I LOVE the excitement of a brand new school year.  Since my classroom is my students’ and my home away from home, I try to make it as welcoming, inviting, and full of inspiration as possible. I decided to change things up a bit and try some different bulletin board ideas as I get my classroom all set for my newest group of students.  After

Teacher friends-it is week 5 of my collaborative blog series with Noelle from Maneuvering the Middle.  This week I tackle HOMEROOM/ADVISORY time.  How is it going at your school? Here are quick links to the last four weeks: Week 1: 10-Things Middle Schoolers Want You to Know Week 2: 15-More Must Teach Routines for the Middle School Classroom Week 3: Quick Strategies for Engagement and

This is week four of my middle school blog series with Maneuvering the Middle. Here is a quick recap of all of the posts: Week #1: 10-Things Middle Schoolers Want You to Know Week #2: 15-More Must Teach Middle School Routines Week #3: Quick Strategies for Engagement and Assessment This week Noelle is focusing on something that has the potential to take up an immense

The idea of engaging and assessing your students from MINUTE ONE of DAY ONE, sounds a bit crazy, right? This year I head into my 17th year of teaching.  That number still boggles my mind a bit because it seems hard to believe that I have had the good fortune of working with various groups of students for this lengthy amount of time.  What I

It is summer, my absolute favorite time of year.  I can honestly say that I love each of the seasons, but getting to have these warm weeks watching my own kids grow is a delight.  As a teacher, I am not “off” for summer.  I have the opportunity to grow with professional development experiences, I am busily creating classroom resources for my students, I am

Last week I shared some thoughts and perspectives from my son’s first year as a middle school student.  This week my friend Noelle is sharing her “MUST TEACH ROUTINES” to make the most of every instructional minute with middle school students.  Here are her thoughts… Year five is in the books! Each year I try new things, and learn how to best set students up