Tag: elementary

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Internet Safety: Why it Matters

When I was in high school, the internet was just starting to really gain traction and become useful. Honestly, I still used my super awesome Encyclopedia Brittanica CD-Rom or a physical book for my research projects. I had to sit an listen to the obnoxious dial up noise while I waited for my computer to connect to AOL, and was very limited in my time online— because when your phone line and internet line are the same, you had to hurry so people could get through if they needed to call someone at your house. 

The internet was so new that we didn’t really understand the dangers that could be lurking with one single click. We were blissfully ignorant to those kinds of things. Public chat rooms were my favorite place to go online. I would spend as much time as possible chatting away with complete strangers, often sharing details about my physical appearance, location, age, grade in school, and so on. Yikes! 2025 me is appalled that 1997 me was so naive and open with people I didn’t even know. No one is at fault here; my parents and I didn’t know any better back then, but I can’t help but think about how unsafe that was. Knowing what I know now, I will make sure my kids know how to be cautious when online. 

Teaching internet safety begins at home. Today’s kids are exposed to the internet long before they even step foot into a school setting. Gone are the days where a computer had to be stationary; kids today have access to the internet via so many methods– iPads, phones, laptops, Chromebooks, tablets, and so on. Parents have a responsibility to teach their children what is and is not okay when it comes to online habits. Thankfully today, parents can set filters on their computers and phones. While these filters are not fool-proof, they do help. Online content can be sneaky and can find a way around filters— and so can kids who are determined to bypass them. 

Kids need to know what kinds of words to use in their searches. They need to know what kinds of websites and images are safe to explore. They need to know how to get out of an inappropriate website if they somehow stumble upon one. It’s imperative that kids today understand the dangers of interacting with strangers, and that they know to never give out personal information online. 

So how do parents and teachers go about teaching these kinds of skills? We model them! We allow our kids to be on the internet while we sit next to them, coaching them on what search terms to use, what websites are okay to go to, and so on. We let them sit by us as we are online, so they can see how we safely use the internet. 

Another way to teach internet safety is to talk about it regularly. We talk about the red flags, the kinds of words that will generate inappropriate search results, the kinds of things strangers might say if they are grooming a child, and so forth. Having open conversations about things that can potentially be a danger will help kids and teens to be more aware as they are online, and it will also help your kids to feel more comfortable coming to you on the chance that something does go wrong or does pop up. 

We ought to be careful to do our best to not make the internet sound like a super scary and terrible thing. Rather, we teach that it is a useful tool and amazing place that has potential dangers, and what we can do to protect ourselves if/when faced with them. 

In school, teachers and counselors can show videos or slide shows illustrating things kids might come in contact with. Librarians can help students understand what a reliable website might look like and how to detect false information. Students can be aware of their surroundings and can help to alert teachers if they see something amiss with their own computer or a classmate’s. 

The internet isn’t going away, and people with wrong intent will only get smarter and sneakier. Filters and “safe” phones can only stop so much. This means that we as parents and educators need to be sure that we are giving today’s youth the tools they will need to safely navigate a digital world. Together, we can arm kids with the power to conquer the malicious workings of those that aim to harm today’s kids. Together, we can be a force for good.

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Say Goodbye to Traditional Book Reports

One a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the most, how much did you enjoy doing book reports as a student? I’d bet that the majority of people would say they are at a 4 or lower. Traditional book reports are just so… boring. They aren’t fun to students to write, and if I’m being totally honest, I’d bet that most teachers don’t enjoy grading them. 

So rather than having your students write a traditional essay style book report, try something new! Students always appreciate when things get jazzed up a bit, and I promise you that alternative book reports are a whole lot more fun to grade. Plus, different kinds of “reports” get students to think about their books in different ways. Rather than just a summary, they get to use more critical and imaginative thinking skills to complete their assignment.

I taught junior high English for a long time, and quickly learned how to change up the boring book report and make it into something fun. Book assignments that feel more like a fun time (but are still assessing learning) rather than a monotonous summary of a book are a sure fire way to get students more engaged and more willing to do the work. 

So if you are a teacher who has students complete an assignment based on a book they’ve read, give some of these a try! I have used all but a couple of these ideas myself in my classroom with my students, so I assure you that they are fun and engaging for students!

  • Book quizzes— three or four short answer questions about their book. 
    • Describe the main character
    • Use good describing words to “show” what the scenery in the book is like
    • What was the biggest conflict in the book, and how was it resolved?
    • Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?
    • etc.
  • Draw a new cover for the book.
  • Create a playlist of songs that would be the soundtrack to your book. With each song, describe what part of the book you chose that song for and why you chose it. Illustrate an album cover.
  • Create a comic strip for a scene in your book.
  • Write a test for your book— include some multiple choice questions, several short answer questions, and an answer key.
  • Write and illustrate a children’s book version of your book. 
  • Write an interview for one of the characters. Include the character’s answers.
  • Create a social media profile for one of the characters. Include a profile picture and a couple of posts with pictures and captions.
  • Rewrite the ending of the book.
  • ABCs of the book— think of something that has to do with your book for every letter of the alphabet. In 2 sentences, describe how that word ties to the book.
  • Write a text message exchange between two or more characters discussing something that happened in the book.
  • Choose one character and write 2-3 journal entries from their point of view.
  • If there was a certain food that the book mentioned a lot, find a recipe and make it. Bring it to share with the class.
  • Create a timeline of events that happen in the book.

Hopefully one or more of these ideas will be useful to you. If anything, it’s given you a reason to think about the way you assign book assignments and how you might be able to change things up a bit!

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Inauguration Day Freebie

Inauguration Day only comes every four years, so it’s likely that your current students don’t have any memories of the last one because they were too young, or they were old enough to know it was happening, but not old enough to really care too much. Since our next Inauguration Day will be one week from today, I’ve created a word search for you to print off and use with your students. You will find a list of words that have to do with the inauguration, which provides an excellent teaching opportunity as you go over the words and what they mean– and how each word ties to a Presidential Inauguration.

*Please only use for classroom or home use*

Inauguration Day WordsearchDownload
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The Wonder of Sleep

There are certain things that are essential for our bodies to have in order for them to function as they should: water, food, and sleep. Without these three things, our bodies would simply not work. Food and water fuel us and give us the nutrients, energy, and hydration we need to keep going. While sleep doesn’t provide us with nutrients, it is still essential to our survival. Children and teens, especially, need sleep. But why is it such an essential element of our survival? Let’s talk about it!

Sleep is beneficial for so many reasons. I know I personally function much better when I’ve had a good night’s rest, and I know my kids do too. I often wonder why my kids fight bed time with all they have, and find myself thinking that one day, they will realize just how amazing sleep is! 

Brain Development

Sleep is absolutely essential for brain development. During sleep, the brain is able to sort through the day’s happenings, save what it needs to, and delete what it doesn’t. Hormones that promote growth and repair are also released during sleep. Since the brain continues to develop and mature into early adulthood (I’m looking at you, frontal lobe!), sleep is incredibly important for children and teens. 

Cognitive Function

Have you ever tried to read, do math, think through things, or do really anything that requires any amount of focus on little sleep? Did it go well for you? Getting good sleep plays a big role in the brain’s ability to function cognitively. Proper sleep helps children’s brains to be able to process and understand information, retain what is learned, and focus on the task at hand. All of those things are part of their daily lives, especially once they are in school. 

Physical Function and Growth

Trying to do physical activity when you aren’t well rested is hard. Movements are sluggish and energy is low. Sleep also plays a big role in physical growth and development. During rest periods, the body is hard at work, growing, developing, and changing. 

Emotional Function

I don’t know about your kids, but with less sleep, my kids are an emotional mess! And let’s be honest, so am I. Lack of sleep can create a perfect storm for increased emotions, less patience, and increased anxiety. It is harder for kids to regulate their emotions when they are tired. Everything seems to be exaggerated when they are tired. Sleep is an excellent sanity saver!

Immune System Function

Sleep does wonders for the body’s ability to fight off infections and illnesses. When a person is asleep, the body is able to go to work repairing, healing, and fighting off the bad guys. Have you ever noticed that you get sick easier when you haven’t been getting enough sleep? Or that when you are sick, you just want to sleep all the time? Kids are the same way. Sleep is a natural way to heal the body. More sleep = healthier kids, and that’s something we all want!

Sleep is so much more than a cozy bed and rest. It is essential for the body to function at its fullest. Kids and teens who are still growing and developing especially need sleep to allow their bodies to grow and develop like they need to. Without sleep, I think we’d have a bunch of groggy, grumpy, brain-fog plagued kids on our hands. And I can’t think of one teacher or parent who wants that for their kids! Sleep is crucial, and does amazing things for us!

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Dear Teachers

Dear Teachers,

I see you. I know your job isn’t easy. You’ve got a million things on your plate. I see those late nights spent planning the perfect unit and lesson. I see the stacks of papers that need to be graded and the list of grades that need to be entered. I know your email inbox has emails– both good and not so good– from parents and admin. You’ve got to juggle students with 504 plans and IEPs and find ways to challenge your gifted students. I know you’ve got that one student (maybe more) in your class that just can’t sit still and is constantly causing disruptions. By the time school is over, you’re tired of redirecting, repeating yourself, and helping students find their lost pencils (again). I know your feet ache by the end of the day from standing and walking around all day long. I know your voice is tired. I see you, simultaneously teaching the current lesson while mentally worrying about and planning the next several days. I know the PLC meetings, staff meetings, trainings, IEP meetings, and district development days are draining and time consuming, especially when you have a ton of other stuff you need to get done. I see you, taking time after class to straighten desks, pick up trash, and prep for the next day. I see you rushing to cram a bathroom break, lunch, and a minute to breathe into your 30 minute lunch period. I see you showing up to work sick because sometimes it’s just more work to prepare sub plans. I see you making hard discipline decisions. I see you trying to figure out seating charts because you know that those certain few students can’t be anywhere near each other without causing complete mayhem. I see you, and I see all the hard, tricky, not-so-fun parts of your job. 

But you know what? I also see the amazing things you’re doing and the really cool parts of your job. I see you taking your own personal time to plan and grade because you care about what your students are learning, and you want them to be engaged. The hard work you put into accommodating students with various needs shows how much you want your students to succeed. I see you taking time to help the one student who is struggling to understand the content. I see you helping them to grasp concepts. I see the smile on your face when you see the lightbulb go on for a student. I see you showing up, day after day, even when you don’t feel like it. I hear you saying kind and encouraging things to your students. I hear students in the halls talking about how much they love your class and how amazing of a teacher you are. I see those emails from parents thanking you for all you do. I see you worrying about your students because you care about them and love them. I watch as you head down to the counseling office because a student has turned in a writing assignment telling you about how they are neglected or abused at home. I see you helping a student get the resources they need when they tell you their family doesn’t have money for food or clothes. When a student has a hard day, I see you taking a minute to encourage them and lift them up. I see you attending games, plays, and concerts after school hours to support your students and their interests. I see you taking a genuine interest in your students and really getting to know them. I see as you celebrate the wins and mourn the losses with your students. They know you care. They know you are a trusted adult, and I see students come to you for help when they don’t have anyone else to listen to them. I hear the laughter coming from your classroom as you share a story or joke you know they’ll love. I hear you cheering them on as they learn, grow, make mistakes, and do their best. 

I know the days are long, and some days are really, really hard. But I see you, and I know you’re doing a fantastic job. The youth of today will build a better tomorrow because of the influence you have had on their lives. Thank you for your love, your dedication, and passion. 

Sincerely,

Someone who has been in your shoes

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Winter Break Blues

The holidays are over, the excitement has died down, and you still have several days left of winter break. Routines are out of whack, kids are riding on a post-holiday sugar rush, the days are all blending together, and parents are completely and utterly exhausted. Maybe that’s just happening at my house? Just my kids? Hmmm. Well, at any rate, I’m sure there are at least a couple of you out there that understand the winter break blues. 

When the days are cold, there’s not any snow to play in, but the backyard is muddy from the rain storm a few days ago, what do you even do with your kids? Here’s a few ideas to try that will hopefully let you regain some of your sanity and provide your kids with something fun to do. Oh, and as a bonus, your kids just might learn something while they play, too!

Color Scavenger Hunt

This activity is great for kids of any age, and can be done while you sit and catch up on laundry, clean the bathroom, cook dinner, or even sit and read a book. Pick a color, then send your kids on a mission to find something in the house that is that color and bring it to show you. The catch? They can’t make a mess, can’t bring you something that is breakable, and must put the object away where it belongs before moving on to the next color. This game is simple, requires no set up, and is easy for all ages. A win-win all around!

Picture Hide and Seek

This does take a little bit of prep work, but I promise it’s worth it and your kids will love it. Print off or draw several small pictures and cut them out individually. Next, create a paper that has the same pictures, or, if your kids can read, write the names of the objects you have printed or drawn. Then, hide the individual pictures around the house. Depending on the ages and abilities of your kids, you can choose how difficult it will be to find the pictures. Give each of your children a copy of the paper that has all of the pictures on it and send them on their way! To make it more challenging, give them a time limit. To make it easier, have them work in teams to find the pictures. There are many ways you can adapt this activity to fit the needs and ages of your children. You can do all themed pictures— sea animals, foods, sports, cartoon characters, etc. Another way to do this activity is to put your older children in charge of drawing and hiding the pictures for their younger siblings. So many fun ways to play!

Click the button below to download and print a copy of the Hide and Seek I created. Print one page to cut up and hide, and one copy for each child that will be participating. If you want to repeat this activity another day, I suggest putting your children’s copies in a sheet protector so that they can be reused. (Please only print and use for personal or classroom use.)

Picture Hide and SeekDownload

Letter Scavenger Hunt

This is similar to the color scavenger hunt, but instead of assigning your kids a color to go find, have them find an object that begins with a letter of your choice. The same rules apply— no messes, no finding something breakable, and everything must be put away before moving on. This is a great activity for older preschoolers or younger elementary aged kids who are learning beginning sounds and letters.

Rhyming Game

Another twist on the color or letter scavenger hunt, this game requires your kids to find something that rhymes with a word that they are given. Say you give them the word “cat”. They must then search the house to try find an object that rhymes with that word— perhaps a hat, a bat, or a mat. This variation is great for younger elementary kids and up who are able to rhyme.

Fortunately, Unfortunately

I wish I could take credit for this game, but I can’t. I saw this idea on Instagram @playfulheartparenting. This is another game that requires absolutely no prep work and can be done while you do just about anything. You start the game by saying, “Unfortunately, …” and fill in the blank with some sort of ridiculously silly situation. Your child then counters back with, “Fortunately, …” and fills in the blank with another silly situation that “fixes” the situation you presented them with. You continue this, countering back and forth, building a silly story together. This gets kids thinking outside the box and gets them to think about how to respond to a funny situation. It might look something like this:

“Unfortunately, I got a flat tire on my way to the dentist.”

“Fortunately, I was almost there and my dentist used his tooth fixing tools to fix my tire.”

“Unfortunately, he didn’t clean his tools after he fixed the tire, and then used them to fix my tooth.”

“Fortunately, I have a super strong immune system and the dirt and germs didn’t make me sick.”

“Unfortunately, though, the tools were black from fixing my tire, so now my teeth are black.”

And so on. You can continue this game for as long as you wish. You can establish ground rules such as no making fun of other people, no naughty or potty words, and nothing about hurting other people or yourself. It is a game that is totally customizable for your family and your needs. It’s fun and gets everyone laughing. 

Hopefully these ideas give you something to do over the next few days of winter break. If anything, hopefully they will allow you to slow down and enjoy some time with your kids before you send them back to their teachers!

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A Time For Reflection

As we wrap up another year (how is 2024 almost over?!), it’s a good time for reflection on the past year and pondering on the year to come. I’ve never been much of a “New Year’s Resolutions” kind of person. I tend to make goals and adjust as I’m going along and see a need. I do, however, like to reflect on the year as it comes to an end and think about the highs and lows and everything I have learned as the year passed. As educators, reflection is a useful tool and can be used to propel us to be better teachers. 

There are so many facets to teaching, which provides much to reflect upon. As you think back on this past year, perhaps you will think about any or all of the following, among other things: classroom management, what went well and what didn’t, funny things students have done or said, and relationships with your students and coworkers. 

Classroom Management

Classroom management is one of the things I was constantly reflecting on and adjusting. What worked for one class didn’t work for another. What worked for one student didn’t work for the rest of the class. There was always room for improvement. One thing I always found when I’d reflect on my classroom management was that consistency was key. If I wasn’t consistent in my management techniques, I found that my classes were more difficult to manage. If students don’t know what to expect, they will try all sorts of shenanigans to see how far they can push things. And, as any teacher knows, that’s usually not a good thing. 

What Went Well And What Didn’t

Another great area for reflection is to think about what went well and what didn’t go as well over the year. Maybe it’s a particular lesson or unit that went incredibly well and you can’t wait to teach it again. Or, on the other hand, maybe you had a lesson or unit go terribly wrong and you find the need to adjust and rewrite your plan. Perhaps you had a classroom management technique work better than you anticipated, or maybe you had one that completely flopped. Think about some of your best interactions with students and make a mental note of what you did that worked well so that you can repeat that another time. Or, if you had an interaction that didn’t go as smoothly as you’d have liked, make a mental note of what didn’t go well and how you can do better next time. Whatever the case may be, there’s likely a million and one things that you can think of that went well or didn’t go so well in your classroom.

Funny Things Said or Done by Students

I don’t think there was a day that went by that my students didn’t make me laugh. They were always doing or saying things that made me chuckle. You know what I’m talking about— those moments that you know could write a book with or that you couldn’t wait to tell your coworker about at lunch time. Laughter in the classroom is not only a nice break in the day, but is, in my opinion, necessary for a positive classroom environment. After all, it’s said that laughter is the best medicine, and I think any teacher would agree with that! Reflecting on those funny moments can help give you the motivation to keep going in the midst of a difficult year and can help boost your mood on any given day!

Relationships With Students and Coworkers

Positive relationships with your students and coworkers are essential for a happy work life. I can’t imagine having to go to a job where you despise the people you work with; it sounds absolutely miserable. Taking the time to reflect on these relationships is an excellent opportunity to think about what is going well and what areas could use some improvement. In thinking back to the interactions you’ve had with the people you work with, perhaps you will think about what you do that fosters positive relationships. Maybe it’s your genuine concern and care for others. Perhaps it is that you are able to connect with others through humor. Or, it could be that you connect with people over their interests. If things aren’t going quite as well, maybe it’s a good time to reflect on how things could be better. Is it possible you need to focus more on others’ interests and needs so that you can better connect with them? Perhaps you will find that you need to slow down and really take the time to be kinder and more patient. Whatever it may be, I’m sure we could all take a minute to reflect on how we interact with and treat those we work with. 

For teachers, the new year comes at the middle of the school year. Mid school year reflection provides educators with a good opportunity to make immediate adjustments to things they see need improvement. End of school year reflection is obviously wonderful, too, but mid year reflection offers the chance for educators to think about what they can do better, then implement those ideas immediately with their current class(es). It provides an excellent opportunity for teachers to improve and be their best selves. And let’s be honest: we can all improve!

Happy New Year, friends! I hope you find a quiet minute to reflect on your year. Thanks for being here, and I hope the coming year brings wonderful things your way!