A-Mayes-ing Days

Do you ever have this breakthrough and just think, "Yes, I have officially become a genius!"? I did...yesterday!  And it's all because of this phenomenal website:  Seesaw Seesaw is my BFF.  We've been good friends for awhile now, but I'm beginning to see what a game changer it can be for a teacher.  In case you haven't used it, Seesaw is a way for students to post to a digital journal that is shared with their teacher and their family.  It's a great way to keep everyone connected.  Some of the kids even think of it as their own "YouTube Channel" because of the way they can upload videos. First of all, my students LOVE IT!  They beg me to do Seesaw posts about anything and everything.  How often do you have kids begging to do something that's educational?  The really cool thing is that you can use it in EVERY SUBJECT! -We make posts in reading on a weekly basis.  Sometimes we do videos, others we do pictures and add captions.  We do

I've been teaching for 10 years....yes, 10.  In those years, if I've dealt with any one big problem, it's been relationships.  If they're good, they're good.  If they're bad, they're REALLY bad!  Kids thrive on the relationships around them!  They do, however, have a hard time creating positive, meaningful relationships with each other in the classroom, and it is our job, as educators, to show and model what they should look like. I'm sharing a list of 5 ways to cultivate community in your classroom.  This is not intended to be a quick fix, but instead a group of strategies for you to employ as you bring your classroom together. 1.  Group 'Em Up Not only will it help your sanity, but arrange your kids into groups they wouldn't naturally select on their own.  Sitting with new people encourages them to talk to others that they normally wouldn't on a day-to-day basis.  They just may find that they have more in common with someone than th