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Author: teachersbrain

20 Years in Public Ed PreK-3rd, Founding Member of TIME (Teaching Ideas Made Easy) and AKA Teacher's Brain online

Teachers Accept the Ron Clark’s #GradingPapersChallenge

Teacher Problems

If you are like most teachers, you keep up with the amazing founder of Ron Clark Academy.  Ron Clark is a visionary who transforms classrooms around the world by demonstrating high quality techniques that are game changers in the education field.  Not only are students engaged in energized lessons, but teachers dream of visiting his school to have some of that inspiration and creativity rubbed off on them to take back to their classrooms.

Recently the hashtag #gradingpaperschallenge has taken off on Instagram due to a challenge that came out of him being bored while grading papers.  He recorded himself grading papers while lip syncing Lady Gaga.  Then, he added the hashtag, and challenged teachers to have a little fun while doing this tedious task of grading papers. Check out his post.

Teachers all over the world have been responding to his challenge with some impressive video clips.  Here are some of my favorites, so far.  (You may even see mine at the end. Not going to lie… this #gradingpaperschallenge was fun!)

Wade King @_wadeking

 

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@_wadeking is on deck!! ROCK-ING-OUT!!!! #gradingpaperschallenge #teachersofinstagram

A post shared by Ron Clark (@ronclark__) on

 Mary Beth @houseofnichols

Barry White Jr @thatsbwhite

Sarah Barnett @simply_steam

Sparkle & Sprinkles @first_grade_teacher_life

Junior Bernadin @mrjbernadin

@thereactionwithkarachante

Me! Cindy Martin @teachersbrain

 

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Teachers, it’s your turn! Join @ronclark__ for the #GradingPapersChallenge !I am not in the classroom anymore, but was also challenged by by daughter to do this, and remember the long days of grading papers. 😉 What do you rock out to while working or grading papers? A little THRILLER keeps me pumped in October! ??❤️? I challenge all you EDUCATORS to take a fun 15 seconds out of your life to make your video. Smile & please tag me in yours, if you do. My IG is @teachersbrain teachers I expect to tag me: @the_whimsical_teacher @teachingthestars @mrsaverysisland @simply_steam @teachwithtori @jamieprncs #betherevolution #ronclarkacademy #GradingPapersChallenge #teachersfollowteachers #teachers #teacherspayteachers #friends? #elementaryteacher #edu #educhat #thriller #teachersofinstagram #teacherstyle #teacherlife

A post shared by CindyMartin24 (@teachersbrain) on

So, get out there and take the challenge! Please share yours with me by tagging me in the post. ( @teachersbrain )  Learning should be fun, and so should teaching! There is no shame in your game.

First Man: Apollo 11 Lessons for Kids

Teacher's Pay Teachers, Teaching Tips

3… 2… 1… BLAST OFF! Apollo 11 was the first manned space flight to the moon where the first man walked on the moon.  It is the moment the whole world watched with wonder.  What was it like to walk on the moon?  What was it made of?  Would they be able to return back to Earth?  NASA has just started to mark the 50th Anniversary of the Apollo’s Space Program which landed a dozen Americans on the moon. So, I think now is a great time to teach your students about the Apollo 11 mission.  The movie First Man also comes out October 12th, 2018.

Lunar Module STEM Activity

To really get students to engage in your amazing moon landing lesson, let them do a STEM activity.  The astronauts used a lunar module during Apollo 11 called the Eagle to land on the moon.

 Give students supplies and have them create their own lunar lander.  Some supplies to give the students can be plates, cups, packing tape, rubber bands, paper clips, tin foil, card stock and marshmallows.

The marshmallows could be used as shock absorbers or astronauts in the space craft.  They would have to create a module to safely get their astronauts home.  The space craft would have to have 4 shock absorbers, and two astronauts.  To test their craft, they would drop it from 4 feet.  If it didn’t land upright, they have to re-design and re-test their space craft. 

Free SPACEMAN for Writing

Read a book about Apollo 11.  Have students summarize it during writing.  For young students you can use these FREE “Space” man word spacers.  Just attach a Popsicle stick or pencil to the back of the spaceman.  Students can place it as a spacer between words, if they struggle with spacing skills.  Students can share their summaries with each other.

I am a huge supporter of guest speakers in the classroom, so why not ask a someone from NASA to Skype with your class.  They can do a little presentation about their job.  Then, students can ask questions.  Incorporate writing skills by having your students write good old fashion thank you cards.

Our solar system is so amazing.  The fact that we landed on the moon 50 years ago revolutionized our thinking about Earth, and it’s peers. Bring the excitement into your classroom this year by teaching about Apollo 11.  Who knows what the lesson may lead your students to discover!

Related Teaching Resource:

MOON LANDING APOLLO 11 K-2 Unit

 

Celebrate International Peace Day in the Classroom

Teaching Tips

Peace can and SHOULD be celebrated all year!  Today is International Peace Day, so I want to help bring an awareness to peace and kindness by  telling you some things I do to celebrate peace in the classroom and offer you a  teaching resource you can use in your own classroom or school.  Hopefully you celebrate peace daily, but maybe you aren’t aware you are even doing it.  Here are some simple things you can do for International Peace Day.  Use the hashtag #DoitforPEACE and post something you have done that is similar to these examples.

  1. Hugs (Yes, it is an easy one! Go hug someone today!)
  2. Teach peace
  3. March for peace
  4. Buy someone food who is in the car line behind you
  5. Play peaceful music
  6. Meditate
  7. Make a new friend
  8. Share examples of peace with your students or staff members
  9. Write a nice note to someone
  10. Write about peace

So what have you done today?  What will you do tomorrow?  Small bits of kindness can grow a tree of peace.  Start today!

Here is a great lesson you can do in your classroom or even have your whole school participate with these cool painted rocks.

Strategies for Teaching Comprehension

Reading, Teacher's Pay Teachers

As if teaching the basics of reading is not enough, you are responsible for teaching the most important skill of reading… comprehension.  So your students can read.  GREAT! But, if they can’t understand what they read… Huston, we have a problem.  I always wondered when I would see posts that say, “If you can read this, thank a teacher” how many people can’t read it?  How many can read it, but still don’t understand what it means?  While looking at ways to improve your literacy instruction, try these 5 strategies to improve reading comprehension.

  1.  Activate Prior Knowledge
  2.  Questioning
  3. Analyzing Text Stucture
  4. Visualization
  5. Summarizing

When you use these five strategies, students will begin to comprehend naturally.  Activating prior knowledge is one of my favorite ways to engage students in reading.  Research has shown that comprehension improves when students are engaged.  What better way to engage students than to bridge their old knowledge with new knowledge? For example, if we are going to read The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, I might ask students to share stories of when they saw a caterpillar or when they felt really hungry.  You will notice that when one student shares a story, they usually all do.  That should not irritate you.  When students are all wanting to share their prior knowledge, YOU GOT THEM!

Of course improving vocabulary skills, fluency, phonics and phonemic awareness are ALL pieces to the puzzle when it comes to comprehension.  Teaching reading can be complex with all the skills needed to be competent readers. Using the five strategies suggested is a great way to ensure students are comprehending what they read.

Narrative, History, Dream, Tell, Fairy Tales, Book

Here are some free reading passages with questions for you to enjoy.