Thursday, June 27, 2013

Become a Discovery Education Network Star Educator -- DEN Star





Are you using Discovery Education streaming videos in your classroom?  Are you using other Discovery Education products?  If the answer to either of these questions is "yes", then you have a great opportunity: YOU can become a DEN Star!

What is a DEN Star? Glad you asked. DEN Stars are educators who share their Discovery experiences with other educators in informal conversations, grade-level meetings, or staff presentations at least twice a year. For the teeny amount of effort that is required, Discovery Education opens up a world of collaboration and creativity to you. 

As a DEN Star, you become part of a group of educators who are not trying to re-invent the wheel; they are trying to make it better and more relevant in our digital world. Through DEN events like hangouts and webinars, we collaborate and learn from one another. Through live events, we get hands-on training on how to seamlessly integrate technology into our classroom. 

Discovery Education is an organization filled with talented and thoughtful educators who want YOU to be successful. So go on...you have a few minutes now that you're on summer break...log-on to your Discovery Education account. Scroll down the Welcome page until you see 
Get Involved with the Discovery Educator Network (DEN)  and click. Just a simple click...and a great opportunity opens up to you. I hope you will seriously consider the benefits of becoming a DEN Star. The training you will receive and the people you will meet are simply DENmazing!

Earn Your Whole Brain Teaching Certification: Join the WBT Book Club





Make your summer count -- earn your WBT Certification. WBT has made it easy to earn lots of certification points this summer via the WBT Book Club (wbtbookclub.blogspot.com) 

All you have to do is read Chris Biffle's new book Whole Brain Teaching for Challenging Kids and write 250-word essays. Post the essays to the blog and, voila, you earn points. Up to 25 points per essay.

Don't let this opportunity  -- and your summer -- slip away. Get on the WBT train to Teacher Heaven!

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Whole Brain Teaching National Conference 2013



“Time goes by so fast in here.” -- comment from my students  

Just returned from the Whole Brain Teaching National Conference – it was everything I had hoped it would be. I got hours and hours of direct instruction on how to teach the Whole Brain way. For three days, we met from 8:30 to 3:30. The amazing thing is, as a conference student, I was never bored, never wondered when the next break was, never wished the speaker would just stop and let me go home. Why was that? Why is Whole Brain Teaching so interesting to the student? It is because Whole Brain Teaching requires total engagement from every student. Each learner must gesture and teach their neighbor. Students are SO brain-engaged that our minds don’t have time to wander. Didn't make it to the conference? Visit to the WBT website: wholebrainteaching.com. Everything is FREE! There are e-books, hours upon hours of videos, and a forum where you can get your questions answered.

Saturday, May 4, 2013

Still Testing...

Texas 5th Grade Math and Reading were tested the first week of April. Then we had two weeks of intensive review for the 5th Grade Science Test which was taken on April 25th. Now, we are in the middle of two weeks of intensive tutoring for the 5th Grade Math and Reading re-testing.

So many students are sooo close...and we are all sooo tired. Between tutoring writing, math, reading, science, and coaching UIL Music Memory, I've spent the majority of my Saturdays at school functions. Yet, I love my job, and I can't wait to get my hands on the STAAR tests that will be released this summer so I can start planning for next year!  

Thursday, April 4, 2013

Things to Tell Your Students Before High-Stakes Testing:




  • You are special because of who you are, not what you do.
  • A grade is a number on a piece of paper, not who you are.
  • No one else in all of history has been just like you; No one else in the future will ever be just like you.
  • You are special. Because you are special, you can hold your head high and do your best.
  • I am proud to be your teacher.

Friday, March 29, 2013

Over the Moon -- Teaching Phases of the Moon

I just loved the idea that Science Teaching Junkie (link through my Blog List) shared on teaching the Moon Phases. I am off to Hobby Lobby and Dollar Tree to look for supplies. Yes, I am taking my HL coupon with me!

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Celebrate Spring!

Spring memories...driving through the Hill Country to see the wildflowers.  Oh, those were good times.

This spring will give us chances to create new good memories...take time to make them! 

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