In our last post in our Ultimate Guide to Brain Break Activities series, we took a look at calming brain breaks in the classroom. These particular brain breaks help students achieve a sense of regularity amongst themselves and help bring down an unnecessarily high energy level in the classroom. What about when students need a little pick-me-up? Just as … Read more
We know as teachers that we are teaching students much more than just the curriculum. In addition to fostering a love of student learning, we are also helping them become well-rounded individuals that are ready to meet this world head-on. We are just one piece to the puzzle (it certainly takes a village), but this leads … Read more
One of the biggest struggles that teachers are seeing in the classroom right now is the lack of student motivation. Though this has been a growing problem for years, the pandemic exacerbated the issue. There are so many ideas out there that explain how to motivate students, but so many of them include rewards. This … Read more
We know that our classrooms are not one size fits all. It doesn’t take a special education teacher to interact on a daily basis with neurodivergent students. However, it does take a little extra effort to be proactive and understand how best to support these students. Unfortunately, many general education teachers are not extensively trained … Read more
A very distinct vision comes to mind when thinking of a traditional classroom in our school districts: the arrangement of the desks, the positioning of the teacher, and the location of the students. However, there are many classroom challenges that are coming to the forefront with this antiquated model of classroom development. One challenge is … Read more
Sometimes, quiet and independent work is necessary for the classroom. This could be for any number of reasons, but searching for quiet independent classroom activities is a good start to finding options that will work for your students. The key here is finding activities that will work for your students. This means they buy into … Read more
These days, teacher motivation is something that many in education are struggling with. Why is it that teachers are leaving the profession? What can we do to keep them from doing so? How can we help teachers keep the “pep in their step” throughout the school year? I often wonder if there is a correlation … Read more
In today’s classroom, especially one that is student-centered, it is important that we have ways to keep our students on task and mindful of their timing. Whether this spans time management on a project over several days or the time remaining in a classroom activity, using a timer for classroom activities is vital in whatever … Read more
One of the scariest parts of a learner-centered environment is coming up with a plan for student-centered behavior management that coincides with the learning process. It’s not difficult, but it seems like it could be overwhelming. If the premise of student-led learning is to have kids up and moving and making noise, how is there … Read more
We all know the bread and butter of a well-oiled classroom isn’t the content material or the depth of a lesson plan. Heck, it can be argued that it’s not even the dynamic of the students or the strength of the teacher (stick with me here). Yes, all of this is important, but without classroom … Read more
When many teachers hear the term “student-centered project-based learning,” you can see the color drain from their faces. It is a buzzword-laden phrase that sounds intimidating, yet it truly isn’t as daunting as it seems. At its core, this instructional approach builds upon the familiar practice of assigning projects. The key shift is that it … Read more
One of the most frequent and pressing questions I hear from educators, from elementary school to higher education institutions, is for strategies for increasing student engagement. We’ve all faced the quiet room, the glazed eyes, and yes, the challenge of that “one kid” who seems impervious to our best efforts. While no method is a … Read more