By Rachel Lynette
Fun Thanksgiving Activities for Your Elementary Students Tired of the same old “trace your hand” Thanksgiving Activities? This post has lots of ideas to spice up the holiday season. (Did the word spice make you want a latte like it did me?) Check out the freebies we’ve included, and grab as many as you’ll use. Critical Thinking Thanksgiving Activities Thanksgiving Analogies Analogies are fun little
As a teacher, you probably know how difficult it can be to fit all of your responsibilities, ideas, and daily to-do list items into one school day! But, even with your busy schedule, you may have small pockets of free time when you don’t have anything planned with your students. It’s during these times, like the last five minutes before dismissal, that you can make
In today’s world of digital media (mostly social media), our students often only hear about current events in passing. For instance, they may overhear a parent stream a news story broadcast on Facebook Live or accidentally catch a few seconds of the six o’clock news while flipping the Smart TV input to Netflix. Long gone are the times when a family would gather like clockwork
STEM subjects are on the rise, and for good reasons. By studying science, technology, engineering, and math, kids will develop the skills needed for lucrative careers and to lead the next generation into the future. However, while parents and teachers see the benefits, kids aren’t sticking with STEM. Nearly a third of college students who began pursuing a STEM degree transferred out of the field.
We are excited to welcome Erin to the blog today! Erin has written a really inspiring post about ways to add academics to video games, which is something I’m sure many teachers would shy away from. Read on to learn more about Erin’s ideas and suggestions! At the end of the school year last May, a parent asked to speak to me after class. She
We’re delighted to welcome Rebecca Gettelman to Minds in Bloom today! Rebecca is sharing some really awesome ideas about using the unexpected to teach the everyday lessons, like grammar and writing. Read on to find out more! If you search through my teaching boxes, mixed in among the red pens and teacher’s manuals of the typical middle school teacher’s stash, you will find a box
Please welcome Lauren Martin to the blog today! She’s sharing how to use comics to differentiate instruction and reach all learners. She understands the challenge of meeting the needs of all learners and wants to help all teachers effortlessly differentiate every day! Differentiating to meet the needs of struggling learners and Special Education mandates does not need to be time consuming or complicated. Comics are
Minds in Bloom is thrilled to welcome Brigid from Math Giraffe to the blog today! Brigid is sharing her insight on an up-and-coming trend in education: doodle notes! Do you have students who doodle in class? Have you ever assumed that they are not paying attention? You may be surprised to find out that the opposite might be true. As far as learning goes, these
Please enjoy this guest post from Matt of Digital: Divide & Conquer. He’s sharing a lot of really excellent insight into making project-based learning work for all learners. We live in a world of projects. From our homes to schools, we are knee deep. It’s the reality of our lives. If the real world is filled of projects, shouldn’t a student’s classroom world be filled,
Today’s guest blogger is Tracy from Wild Child’s Mossy Oak Musings. Tracy is sharing her insight on how integrating arts into general education makes for more rigorous, long-lasting learning. Enjoy! Many moons ago, in a teacher’s lounge far, far away, I sat around a lunch table with my colleagues eating a tuna fish sandwich, while trying not reach for the sleeve of thin mints seducing
Hi, I am Susan from Lopez Land Learners. I want to share you with engaging and entertaining ways to integrate art into all of your curricular areas. If your school is anything like our school, we don’t have an art teacher, so any and all art projects come from me. Budgets, along with the demands and pressures on testing, have taken that scheduled time out
Hi everyone! My name is Kimberly Crouch from English, Oh My! My passion as an English teacher is sharing my love of literature with my students and giving them the foundations of reading and writing to be successful in high school. I am truly honored to be guest blogging on Minds in Bloom, and I find Rachel Lynette to be a true inspiration and role model for teachers. Besides
Please welcome Joy, from The Teacher down the Hall, to Minds in Bloom today. She’s exploring the idea of drill and kill in instruction and how teachers can find more effective ways to build mastery. The makers of Prevnar 13 are asking: What if one push-up could prevent heart disease? What if one stalk of broccoli could protect you from cancer? My adopted textbook company seems to
Hello! I am Jill from Coffman’s Creative Classroom. I am a third grade teacher who loves finding new and exciting ways to get my students engaged in their learning. Thank you, Rachel, for allowing me this great opportunity to share my ideas on your blog! We all know it is not an easy task to engage all students in writing. We all have students who struggle to
Please welcome today’s guest blogger, Amy from Teaching Ideas 4U. Her guest post about board games not only fits right in with our new “because learning should be fun” tagline, but it will also inspire you to let loose a little and teach in an unconventional way! Enjoy! Hello! My name is Amy Mezni, and I love board games. Love them. We have so many
Today’s guest blogger is Jennifer from Stories and Songs in Second, a second grade teacher who is passionate about integrating musical moments and quality children’s literature across her curriculum. Read on to find out how she blends important science, math, social studies, and art concepts into her ELA fairy tale lessons! I’ve always loved fairy tales, and I can’t wait to launch my unit every spring. So
