The Classroom Commute

There are a lot of things that we do as teachers to help turn our students on to reading.   We hope that the books we read aloud to them or expose them to in our classroom libraries will help them to find a life-long love for reading early in life.

One of my favorite ways to get students excited about reading is to have them participate in an author study.  Author studies are a great way to get your students reading, talking, and ENJOYING new books in your classroom --  all by the same author.

Putting an author study together, however, can be overwhelming.  That's why here on the podcast I'm doing a mini-series to help walk you through step-by-step how to create your own author study in your classroom.  From choosing an amazing author, to selecting the best books to share, to formatting and differentiating your author study to meet the needs of your students, to crafting awesome lesson - this mini-series has got you covered!

Be sure to check out the full show notes for this episode at classroomnook.com/podcast/8.

Let's face it.  There are some things that students learn in school, take a test on, and then don't reeeeally need to remember ever again.  (um - 10th grade logics and proofs anyone?) However, there are MANY things that we teach our students that are the building blocks for much of what they will learn in future grades.

Math facts are one of those things.

Knowing them is the foundation for sooo much of what is to come in their learning, and NOT knowing them creates a huge barrier to our students' future success.

Here's another fact:  math facts can be boring and dull to learn.  

Skill and drill seems to be the obvious choice for having our students memorize their facts.  However, I am - as I am sure you are, too - a big believer in making learning fun and meaningful.  If students connect with their learning, they will REMEMBER their learning.  Simple as that. That's why several years ago, my teacher friend and I started having our 4th grade students participate in math challenges.

Total game changer.

In this week's episode I'm share exactly how to use math facts challenges with your students and I even have the free resources to help you get these challenges up and running in your classroom!

For full show notes AND to grab the free resources, head to classroomnook.com/podcast/7

Audio books are great for more than just a listening center.  Although they are likely a staple in your reader's workshop instruction, they have potential that goes far beyond reading centers!  Using audio books can benefit your elementary students in so many ways.  Of course they can be a great model of fluency and expression, but they also help develop listening skills, give students the opportunity to focus only on the content, rather than the act of reading itself, and even can be a great tool for differentiated instruction. 

In this episode of The Classroom Commute, I'm sharing several ways that you can use audio books in the classroom to support your learners!

For complete show notes, visit: classroomnook.com/podcast/6

Do you have a beautiful and organized looking classroom?  Are all your lessons plans prepped and ready for the rest of the week/month/year?  Does everything in your classroom match perfectly?  Do you have a cute teacher planner?

What if I told you that being an effective teacher didn't depend on your classroom's color scheme or decor?

Don't get me wrong.  I LOVE a pretty classroom, but today I'd like to share with you 7 habits that I truly believe are the foundation to being an effective and successful teacher - and guess what?  None of which can be accomplished using items from the Target dollar bin (gasp!)

See complete show notes at classroomnook.com/podcast/5

Music can be so influential in the way we feel or think.  Music has always played a huge part in my life growing up and even today.  And - when it comes to the classroom, there are ENDLESS ways to use music to spark excitement in learning.

Music can be a powerful tool in the classroom to set the tone for the day, or even to inspire and motive students in their learning!  It's a teaching strategy that EVERY teacher should be using regularly in their classroom. If you're not already using music in the classroom then NOW is a perfect time to start!

Check out this week's podcast where I'll be highlighting 9 different ways for using music in the classroom that any teacher can implement!  You don't have to be a music teacher to make music apart of your daily learning!

For complete show notes and resource links, head to The Classroom Nook website.

It was the first day of school.

I had *some* idea about the kinds of students that would enter in my classroom that year, but I had NO idea that the struggle would begin day 1.

Let me paint you a picture.  I was in an integrated 4th grade classroom with 23 students and 4 adults.  I was working along side a special ed teacher (who was actually just a long term sub for the teacher on maternity leave - she was amazing though!) and 2 of my students had one-on-one aids.  Our classroom was small and the kids were active...very active.  

MANY of the students had emotional behavior disorders and were truly not in the right place for success.  They needed way more support than what could be provided in an integrated classroom.  Most of the students in my class were reading at about a 2nd grade reading level or lower.  Yes- I said lower. 

Then there were the handful of well-behaved, grade level-appropriate learners that got caught in the cross fire - more than once.

Pretty grim picture, huh?  It doesn't get better, I'm afraid to say.  By the end of the first day of school, one kid had punched another and three others were in the principal's office.

It was the worst school year ever.

Now before you click away and say "why would I want to read about this?" - there is good new.  

I survived.  

I survived and lived to tell about it.

Does this sound like your year?  Have you been in the same situation before?  If you haven't...you will.  We all have "that year."

And you know what else?  You will survive it, too. 

Not every school year is going to be sunshine and cupcakes.  In fact, some years are just plain hard!  Maybe you have a large class size shoved in a small classroom, perhaps you have a challenging parent or two, or a handful of students that have behavioral or academic struggles.  Even if you have the best of intentions, the most amazing curriculum prepped and planned, and the best classroom management strategies set into place, every teacher is dealt a difficult school year from time to time.

Whatever the challenge may be, the truth is, sometimes you just have to make the best of what you've been handed and press on.  Instead of throwing your hands up in the air and giving up, put into place some self-care strategies and mindset shifts that will help you successfully complete the year and come out on top.

For full show notes, visit the podcast website: The Classroom Nook.

It's no secret - teaching history in the elementary classroom can be a struggle.  Teachers are faced with the challenge of making people and events of the past relate-able to young students who have a hard time even remembering or caring about the events and people of last week, let alone last century!

That's why making history come alive in your elementary classroom is so crucial to making students care about what they are learning.  As teachers of young students, we are setting the stage to develop learners who care about our world, both past and present, in order to build a stronger group of future leaders and thinkers.

But - lucky for you - I love a good challenge!

Over the years that I've spent creating social studies units, I've figured out a few ways to help make your instruction more engaging when teaching social studies.

In this week's episode I'm uncovering 10 of my favorite ways to make social studies more engaging in your upper elementary classroom.

For full show notes on this week's episode, visit The Classroom Nook website.

Teachers often put a lot of their focus on monitoring and tracking their students' reading abilities and often forget to provide opportunities for students to connect with other readers in their classroom.

Helping our students to feel part of a classroom community of readers can have some many positive impacts on their attitude toward reading.

In this episode, Rachael shares 3 simple reading activities and practices that you can learn about today and implement in your classroom tomorrow that will have students connecting and interacting more when it comes to their reading.

Find all the show notes at The Classroom Nook website!

Welcome to The Classroom Commute Podcast! 

If you have a classroom and a commute, then you're in the right place!  The Classroom Commute Podcast is THE place for busy teachers who want actionable tips, simple strategies, and a little fun on your ride in to school!  Carpool with Rachael each week as she helps to send you in with a grin!

In this first introductory episode, learn all about the host, Rachael Parlett, why she started this podcast, and what you can expect from future episodes!

Head to The Classroom Nook website for more great teaching advice and resources!