Artful Community
At the beginning of the school year, teachers want to send a message to their students: “We are a community of learners, together we will challenge each other and share with one another.”
We have a variety of ways to go about doing this and for some, they try to do it through the arts. In [...]
Arts Integration Chat
Last night I had the honor of guest moderating #ntchat (New Teacher Chat) with Lisa Dabbs (@teachingwthsoul). It was so much fun! What a great way to end my summer and it also have me a chance to refocus myself on the importance of arts integration! (Which is the blog series topic [...]
Summer Book Group
Check out something fun we’re working on…
Teacher Talents
I teach with some very talented people. Take the other teachers on my fourth grade team: one is a great artist, one is a pianist and singer and the other wows me at every staff meeting as she sketches boarders around her notes. And I think to myself, do their students [...]
Erosion Blues
This past week, my students and I had a great experience as we created a makeshift recording studio in our school and recorded an original piece of music: The Erosion Blues.
It is a great example of integration, collaboration and freedom in structure.
Integration: The blues was meant to be a culminating project for our unit [...]
Effects of Quality Community Building
Shared experiences are what bond a group together. Whether the group is taking a nature walk, creating art, or sharing personal reflections about music or literature, it is all part of the process we need to share with our students. I believe that these experiences can all be linked to and integrated into [...]
It’s All About Experiences
Community building in the educational profession is important for teachers, students, administration, staff, parents and the whole community. This month, I have enjoyed reflecting about how I try to build community in my classroom with my students. In the future months, the topic of community will certainly be further explored.
What I have discovered [...]
Balancing Testing with Creativity
Our MCAS test begins today. Three days of testing in ELA (English Language Arts). Today, students are asked to write a personal narrative and the other two days, students will be given all other means of ELA testing: reading selections, multiple choice, essay response (open response), grammar, conventions, etc.
I do agree with [...]
Reflections on Beat Night – Poetic Experiences
This past Thursday a group of teachers took their third field trip organized by The Inspired Classroom. We attended Beat Night at the Press Room in Portsmouth, NH. What fun! It was a great night of relaxin’, groovin’ and inspirin’.
The evening began with an hour of featured poets reciting their original poems. [...]
Musical Experiences – Listening in the Classroom
Listening to music with your students can be a huge community builder. AND it is something that nearly any teacher can do in his or her classroom. (Even I can do it working in an open concept school!)
It’s a simple concept, really: to listen to music each day with your students. [...]
