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It can be difficult to tell if a student has truly used AI on an assignment, and you don’t want to accuse them of it without proof. Here are some signs that a student may have used AI to complete their work: 1. They use an em dash. An em dash is a long dash […]
4 Warning Signs a Student May Have Used AI and How to Handle It Read More »
When setting up your classroom for the new school year, it’s easy to get caught up in desk arrangements, bulletin boards, or the logistics of where students will turn in their assignments. But one of the most important decisions you can make—especially in a middle school setting—is how your students will organize and store their
Binders vs. Interactive Notebooks in the Classroom: What Really Works? Read More »
If your students are like mine, they’ve heard about AI. They may even be experimenting with it already – asking ChatGPT to help with homework, trying to write essays, or seeing what it can “get away with.” AI is everywhere, and if we don’t guide our students toward responsible use, they’ll develop poor habits fast.
Imagine a day in your students’ lives, going from class to class, teacher to teacher, and rule set to rule set like it’s a bizarre game of “Guess Who?” but with expectations. Can you chew gum here? Can you go to the bathroom without a signed scroll and a security escort? Is talking during group
Community Expectations – A Better Approach to Classroom Rules & Social Contracts Read More »
If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably had one of those “Where did I put that?” moments approximately… five times a day. Teaching special education in middle school means juggling IEPs, paperwork, copies, behavior plans, and the copies I swear I literally just saw! So when I found a system that actually helped me stay
Classroom Organization 101 – Simple Systems to Save Your Sanity! Read More »
I’ve been teaching for 9 years, and during that time, I’ve noticed myself coming back to one specific concept again and again, no matter which grade I’m teaching: FRACTIONS! Each year, I spend a ton of time reteaching my middle school students about fractions – what they represent, finding equivalent fractions, how to simplify fractions,
5 Effective Ways to Teach Fractions: A Resource Round-Up Read More »
If you walk into my classroom, one routine you’ll probably see is students either completing or reviewing exit tickets. I use exit tickets almost every day in my classroom. They’re quick, easy, and provide so much valuable information! Exit tickets help me gauge how well students have understood the day’s lesson, identify areas that need
Classroom Exit Tickets: A Quick Routine with Big Benefits Read More »
As teachers, we hear the same buzzwords all the time; words like differentiate, formative assessment, and scaffolding come to mind for me. We hear these words for good reason – they are things that good teachers do to help students! However, just because we hear them doesn’t mean we know exactly what they mean or
Easy Scaffolding Strategies for Teachers Read More »
Happy October! You’ve survived the back-to-school rush, teaching all the expectations, and are now probably deep into your first units – you deserve a whole lot more than a pat on the back! Unfortunately, this also means that you’re deep into the curriculum by now, and unit tests are right around the corner. So many
3 Easy, Engaging, & Fun Review Games for Your Math Class Read More »
Throughout our preteaching education programs and years of teaching experience, we learn so many strategies, but not all of them truly add value to the classroom or make our lives easier as teachers! Over the years, teachers try out new ideas and add strategies to their teaching arsenal. Here’s some quick teaching strategies that really
3 Easy Teaching Strategies that Really Work! Read More »
