January Teacher Talk

Posted by Deann Marin of Socrates Lantern

It's 2018! Time sure flies. WE have some great ideas for you in our January edition of Teacher Talk. So hurry on over to see what these creative educators are doing this month.

If you're interested in joining this unique group of teacher entrepreneurs, blogging buddies and/or our blog linky, sign up here....The Best of Teacher Entrepreneurs Marketing Cooperative. If you decide to join, be sure to mention one of our names.
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Problem Students Got You Down? Begin the New Year Right, with These Discipline Tips
By Deann Marin of Socrates Lantern

Have you been struggling with Johnny or Sally since the beginning of the school year? Have you been racking your brain trying to come up with some creative ways to turn their unacceptable behavior around? Did you dread coming back to work in January? Well, I’ve been there and know exactly how you feel. If you said yes to any of these questions, I can give you a hand.
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Lessons Learned With Miss Brooke
By Retta London of Rainbow City Learning

Musings on what I have learned from a long ago favorite teacher.
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The Mini-Lesson: A Natural Scaffold For Struggling Learners
By Tracy Willis of Mossy Oak Musings

Would you rather attend a doctor's appointment or your own autopsy? Mini-lesson structure helps teachers avoid an academic autopsy with end-of-unit assessments. It's scaffolded instruction at its best. 
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A How-To Guide on Writing Conferences
By Sally Hansen of Purposeful Plans

Just like when you scaffold and model the requirements for an essay in a mini-lesson, you do the same thing individually for each student through conferencing. Many students don’t need to hear the lessons you taught at the beginning of the school year. Conferencing will help you deliver differentiated instruction. Here are some tips of how you can implement writing conferences in your classroom.
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The Five Best Reasons You Should Be Using Book Clubs as Part of Your Classroom Reading Program
By Marcy Howe of It's a Teacher Thing

Book Clubs can be an essential tool for boosting rigor and engagement in your upper elementary or middle school classroom. Learn five reasons why you should consider Book Clubs as a regular part of your reading program.
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What About Social Studies?
By Michelle Web of Teaching Ideas for Those who Love Teaching

Have Fun With Social Studies
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Mentor Sentences - Teach It So They Remember It
By Alison Monk of the Literacy Garden

Effectively teach grammar skills in the context of authentic literature through the use of mentor sentences.
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New Year, New Goals
By Kathie Yonemura of Tried and True Teaching Tools

New Goals Happy New Year! The new year is always a great time to reflect back, set goals, and start fresh. Repurpose those NYE decorations for some fun health goal setting with your students!
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Is Your Child Afraid of Going to the Doctor?
By Thia Triggs of Print Path

If your young child is fearful of going to the doctor, there are many things you can do to help them feel calmer and to prepare them for their next visit.
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Sit back, relax and check out all the great advice  you'll find on these blog posts from our seasoned educators.

An InLinkz Link-up

Wednesday Weekly 5 Best Under $5 - 6/21/17

Here's a quick rundown of the best 4 (plus one of my own = 5) TpT items, in no particular order, for this week. Of course, all items are under $5, as well! With a variety of subjects and a wide range of grades, there just might be something that you can use, so continue to read below and see!

PhET States of Matter Activity Guide - $4
By James Gonyo
General/Physical Science; Grades 5-10

The States of Matter:Basics activity guide is used along with the new HTML5 PhET Simulation "States of Matter: Basics”. Students learn the relationship between temperature and pressure as matter exists as solids, liquids, and gasses. Students go on to explore effects of variations in temperature and pressure of various substances and how that effects phase change. PhET simulations are fun, interactive, research-based simulations of physical phenomena. All PhET simulations are freely available from the PhET website (phet.colorado.edu) and are easy to use and incorporate into the classroom. All HTML5 simulations will work on Mac and PC desktops and notebook computers as well as Chromebook and iPads.

Comprehension Strategies Posters - $3

By The Literacy Garden

Reading; Grades K-4

Display these engaging posters as you introduce each comprehension strategy. The posters include a kid-friendly descriptor and multicultural clip art to support the strategy. This set includes 10 great posters, including "creating mental images," "ask questions," "determine what's important," and many more. Click on the link to view the item's page with a more detailed description and a great item preview.

Rounding Numbers to Tens and Hundreds: Knights of the Rounding Table - $4

By The Best Days

Math; Grades 2-4

Students will have a blast with this fun Knights and Dragons themed rounding unit! The King has issued a declaration that the Knights MUST save the Rounding Table from the Digits Dragon! Students start as Pages and work their way through the "pages" of rounding activities! The final quest is a fun game called "Defeat the Dragon"! Upon the defeat of the Digits Dragon, students earn an official certificate exclaiming their Knighthood! 

Fidgety for Summer! - End of Year Activity - $1.99

By Elsie's Corner

All Subjects; Grades 1-8

A fun "end of year" activity crafted on a fidget spinner foldable. Students will get to write about the places they'll go this summer, the people they'll see, the chores' they'll do, the treats they'll eat, and the fun they'll have! ... and any other topic you would like them to explore as we include an editable fidget spinner as well. This product makes for a great end of year activity and will forever commemorate the year of the fidget spinner!

Essay Writing Checklist - High School and Middle School - $1.50

By A Teacher's Teacher

ELA/Writing; Grades 7-11

This essay writing checklist is a wonderful tool that can be provided for students to help guide the essay writing process. With point-by-point requirements for all parts of an essay (introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion), students will be able to track their writing along the way or after the first draft to help with revisions. What makes this product different than the other essay writing checklists on TpT is that there is a second page that provides students with explanations and examples of essay elements, such as thesis statement, topic sentence, introductions to quotes/evidence, and explanations of quotes/evidence.

As always, I encourage comments below and any ideas or suggestions by tweeting me @ATeachersTeach.

A Teacher's Teacher

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