Author: PassionateAboutTeaching

How Do We Show Students We Care?

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How do we show our students we care?

As teachers, we all know it’s very important to show our students that we care about them. Why? Doing so can help create a positive learning environment where students feel safe, respected, and supported. Our students are dealing with A LOT these days. They need to feel that at least one person is in their court.

Here are a few ways that teachers can show their students that they care:

  1. Get to know them: Take time to get to know your students on an individual level. Ask them questions about their interests, hobbies, and goals. Showing that you care about their interests can help build meaningful relationships with your students.
  2. Be available: Let your students know that you are available to help them. Make yourself available to answer questions or just talk about their day. This can help create a sense of trust between you and your students.
  3. Show appreciation: Recognize your students’ achievements, both big and small. Give genuine compliments, encourage them to keep trying, and remind them of their potential. This can help build their self-confidence and make them feel valued.
  4. Show flexibility: Be flexible with assignments, deadlines, and expectations. Show your students that you understand that everyone learns differently and that you want to help them succeed.

By taking small steps to show your students that you care, you can create an environment of trust and support that can help your students learn and grow.

Happy teaching!

Classroom, Tips

Back to the Basics in Reading

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Word Work

Back to the basics in reading? Yes! I work as a reading and writing interventionist in a middle school. We might tend to think at this age, our students should know all the vowel sounds, blends, digraphs, consonant clusters, vowel rules, etc. Well, they don’t (and for many reasons, which is a whole other blog post). 😂

Therefore, I’ve gone back to the basics. Yes, even in middle school! We all need a refresher every now and then, especially when it comes to the basics, right?! Phonics is an important building block for a strong foundation in reading, writing, and language arts. That’s why it’s essential to go back to the basics of phonics to gain a better understanding of how language works. As teachers, we know there are HUGE debates right now between leveled literacy and the science of reading. I find that incorporating both into my class is extremely beneficial for my students.

What Is Phonics?

Phonics is a method of teaching reading and writing that focuses on the relationship between sounds and letters. It involves teaching students to recognize and use the sounds that letters and groups of letters make. This is an important skill for reading, as it allows students to decode words and gain a better understanding of them.

Why Is Phonics Important?

Phonics provides students with the fundamentals of reading and writing and helps them to understand the relationship between sounds and letters. This knowledge can be used to help decode unknown words and to increase fluency. Additionally, phonics can help students to spell correctly and improve their overall writing skills.

How Can We Go Back to the Basics with Phonics?

Going back to the basics of phonics can be done in a few different ways. One way is to review the sounds that each letter makes and the different combinations of letters that create a particular sound. Just today, we worked on digraphs and long/short vowel sounds. We practiced reading words out loud and breaking them down into individual sounds. Finally, have them practice writing words from their sounds, as this will help them gain a better understanding of how the sounds and letters work together.

Overall, phonics is an important building block for literacy skills. Going back to the basics with phonics can help your students to gain a better understanding of the relationship between sounds and letters, which will ultimately help them to become better readers and writers.

Until next time,

Classroom, Classroom Activities, Tips

TGIF! We Made It!

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Happy Friday!🙌

Happy Friday everyone! We made it through another week! It’s time to relax, enjoy the weekend, and reflect on our accomplishments of the past week.

No matter how big or small, it’s important to take a moment to appreciate what we have achieved. Whether it was finally tackling an issue at work, finishing a project, or simply making it through a tough day, we should be proud of ourselves and take some time to celebrate.

Have a great weekend!

Until next time,

Angie

Self-Care, TGIF

Tips to Staying Motivated

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If you’ve been on any social media platform these days, there’s A LOT of negativity and talk about quitting the field of education. I get it!  I’ve taught since 1994, and it’s a totally different rodeo these days – some days seem unbearable. How can we stay motivated with all of this constantly surrounding us?

Here’s a few tips that help me:

  1. Set a goal (big or small) and visualize yourself achieving it – Visualizing your end goal can help motivate you to stay focused and motivated.
  2. Make a plan – Break down your goal into smaller, more manageable pieces and create a plan to help you stay on track.
  3. Take breaks – Breaks are essential for staying motivated. Make sure to take regular breaks throughout your day (in teaching, this might just be a minute of breathing to decompress) and reward yourself with something enjoyable after completing a task (even just a cup of tea or coffee after school is rewarding). Take “mental days” off when needed. We all deserve a day to ourselves!
  4. Find a colleague (don’t be on an island by yourself) – Finding someone to collaborate with can help keep you motivated and accountable for reaching your goals.
  5. Stay organized – Create a system for organizing your work, students’ papers (graded/ungraded), test materials, IEP’s, 504’s and more that will keep you on track and motivated.

We are teaching in a tough world – no doubt about it! I hope you’ll find these tips helpful! Most importantly, take care of you! There are many years I forgot to do this, and my health suffered! You’ve got this!

Until next time,

Self-Care, Tips

Monday Motivation

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Happy Monday! As we start the week, let’s all focus on what we CAN do, the blessings we have, and the difference we can make around us.

No matter what uphill battle you are facing, I hope you’ll remember, you’ve got this!

I hope your week is wonderful and productive!

                                                                                                             You’ve got this!

How about a little humor on this Monday? Our new little kitty and “the big, white monster”😂 are playing for the first time! Yay!👏 We’d be honored if you joined us on TikTok.

                                                                                              Join us @passionateaboutlifeteach

Until next time,

 

Monday Motivation, Quotes, Self-Care

Stay the Course!

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For those of you that read along, you know I completely tore my ACL on October 27. I’m ten weeks post-knee surgery and slowly getting back to some normalcy. It has truly been a LONG and ARDUOUS journey. Yikes! There’s been a lot of ups and downs, to say the least.

I go to PT (physical therapy) two times a week – it’s draining, painful, and tough work. I’m getting there, however. My most important goal, for now, is bending my knee – 135 degrees is my ultimate goal. Over time, I’ve moved from a bend of 55 degrees (my first PT appointment) to a 121-degree bend (yesterday). Therefore, I’m headed in the right direction.

I just wanted to send a little reminder to everyone that if you’re going through a hard time, hang in there. Stay the course. Lean on others and support yourself with positive people that will encourage and motivate you. We’ve got this!

This past week, I hit another mini-goal. I was able to go ALL the way around while pedaling the bike at therapy. Prior to that, I could only go halfway around. Another mini-milestone – yea!

Happy Tuesday!

Until next time,

Life & Family, Self-Care