Thank you to Capital One for sponsoring this post As a former classroom teacher, I can distinguish between social chatter and productive chatter. Social chatter was typical in my first-grade classroom as kids were transitioning between parts of the day or weren’t engaged in classroom tasks and had the power to create a ripple effect of off-task…
learning
Dear Parents of Future Technologists: Advice from a Mom of a STEM-Loving Daughter
Thank you to Capital One for sponsoring this post An image has the power to propel us back in time and unleash an array of emotions when it pops up during the most unexpected moments. Earlier this week I was scrolling through photos and came across the image of my daughter sitting in a metal…
2018 Gift Guide: Best Gifts for Teens (ages 13+)
If you’re a parent of a teen, you probably find yourself counting down milestones from time to time. The number of birthdays left to celebrate at home, remaining seasons of their favorite sport, years left in high school before they’re off to college, and maybe summers but let’s be honest, those 18 summers are a…
2018 Gift Guide: Best Gifts for Tweens (ages 8-12)
Tweens have one foot firmly still planted in childhood and the other inching towards the teen years so they often feel stuck between the cute stuff of kid years and wanting to be grown up. This age group possesses growing self-confidence, independence, and academic skills that need to be nurtured. The best gifts for tweens encourage…
Best Gifts for Early Elementary Ages (grades K-2, ages 5-8)
The links in this post are affiliate links and I will receive a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking on a link. In my former life as a first grade teacher, I got to know early elementary ages quite well. My students always had a wide spectrum of knowledge so I know…
2018 Gift Guide: Best Gifts for Toddlers & Preschoolers
The links in this post are affiliate links and I will receive a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking on a link. This year’s Best Gifts for Toddlers & Preschoolers reflects this age group’s innocence, curiosity, and their ability to see the world as a wondrous place. I loved spending time with…
Teachers & Parents: Nintendo Labo Classroom Program Brings Nintendo Labo to Your School for FREE!
What if your child’s curiosity, creativity, and imagination could be sparked by hands-on learning using a video game platform in the classroom? Today Nintendo announced , a partnership with Institute of Play that brings Nintendo Labo kits into elementary classrooms to teach basic principles of science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics (STEAM). Through this partnership,…
7 Reasons Students Need to Volunteer as Part of Their Learning
This post is brought to you by WeAreTeachers, the Allstate Foundation and WE As a former teacher and current mother of two middle schoolers, I know that learning doesn’t have to be confined within the hours of the school day. Plenty of teachable moments and learning opportunities exist when you leave the confines of the school…
4 Life Lessons Kids Can Learn from The Magic School Bus Rides Again
“Seatbelts everyone!” Those two words begin every class adventure with Mrs. Frizzle of The Magic School Bus. What started out as a favorite series of books in classrooms around the country became an animated series on public television stations. Now the brand new animated The Magic School Bus Rides Again inspires kids to learn about the wonders of…
4 Ways Parents Can Teach Kindness to Middle Schoolers
This post is sponsored by Staples When I taught first grade, academic subjects were part of my core curriculum, but it was also important to teach my 6-year-old students character education. Lessons on compassion, kindness, empathy, positivity and what it meant to be a good friend were essential to their learning as reading, writing, math, social…
