Using technology with your intervention groups is a win-win! Read Naturally is a program that can be used as an intervention and to differentiate your reading instruction. Each student reads stories at his or her reading level. You can use the data sheet in the picture above to document reading strategies and other important information.
Listening and following verbal or oral directions is an important skill that many students lack. You may relate to Charlie Brown's teacher after going over step-by-step directions.
Students often hear the sound the teacher's voice is making, but fail to tune into the meaning of the words. When students aren't actively listening, they miss important information that can impact their academic AND behavior in the classroom.
One way you can help your students practice active listening so they will follow directions is with a fun activity called Listen and Draw.
Listen and Draw is a great activity to do with your class at the beginning of the year when you are teaching class procedures. Include these with your plans after breaks as a warmup plus a good reminder about practicing listening and following directions. Grab a free copy of FREE Listen & Draw - Following Directions Activity. Sources to make my blog post graphics can be found HERE. Click HERE to read my blog's disclosure statement.
Pencils can be a source of frustration and a waste of class time. Think about how many hours in a school year students spent trying to find, borrow, or sharpen a pencil when you are ready to begin a lesson. Why is this topic not covered in undergrad classes?
Pencil Problem #1: The pencil that doesn't sharpen or the tip keeps breaking off.
Different brands of pencils sharpen different ways. If your school allows it, write a specific brand of pencil on your school supply list. Non-teachers don't realize how much the brand of a pencil makes in the day-to-day life of a student and teacher. My favorite brand is Ticonderoga.
Teaching is a stressful job. Back to school, the day after Halloween, and parent-teacher conference week are times when you can almost feel the stress in the air of a school. It was during one of these anxiety-inducing times that I began humming the Danger Zone. Do you do that, too? Sometimes when life is a little crazy, rather than get bogged down with feeling overwhelmed, I step back and look at the situation a little differently.
How many times have you heard, "when will I use this?" when you introduce a new skill to your class? When you hear this, you know a change of mindset is in order so your students will be encouraged to do their best.
Showing your students #RealWorld application for the skills you are teaching will increase their motivation.
