It’s no secret that there’s a lot you don’t learn in your methods classes. Even student teaching doesn’t quite prepare you. Lucky for you, you’re reading this! In addition to the subject knowledge you have, and the pedagogical theory you’ve
5 Things to Do When Your Class Has Lost It
I once interviewed a teaching candidate after she did a lesson that was…difficult to watch. The children weren’t following her line of questions and were losing interest in what could have been an exciting activity. “Did you stray from your
The danger with TeachersPayTeachers
Teachers are often told the value of borrowing (or “stealing”) lessons and ideas from other teachers. With the growing popularity of Pinterest, Teachers Pay Teachers, and teacher affinity groups on Facebook, it is easier than ever to share and find
13 Tips for Giving Better Directions
Approaching my 20th year of teaching, I am thinking about how different my practice is now, compared to my first years. There’s so much that methods classes just don’t teach you! Some aspects of teaching can only be learned through
Ten Things You Need in Your Desk Drawer
Your classroom is like a second home. You spend a lot of time there, and the reality of teaching is that you can’t always step out when you need something. So as the scouts say, be prepared, and keep these
Top Tips for Teaching Rounds
I think it’s fair to say that teaching kids to sing a round is pretty standard fare in elementary school music. Rounds are a fantastic way for students to develop musical independence, to perform and listen at the same time.
Back to remote learning?
Happy new year! I’m enjoying the last few days of my Christmas break, but also starting to put some details into my plans for the upcoming term. We’re having one week of online learning at my school, to give people
Are choice boards really that great? (Yes!)
Choice boards have exploded in popularity, especially with the expansion of online learning. They allow for differentiation, creativity, and student agency. You can use them to practice skills and concepts, build inquiry projects from them, or just use them for
Focus on the positive: 18 great things about online learning
I miss my students. I also have concerns about being back at school with hundreds of students in a pandemic. It’s easy to get pulled down right now, so today I am focusing on the positive. If you are disappointed
Singing and Online Learning
Singing is central to music classes in primary school. But with many teachers going online, we are facing new challenges that none of us were trained for. In all of my music teacher circles, people are asking for tips on