching vocabulary is to wait until students have grasped a new concept before introducing the word that describes it, and this is a concept we’ve come to know well lately! As a morning message last week, I asked the…
My class is wrapping up their author study about Kevin Henkes. We really enjoyed reading his books and comparing them. We read Lily’s Big Day; Shiela Rae, the Brave; Wemberly Worried; Kitten’s First Full Moon; and Chrysanthemum. After we read each book, we discussed the characters, setting, problem, solution, and lesson of the story. It…
My class is currently composing the second edition of the Chicago Friends School newsletter. This is an entirely kid-generated project, with the entire project proposed and then planned by my students, with only very light editing imposed by me on the final product. The concept was first brought up by a student over a month…
One great thing about working at a small independent school like Chicago Friends School is the freedom the teachers are given to take units and lessons in the direction of students’ interests and needs. In the school where I worked before here, we followed scripted curricula for most subjects and did not have opportunities to…
When it comes to learning, the content of what we learn is usually emphasized. However, how and where we learn is equally important. As a teacher, I’m constantly looking for new ways to motivate my students to learn, whether it’s including more hands-on activities, adding technology, or changing the space in which we learn. Understanding how our students enjoy…
There are so many reasons that small group instruction is a good format for learning. I had always known that teaching small groups was better for differentiating instruction, but the more small group instruction I do this year, the more benefits I discover. Small groups are good for targeted instruction. When students in a small…