This simple printable page provides space for students to note their book choices for Reading Café, as well as someone they would like to serve at that event. Read Arlene's post about Reading Café here:...

“Are you ready for school to start?” 180 school days ago, I began a post with this question . I was looking ahead to a new school year—a new class, new textbooks, a new writing curriculum, some new colleagues, and all the...

This is a printable organizer for use in helping students analyze texts.

This document has ideas for teaching the economics standards, then “kid definitions” that Michelle Weaver developed.

Share about a teacher who impacted your life. This was the topic assigned to discuss around our tables at the school’s teacher appreciation banquet. A representative from each table was to share with the whole group after the...

Recently, one of my students asked how many days are left in first grade. I replied that we weren’t going to think about that yet. She told me she just wondered how long until we will be sad! I do a lot of reflecting in April,...

Capturing a specific moment in time, painting a picture with words, a descriptive word picture—these are some ideas of a snapshot. I think of a snapshot as a photograph. I take a picture of a scene and it is preserved in that...

“I told my class if they weren’t quiet at lunchtime, there would be consequences. Now I can’t think of a suitable consequence!” the new teacher told her mentor. Then the two teachers discussed consequences and management of the...

How do you prepare new teachers to do well? This document from Ephrata Mennonite School provides checklists and categories of skills and knowledge in which new teachers can be guided by mentors.

“Maybe God is giving you challenges this year, so you don’t get bored after all your years of teaching!” Maybe so. Over here, we have the child who is throwing things and ramming his chair into someone. Here’s one who told me he...

“This is for you,” Andrea said in a shy voice as she presented to me a grocery bag full of something. “If you don’t want it you can give it to someone else,” she added. Of course I had to appreciate the gift after that! I peered...

One day after a chapel speaker reflected on being thankful, my students said “thank you” for everything. “Thank you” when I handed out the worksheets. “Thank you” when I tied their shoes. “Thank you” for a compliment. That was...

Parent/teacher conferences are vital to good communications between the home and school. The conferences give us a point of contact and an opportunity to meet and focus on the child, looking at the academic, emotional, social,...

“I must say I don’t really care for parent/teacher conferences. I showed the paper to Seth and said, 'Let’s just sign up to talk to Miss Birt,'" a mom shared with me. Since Seth is a high-school student, this mom wouldn’t be...

Courtesy of Ephrata Mennonite School, this is a form used at Parent-Teacher Conferences. The form has prompts for teacher feedback to parents and parent/student feedback for teachers, as well as reminders of general protocol for...