When I am teaching my students trick words, I make sure that I teach them ways to remember the words. For example when I teach my students how to spell the word together, I teach them that the word has the words to, get, and her in it. After a month or so my students are able to teach each other tricks to spell words and begin to identify words or parts that they see in certain words. They are so proud of themselves and are very confident.

There are differences between teaching upper elementary and lower elementary students. Lower elementary students need more scaffolds to help with learning new skills. They really depend on you to be clear when you are explaining what they are learning each day. Having posters to help reinforce the learning is very helpful. The students also rely heavily on word walls for math and sound walls that teach students what sounds look like when you say them. Upper elementary students are more independent and don't need as much explanation when learning something new. They are usually good at working in groups and can explain what their thoughts are.

What are some engaging ways to teach young students about environmental sustainability?

What advice do you have for preparing the portfolio and reflection components of the National Board Certification process?

How do you teach students how to self asses themselves in your classroom?

How do you use student data to inform your instructional decisions and tailor your teaching to meet diverse learning needs?

How do you choose professional development opportunities that align with your teaching goals and the needs of your students?

What are some effective ways to integrate technology into lessons without overwhelming students or losing focus on the core content?

Most schools match new teachers with mentors. What are ways to make the most of a mentorship relationship?

Does your school do a step up day for the student to meet their teachers for the following year? We are doing it and I am having my students to create a book using an app called Book Creator to tell the first graders what they will be learning in 2nd grade. These digital books will be shared in small groups.

Has anyone published a class book with their students? I have done this in the past and it is a good way to help students with opinion writing and to see what they have learned about a particular subject. I use a company called Student Treasures. This is there website: https://studentreasures.com. I am showing pictures of 2 books that I have published with my students. I usually invite parents to my classroom for a book party and each student reads their page. They really enjoy it and it builds community.

How do you hold your students accountable during math centers? I give my students notebooks and they have to show how they solved math word problems or math fact families.

How do you teach telling time to students using an analog clock? I like to use this video: https://youtu.be/jGtBYUQKF4M?si=Zh3Uwufj1A1qbykK It has a catchy tune that helps the students with skip counting by 5's and also teaches the students multiplication as she is counting by 5's. This video has helped my students to remember what each number on the clock stands for.

Do you use math word walls in your classrooms? I like them because students can refer to them when they are learning new vocabulary. My students have asked me to write words to help them with spelling when they are explaining how they got their answers.

How do you have your students to self assess themselves. I have pictures with the numbers of 1, 2, 3 and 4. 1 means that they still don't understand, 2 means that they are starting to understand. 3 means they can do it by themselves, and 4 means they can do it by themselves and teach others. I am attaching some examples I have used for 3 and 4.

We are beginning an economics unit this week. The students are learning about needs and wants. They earn play money for coming to school which is their job. I tell them that this would be their paycheck in the real world. They take the money that they earn and use it to rent their desks and chairs. They are fined for not raising their hands or not doing their homework. This has been a great way to teach my students about the real world. What activities do you teach in your classrooms that relate to teaching students about economics?

My students are learning about money in 2nd grade. I teach them a strategy called hairy money to help them to learn about the value of coins. Does anyone use a different strategy to help students learn how to count money?

What are you doing to keep your students motivated to do well on end of year district assessments for grades K-2? I am awarding my students play money if they show growth so that they can purchase a prize from our classroom store. I am also posting their pictures outside my classroom.

Has anyone used wordless books to help students retell a story? I have found them to be very helpful and engaging for the students. I have had my students to write out the story or verbally retell it. I have used the books Found and The Umbrella to help teach retelling.

Does anyone have any experience with using Canva? If so what have you used it for? I have just began to use it this year. I have created sight word videos and a video about different types of measurement tools.

How do you teach opinion writing to 1st and 2nd graders? I like to use graphic organizers to help my students to organize their thoughts. I also like to introduce it with a book called Duck! Rabbit! This book really gets the students to think about why they see what they see. I also like to discuss the different seasons with my students and have them decide which one they like best. I tell them to think about what they can do, see ,eat and celebrate to help them decide on which season they like best.

What end of the year activities does your school do?
My school likes to do ABC countdowns and field day.

Which Kagan strategies do you find the most useful in your classroom? I like to use quiz-quiz-trade and talking chips. Both of these strategies help the students with their speaking and listening skills.

How do you teach students in grades K-2 on how to explain their work? I give my students sentence stems with the words first, next, then, and last. I also teach sequencing to help keep my students organized.

How do you keep parents informed about their child's progress in school? I make sure that I keep my grades current so that my parents can see how their child is doing in our portal.

What assessments do you use to help determine what students need for reading intervention? I use 95% group at my school district.

How do you get 2nd graders interested in writing? I like to use pictures and have students write down what they see. I also like to use story starters.

What Kagan strategies do you find most helpful for cooperative learning?

Does anyone know of an organization that helps to fund field trips for students?
I used to apply for Target Field Trip grants, but they no longer provide funding.

What are some ways to teach students how to collaborate in small groups?

What do student data binders look like? What should be included in them?

How do you teach self assessment to students?

What are the pros and cons of using menu boards for homework or morning work?

How do you teach 2nd graders place value?

How do you teach 2nd graders comprehension skills?

How do you make learning Fry words or sight words fun/engaging for students? I have created game boards for my students to color in the words that they know. I have 20 words on each sheet. If the student does not know a word, I put a x on it and make flash cards for the student. The students really enjoy coloring the words that they know. It is also a great way for them to track their progress.

What curriculum do you use for classroom circles? I like to introduce my students to a circle by using this book called the Sharing circle. The animals in the story help the students learn how to resolve conflicts. We don't have a curriculum in my district, but we do teach our students how to handle conflicts in a peaceful way. I also use my circles to discuss how we can improve as a class as far as treating each other with respect.