Category: Resources

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Let’s Get Creative!

A well-crafted unit of learning is a work of art.
photo by Sharon McCutcheon

We have a few weeks left before school starts. Some teachers will be dragging out last year’s lessons plans and doing all the same things the same way they did last year. Ho-hum. Why not prepare an awesome unit or two of learning that will wow your students. And that you will enjoy teaching.

No more “same old, same old”

Ditch the TE…or better yet, keep it as a reference for your learning objectives and to drive the curriculum. Once you’ve identified your objectives, (standards-based, of course!), it is time to go online shopping.

Shopping for resources is an exciting part of this creative process. There is so much online material, just waiting to be used! And much of it is free. To start with, you will want to check YouTube and Google. See what’s out there that applies to the content you are teaching.

The Fun Factor

Make sure whatever resources you decide to include are factually correct and up to date. But don’t ignore what I call “the fun factor.” Look for videos, music, games, etc. that your students will enjoy interacting with. If it’s boring or over their heads, don’t use it.

Variety is the spice of life

Remember learning modalities? Include something for everyone: the readers, the writers, the dramatic, the musically inclined, the artists, the hands-on learners, the kids who like to move, (sports, dance, etc.) What we are striving for is a variety of looks and experiences with the content that gradually escalate in difficulty to keep the students challenged and engaged.

Whole group vs. independent

If you haven’t already, check out Nearpod. Using this website, you can create a fun series of lessons that include videos, songs, surveys, contests, and shared responses, drawings, etc.

Try putting together your unit on Live Binders. Students can work their way through the content on their own, at school or at home. Give them a research project or scavenger hunt, and let them “have at it.”

So there you have it. Everything you need to get started creating one-of-a- kind learning units the kiddos will love! Got any more ideas for creating dynamic learning units from scratch? Please share…we’d love to hear more!

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Surprise your students every school day!

image by plush design studio

You know that feeling you get when you are about to open a gift? First, you examine the wrapping. Then you try to guess what’s in the box. You might even shake it. Finally, your excitement gets the best of you and you tear it open!

Wouldn’t it be great if our students could approach each new unit of learning with that much curiosity and excitement? While the teacher may enjoy teaching the unit, and muster some enthusiasm, that’s not enough. Students can be a tough crowd. But it is possible to capture their minds and hearts.

When the going gets tough…

The tough go online shopping! No, not that kind of online shopping. Not a new workbook, or another teacher’s power point. I’m talking about selecting online resources I can use in teaching skills and content. With just a little time and effort, any teacher can create an exciting unit tailored to his/her own students. There are soooooo many online resources at our fingertips and much of it is FREE.

When I am putting together a unit, I love searching for websites, videos, games, music, art/crafts, etc. which will bring the topic to life for the children. The challenge of having access to all of these resources is in putting it all together. Think of the unit like a “package” for them to open and explore.

Go with the flow

In designing the unit, choices have to be made. There has to be a “flow” to the unit, a progression of activities. My students will work their way through a variety of “looks” and experiences with the same content and then move on to the next thing. Each layer of learning contains a surprise nugget or two for the students to discover. It’s all about the joy of discovery. That’s what attracts them and keeps them engaged.

I know what you are thinking. Who has the time to do this? I have too much to do already. Isn’t that what the TE is for anyway? True. But if you have some teaching experience under your belt, you are probably ready to crank things up a notch.

It is still summer. Why not try to do something special with just one of your units before school starts? One unit. That’s how I got started. When you have the time, you can create another one and then another. Before you know it, you’ll have a laptop full of fun and creative learning units you can use and build on each year.

In a future post I will share some of the resources I have used to design my own teaching units, (tied to the established curriculum and CCSS, of course.) Feel free to share any thoughts, ideas, or experiences you may have. I’m always in the market for something new to try!


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Are you ready to take the plunge?

photo by murilo viviani

At last! It’s summertime! This is what all teachers have been waiting for. A time to relax, to refresh. A time to stay up late and sleep in anytime we want. No deadlines. No meetings. No papers to correct or plans to submit. No pressure!

So what are you doing this summer? Working, traveling, taking an online course, or simply spending quality time with family and friends?

A lot of us are already diving into our hopes and plans for the next school year.

Lots to unpack

Before we delve into what’s to come, we need to do a lot of self reflection about this past school year. What did we do that was successful? What didn’t work? Why didn’t the students respond the way we thought they would?

Don’t just look at student test scores. Look at overall improvement in student performance. What were they able to do at the end of the year that they couldn’t do when they came into my classroom? Also try to gauge what units or activities really captured their interest and motivated them to learn.

Be honest in your critique… but don’t judge. Let’s say it was an awesome year. There’s always room for improvement. I might need to tweak things just a bit. Or maybe I need a whole new approach to teaching a unit or skill.

Summer reading

This year our principal challenged us to do a little summer reading. We are tasked with finding an article or book about teaching to share at the beginning-of-the-year staff meeting. What??!! But wait… there is so much to learn about the craft of teaching. This may be just what I need to do to add to my repertoire of fresh ideas!

Not sure yet what I’ll choose to read. Any ideas?