Jody Oliver's List: Classroom Environments

"3 Minute Motivators helps teachers recognize and respond to the daily needs of their students and distract, refocus, and provide a "hit of fun" in the school day to help students become more focused, motivated, and self-aware. " AND free preview Of entire book.

"Students learn through their participation in the attainment of knowledge by gathering information and processing it by solving problems and articulating what they have discovered.  Each activity below provides students with opportunities to deepen their learning by applying concepts and articulating new knowledge and many of these activities also provide the instructor feedback about the students’ learning."

"Sometimes all a child needs is someone to show they care and give them some encouragement. With that simple idea in mind, The Positive Engagement Project has launched FACES to assist those who have an innate passion to work with children and to make a difference in their lives. "

"If “children grow into the intellectual life around them” (Vygotsky, 1978, p.88), then what kind of intellectual life are we presenting to the students in our classrooms? Teachers all over the world have had to accept the compromise of focusing more on delivering the prescribed curriculum than developing understanding; test-taking rather than learning. We have what the authors of Making Thinking Visible describe as “a distorted view of teaching that is self-reinforcing and divorced from what we know about effective learning”(Ritchhart, Church, & Morrison, 2011, p.25). "

"Classtools.net countdown timer
Edit the time! Edit the title! Away you go"

"Explore FREE activities, search by Common Core standard, customize Playlists, build classes, and monitor assignments."

My first year teaching a literacy coach came to observe my classroom. After the students left, she commented on how I asked the whole class a question, would wait just a few seconds, and then answer it myself. "It's cute," she added. Um, I don't think she thought it was so cute. I think she was treading lightly on the ever-so shaky ego of a brand-new teacher while still giving me some very necessary feedback.

I was recently in a third grade classroom and was struck by the presence of rules that were posted for how to have a conversation. The poster said, "Each person must contribute to the discussion but take turns talking. Ask each other, 'Would you like to add to my idea?' or 'Can you tell us what you are thinking?' Ask questions so that you understand each other's ideas. Say, 'Can you tell me more about that?' or 'Can you say that in another way?'"

I don't know about your students, but so many of mine, coupled with Senioritis, were DONE after state testing. (The well had run dry, no blood from a turnip -- all those sayings applied!) With just a few precious weeks left in the school year, what do you do to keep the kids energized and onboard with learning?

It is much easier to destroy than to build. Teachers work with young people, and they are fragile works-in-progress. A rash or unfeeling word can undo so much of the trust and growth that we strive for. 

his Website is designed to provide the reader with information on how to adopt technology into the Common Core by relooking at traditional classroom tools and transitioning into new ways of teaching and learning. The Digital Sandbox explores the future of learning through the recreation of  21st Century learning environments. The creator of this portal, hopes that the results of this project will inspire many educators to create social networks of learning for classrooms across the globe. Whether you're a teacher or student new to thetopics of Web 2.0 curriculum integration or an experienced educator looking for ways to adopt Web 2.0 technology resources, I hope that you will find something here to meet your needs.

TeachersFirst is a free resource that was started by an extraordinary collection of individuals with an unlikely opportunity to share their good fortune. Learn how TeachersFirst stays free.

Everybody needs a stopwatch at some point -- and there's never one around!
Well... Now there is! Online Stopwatch!
A Simple, Fast Flash Online Stopwatch and Online Countdown timer always available when you need it.

good video and links to classroom management strategies and ideas

on self-esteem and the reality of TV and billboards

Encourage girls in your life to embrace their unique beauty with our workshops, guides, activities and videos brought to you by Dove® Global Self-Esteem Ambassador, Jess Weiner.