October 2013 - Minds in Bloom

Many teachers avoid using partners, but in reality, partners in the classroom make a great learning tool! Read these eight reasons to use partners, shared by our guest blogger, and decide which partner activities might work best for your students!

8 Reasons to Use Partners in Your Class Today!

You are in for a treat! Please welcome Brandi of My Teacher Friend. Today she shares some practical advice about pairing up students and included an adorable freebie! Thank you, Brandi. Partnering students for on-the-spot discussions can be a powerful tool in your classroom. Why take the time and do the work to establish partnerships in your classroom? In my experience, partnering can be a

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Why I Will NEVER shop at Toys R Us Again

Picture Credit I don’t usually use this blog to voice my personal opinions, but this ad from Toys R Us (which I saw while watching The The Big Bang Theory) sends so many horrible messages that I felt compelled to write in case anyone else wants to join me in my boycott of this company. I thought about embedding the video, but I don’t want that

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20 Halloween Writing Prompts!

It’s that spooky time of year again! Get your kids writing (or discussing) with these creative Halloween writing prompts. Grab these FREE writing prompts in print and digital! Plus use the prompt randomizer to choose a prompt for you! Watch the video to see how the randomizer works! 20 Writing Prompts to Choose From What is the scariest thing that has ever happened to you?

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Reading Strategies for Comprehension

Please welcome Carla of Comprehension Connection. Today, she shares some reading strategies that she has found work well in her classroom. She has generously shared some freebies with you all, too. They are linked within the text, so make sure to click on them to pick up your copy. Thank you for sharing, Carla! Hello from Comprehension Connection! My name is Carla, and I am honored

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Higher-level thinking is an important skill, no matter which model you employ in your classroom. This post outlines a variety of ways in which you can encourage your students to reach higher-level thinking and provides concrete examples based on Bloom's Taxonomy, the Wheel of Reasoning, and the Depth of Knowledge.

How to Encourage High-Level Thinking

Today we will be presented with fantastic ideas from Pam of Rockin Resources. She shares some effective techniques along with free samples from her Higher-Level Thinking product. I am so stinkin’ excited that Rachel invited me to guest blog! Do you hear my “Woo woo?” Thanks Rachel! This post will provide you with effective ideas to get your students to think and question at a

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Expand the Use of Your File Folder Games!

We all know how motivating games can be in the classroom. In this post Adrianne Meldrum of The Tutor House shares some great ideas for using file folders, as well as a Halloween freebie! Thank you to Rachel for inviting me to write here on Minds in Bloom. Ever since I stumbled upon Rachel two years ago, I’ve been ever amazed at the high quality posts here

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Goal setting is an important task for students of all ages and grades levels. Our guest blogger shares her thorough process for goal setting with her kindergarten students. She also shares a few tips about how she helps them set goals in reading and math, too.

Goal Setting Steps for Writing

Please welcome Jessica of Mrs. Plemons’ Kindergarten. Today, she shares with us how she teaches her kindergarten class to set goals for improving their writing. She included a free goal writing worksheet, as well. Thanks, Jessica! Hello! I am Jessica Plemons from Mrs. Plemons’ Kindergarten, and I am so excited to guest post here at Minds in Bloom. Although I am a kindergarten teacher,

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The Common Core State Standards really had an impact in all areas of education, but ELA classroom teachers are especially feeling the shifts. Common Core introduced a whole new way of teaching and learning, so with that comes a need for shifting gears in how we deliver our instruction and think about our standards. Our guest blogger shares how she worked through those shifts in her classroom.

Shifting Gears in the ELA Classroom

Please welcome Julie Faulkner, an English teacher from Tennessee. Julie shares with us how a shift in your view of how to accomplish Common Core standards can change everything. Thanks, Julie! I am excited to guest post for such an accomplished blog – Minds in Bloom! When Common Core was first introduced to me, I saw lists of standards, new testing requirements, and instructional shifts. I

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Reading whole numbers is an important math literacy skill and is one that's closely related to place value. Students often misread whole numbers, so teach them the swoop and group word attack strategy, which is often used in reading literacy instruction. It works for math, too!

Reading Whole Numbers Using the Swoop and Group Word Attack Strategy

Please welcome Michelle Williams, a 4th grade teacher from Texas. Today she shares a super helpful idea to help students attack large numbers much in the same way they would attack large words. Thanks for sharing Michelle! When students learn how to read, they begin to read words with CVC patterns, but as they encounter more words, they soon realize that as words get larger,

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The Homework Club

Please welcome Erica Hildebrand! Today she shares with us how to run a really cool and functional Homework Club in your classroom. She also included a freebie! Thanks Erica! I have taught a range of grades and ages. There are some thing that have worked well across the range, and some that do not translate up or down very well. One of the few things

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