Teaching in Difficult Times

When a crisis happens and makes its way to our classroom, it's often difficult to know how to support our students. Below are some resources that can guide you in your classroom when news unfolds.

1. Allow your students to share their feelings. As a Psychology teacher, I know one of the worst things people can do when they have intense emotions is to hold those feelings in. After a challenging event,  give students time to simply share their feelings. You could start out with a writing prompt. For example, you may ask; 

What did you hear about what happened? 

What feelings do you have? 

What questions do you have? 

Then have students volunteer to share in small groups or hold a whole-class discussion. If you don't want to use class time to discuss the tragedy, you may want to invite them to email you personally or email their counselors. Students must be able to share their feelings with someone in some way. 

2. Reassure your students. Most likely, your students are scared and worried. Reassure your students that things will get better. And if they still have concerns, they are welcome to contact you, another teacher, administrator, or counselor. Remind them that they are safe. Here is a download from the American Red Cross that will help children of all ages deal with trauma.

3. Turn feelings into action. Often times after a crisis, students feel helpless. They may want to help, but they are unsure of the ways they can. Brainstorm with your class on ways they can support others during difficult times. Often focusing on others may help your students distract themselves from their own fear and worry. For example, after 911, my 12-year-old daughter and her friends decided to sell American flag pins and give the earnings to help support those families who lost loved ones in the tragedy. 

4. Help students become wise consumers of information. During difficult times, more than ever, our students should evaluate facts from fiction in the media. I always tell my students, "if you only learn one thing from my class, it is the ability to think critically". This Civics Education Resource Site has a variety of useful information to teach media literacy in your classroom. 

5. Consider how what is happening can relate to your course. Evaluate if the event can connect to the learning outcomes in your course of study. This can be a powerful way to integrate real-world events into your classroom. For example, you may consider comparing and contrasting the Covid-19 Pandemic of 2020 to the Spanish-Flu Pandemic of 1918. 

I would love to hear your ideas when teaching during a crisis. We can all learn from each other. 

Take care and be safe, 

WAGON WHEEL Teaching Strategy

Are you looking for an engaging strategy to practice discussion in the classroom? "Wagon Wheel" is a fun and interactive strategy that will get your students moving!

This strategy provides students an opportunity to engage in a formal discussion and experience roles both as participant and as an active listener. Students also have the responsibility of supporting their opinions and response using specific textual evidence.

How it works...
Students are asked to engage in a group discussion about  a specific topic - there will be two circles;
Inner circle students will model appropriate discussion techniques... while the outer circle students will listen, respond and evaluate. Have the outer students rotate every few minutes.

For larger classes, you might want to break up the class into two separate wagon wheels.

If you are looking for more engaging teaching strategies to spice up your classroom click HERE and get over 70 strategies for FREE!

Happy Teaching!

TALKING CHIPS Teaching Strategy

In my secondary classroom, I implement discussion as much as possible. It's important for students to practice developing and communicating their opinion. However, sometimes when I request that groups talk with each other either no one speaks, or one person dominates the entire conversation. Talking-Chips is an excellent strategy to make sure all group members have a chance to talk...and be heard.

Directions for Talking Chips: 
STEP 1:  Place students in small groups. I use groups of four students.
STEP 2: Pose a question for students to discuss. I usually pose an opinion-type question about the current unit of study. For example, as a history teacher, I might ask,

"If you were President of the United States what would be your recommendations to combat the Great Depression?"
or
"What do you think is the most important right in the first amendment?"

STEP 3: Each member is given a "chip" ( a small piece of construction paper or a real "chip")
STEP 4: Each student takes turns "talking" by placing their "chip" into the center of the table.
STEP 5: The first person to talk may only talk at that time - and may not speak again until all group members have placed their "chip" in the middle.
Repeat process

Have you tried using this teaching strategy in your classroom? What questions did you ask your students?

I hope you found this teaching strategy helpful. To get a list of over 70 teaching strategies for FREE click HERE!

Happy Teaching!

FINAL WORD Teaching Strategy

This student-centered activity will get your students talking! The Final Word teaching strategy is a great way for your students to practice expressing their opinions as well as practice listening skills. It can be used for any subject, grade level, and topic. Check-out the steps below to implement this fun strategy in your classroom tomorrow!

STEP 1: Divide the class into groups of four.
STEP 2: Give each group a controversial statement or question.
STEP 3: Students prepare their arguments prior to the activity.
STEP 4: Students create a quad chart and label each square A, B, C, D and assign each student a letter.
STEP 5: Student A talks for one minute about their prepared arguments while students B, C, D take notes and creates questions.
STEP 6: Student B then has a minute to discuss, ask questions, and make comments about what student A said. Students C and D will do the same.
STEP 7: Student A then states their "final word" answering questions and restating their arguments.
STEP 8: Continue the process for students B, C, and D.

To get 70 engaging teaching strategies for FREE click HERE!

Happy Teaching!

Three-Step Interview Teaching Strategy

Are you looking for a teaching strategy to get your students to practice expressing their opinions and to increase student participation in your classroom? Have you tried the "Three-Step Interview"? This is an engaging strategy that can be used with most grade levels. Read below to learn how to implement this engaging strategy in your classroom:

STEP 1:  Teacher presents an issue(s) to the class that will result in varying opinions or outcomes.

STEP 2: Students find a partner and movies their desks so they are facing each other.

STEP 3: Students work in pairs with on the interviewer, the other the interviewee.

STEP 4: At a given signal, the partners switch roles.

STEP 5: After one round of interviews have one person from each team find another partner and share their first partner's ideas.

* NOTE: This is most effective when there is not one right answer.

The benefits of this strategy:

1. Students practice listening and discussion skills. active listening skills
2. Promotes communication skills.
3. Students are able to express their opinions in front of one person at a time instead of the entire class.
4. Encourages students to practice accountability skills.

There are many other variations for this activity. What variations have you tried?

To get over 70 teaching strategies for FREE click HERE!

Fun Games and Review Strategies for the Secondary Classroom

I don't know about you, but I love to play games! I love competition so much that I started a monthly game night in my neighborhood. My favorite day to teach is the day before the test - review day! Are you looking for some new and engaging review games for your secondary classroom? Here are some of my favorites!

1. Bingo: I put a twist on this old-time favorite. I don't  call out the term, but I define the term and the students will have to find the correct answer on their bingo sheet! On the back of the sheet is a list of definitions. Once the term is chosen, the students write the term next to the definition. They can then take the review sheet home to study.

2. The SNAKE Game: This is one of my favorite's! It's also a great way to find out who is prepared for the test and who is not. In a nutshell, the teacher asks a question and the students write their answer on a piece of paper. For those students who do not have the correct answer, they stay seated. If they do have the correct answer they move to the next available seat. The first to pass their seat is the winner! (You can see more detailed directions HERE)

3. Cold Potato: Just like "hot potato" but opposite! Students sit in a large circle. The teacher asks a question.  As the music plays the students rotate a potato, or a kleenex box, or a ball of tape (whatever works). When the teacher stops the music, the student who is holding the "potato" has a chance to answer the question. If they are correct, they get an extra credit point!

Check out more of my "Fun Games and Review Strategies" HERE!

 

Let the games begin!

Numbered Heads Teaching Strategy

Are you looking for a different way to check for understanding from your students? Numbered Heads is a fun and copperative stragegy that makes sure that all students participate. Here are the easy steps:

STEP 1: Have students number off in teams, one through four. If your students are already in teams, assign each student a different number in their team.
STEP 2: Then ask a series of questions, one at a time. It could be review questions, questions to check for prior knowledge, even questions to ask their opinion about something.
STEP 3: Have the students in each group discuss possible answers for about 30 -90 seconds.
STEP 4: Call a number (1-4), and the students with that number either raise their hand or stand up, ready to respond.
STEP 5:  Then randomly call on students with the specified number to answer the on behalf of their group.
STEP 6: Continue to ask questions until the review session is over.

CLICK HERE to see more review strategies.

Happy Teaching!

Give-One-Get-One Teaching Strategy

Give-One-Get-One is a great, interactive, teaching strategy that will help your students review any topic covered in your class. Simply have your students follow the steps below to easily implement this strategy in your classroom:

 STEP 1: Write your name legibly at the top of a piece of paper. List 3 to 5 ideas about the assigned

topic.

STEP 2: Draw a line after your last idea to separate your idea from those you select from your classmates’ lists.
STEP 3: Get up and interact with one classmate at a time. Exchange papers, read your partner’s list, then ask questions about new or confusing idea.

STEP 4: Add one new idea from your partner’s list to your own, along with his/her name. Make sure

that you are able to accurately present this idea during a class discussion.

STEP 5:  Continue sharing ideas with different classmates until the specified time is over. Be

prepared to report one new idea you obtained!

Here is an example of what your students' papers may look like.

 

Find this template and many more formative assessment ideas HERE!

Happy Teaching!

Cooperative Groups Student Responsibilities and Procedures

Are you looking for a successful classroom management strategy? I was first introduced to this cooperative group strategy 16 years ago when I was completing my student-teaching, and I have used it ever since!  It can be used for any grade level or course of study!

Each quarter my students are assigned teams  and will compete for extra credit points with the other team members. This works very well for classroom management because the students manage themselves! For example, you may decide to take away an extra credit point to a student who is not on task. Because he is losing points for the entire group, his group members will pressure him to get to work. Peer pressure works every time!

The beginning of the Power Point begins with a class discussion about what qualities employers look for in hiring employees. One of the most important qualities is the ability to work cooperatively . Then it reviews student responsibilities and procedures when working with a group and explains how teams can earn and lose points.

Also included in this purchase is a Team Winner Certificate (4 different versions) to be given to the winning team members for the quarter and a Team Point Chart for the teacher to use to keep track of the team points.

So if you want to make your classroom run itself, check this product out by clicking HERE! 

Teach with Movies - The Cold War

Are you looking for a way to keep your history students engaged  -  even when they are not in school? A great way to do this is to have your students watch films related to the current unit of study.  For each unit, I give my students a list of films my students could watch for extra credit. After they view the film they are required to complete a set of questions that will help them connect the movie to the current course of study. Get this FREE worksheet by clicking HERE! 

Below are a list of films I suggest when teaching the Cold War. 

Bridge of Spies
The Killing Fields
Inherit the Wind
Fail Safe
Argo
For Love of Country
A Gentleman's Agreement
Dr. Strangelove
Desert Bloom
The Crucible: 1957 version
Apollo 13 
Hiroshima Maiden
Force More Powerful
Seven Years in Tibet
War and Peace
Truman
Seven Days in May
Sayonara
The Russian's are Coming!
The Right Stuff
October Sky 
October Sky 
Quiz Show 
The Right Stuff 
Born on the Fourth of July 
Letters Home from Vietnam

Are there any films I am missing from this list? Let me know by commenting below! 

Happy Teaching! 

New! Civil Rights Movement Teaching Activities

Are you looking for engaging teaching strategies for the Civil Rights Movement? Here are a few NEW resources I just posted to my TpT store!

Get this FREE Civil Rights Movement Jigsaw! Students will divide up the research and then teach their teammates about their findings!

Click HERE to get this FREE resource!

Here is a fun activity for students to compare and contrast Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X! 

Click HERE to see this resource!

In this activity students can analyze the Civil Rights Bill of 1964. Print or Google Drive!

Click HERE for this resource!

To see all my resources related to the Civil Right's Movement click HERE!

Happy Teaching!

Instructional Teaching Strategies for ANY Classroom

As a master teacher for over 10 years, I make sure my student teachers practice as many instructional strategies as possible during their time with me. I want to make sure they have plenty of "tools" in their "toolbox" to take with them once they complete their student teaching experience. This year I decided to create a document that included a list of diverse and engaging teaching strategies my student teachers could refer to when creating their lesson plans. Recently I uploaded this product to TpT so other teachers (new and veteran) could make use of it too!

 

Instructional Strategies

This purchase includes 70 teaching strategies that could be used in ANY classroom or grade level. This is a must-have whether you are a new or experienced teacher. Free updates for life!

Instructional Strategies Include:
Gain Prior Knowledge Strategies
Debate- Discussion-Oral Language Practice
Check-For-Understanding
Reading Strategies
Writing Strategies
Activities-Projects
Review Strategies

Happy Teaching!

Fun Facts About U.S. Presidents

What better day than "President's Day" to write about Presidential fun facts! But first, a little about the holiday itself - President's Day was first established in 1885 in recognition of George Washington's birthday. Actually, it's still officially called "Washington's Birthday" by the Federal Government. It is always celebrated on the third Monday in February.

Now for the fun facts -  Your students might get a kick out of them! 
 
1. The Capital of Liberia was named after President James Monroe. Since Monroe was a big supporter of colonization of Liberia, they decided to name the capital after him.
2. Andrew Jackson taught his Parrot to curse. It actually cursed so much during Jackson's funeral the parrot had to be removed.
3. The phrase "OK" became popular because of President Van Buren. Many of his supporters joined groups called "O.K." clubs, named after the town he was from, "Old Kinderhook" in New York. The term "OK" came to mean "all right".
4. The "S" in Harry S Truman doesn't stand for anything. That's why it doesn't have a period after it.
5. President Bush Sr vomited on the Prime Minister of Japan. Bad sushi?
6. Eisenhower was the only U.S. President to serve in both World War I and World War II.
7. The "Teddy Bear" was named after "Teddy" Roosevelt after a toy company created a stuffed bear in response to Roosevelt refusing to shoot a bear cub.
8. Gerald Ford worked as a model during college.
9. President Kennedy was the first president to be born in the 20th Century and the first Catholic President.
10. Barack Obama's name means, "one who is blessed" in Swahili.

Are you looking for some Presidential teaching activities? Check out these engaging lessons for your secondary classroom:

 Click HERE to see resource

Click HERE to see resource

 

Click HERE to see resource

 

K – W – L Chart Instructional Strategy

One of my favorite instructional strategies is the K-W-L Chart. 

What I Know  –What I want to know – what I Learned

This strategy helps students organize, access, and reflect on learning which increases comprehension and engagement.

• To activate prior knowledge ask, “What do I know?”
• To set purpose ask, “What do I want to know?” 
• To reflect on a new learning ask, “What did I learn?”

I either create a chart for my students or I have my students create their own. Before I teach a unit or topic I will have my students complete the section, "What I Know". This helps me understand what my students already know about the topic. I then have my students complete the section, "What do I want to know?". I usually have my students share their answers with the class. After the unit is over I then have them return back to their chart to complete the section, "What did I learn?". This a great way for you to gain prior knowledge of what your students already know about a topic and also have your students reflect on their own learning. 

Check out 70 more instructional strategies HERE! 

This K-W-L Chart can be found in my product, FORMATIVE ASSESSMENTS