Starting the second semmmester

After two weeks off  for the winter vacation.it difficult for many students and staff to change gears to the business of teaching and learning. I have found that the sooner you start teaching where you left off the most rewarding your instructional year will be.
Over the years I made it a habit of walking through teachers classrooms the very first day back. Poorly planned and less successful teachers would be sitting at their desk. While students would be, quietly, writing about their winter vacation. No directed lesson, no evidence of writing prompts, no accurate examples of what was expected of the students.
Our more successful teachers would be in front of the class giving a directed lesson following the instructional guides and instructional calendar. These teachers were engaged in the very critical art of teaching and learning.

A less success full  is the one that passes out a list of words unrelated to the course of study, and has her students on Monday write them five times, on Tuesday find them in the dictionary and write their meaning, on Wednesday write a sentence for each, on Thursday break them into syllables and on Friday students get a spelling test.

A more successful teacher will guide the students through their grade level literature books, as they read the will encounter particular difficult word. At this point, she will teach her students skills such context clues; re-reading the passage and find the context which will give a clue to the meaning. The teacher remind the students about past instances where the word was encounter' remembering  prior learning. The teacher may guide them into making connections critical thinking  questions suc

Grade Level Standards-Why teachers should love them

Sucesful teachers are very good organizers, and good planners. Weak teachers are not! Standards provide a clear sight if the goal.