Month: December 2020

My New Year’s Resolutions as an Online Educator

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I’ve been a teacher with EdOptions Academy by Edmentum for three years now, and I can honestly say the last five months have been like nothing I have ever experienced. Truth- I was not the best teacher I could be. Like so many other teachers, I was in survival mode trying to juggle so many new online learners at one time.

As I sit here enjoying my winter break, for the first time I’m able to really reflect on my teaching this year. My ultimate goal is to provide my students and their families with more tools and resources, while also balancing their emotional needs. Below are my personal resolutions for my virtual classroom.

1. Make myself more available for my students. Every week I hold office hours to help students with assignments, but there are times where my students do not take advantage of this extra help. Going forward, I’m going to send out an invite for my students to attend my office hours for a hot chocolate get together just to talk. This will help me build trust with my students and allow me to get to know them on personal level. It will also provide them with a safe space to talk about what they are experiencing, especially since so many of them have been quarantining since August.

2. Provide more resources for my students. When I give my students feedback on their assignments oftentimes I include links to videos to help kids. For instance, if a student struggled with active and passive voice I will send them this video link. Going forward, I want to create a document for my students that includes all of the video links organized by category. I also want to create graphic organizers for some of the writing assignments that students can use to brainstorm their ideas.

3. Create a cheat sheet for parents. Parents receive sooo many emails from online teachers because it’s our main way of communication. It’s very easy to get lost in the sea of emails full of important information, so I created a cheat sheet for parents. The sheet has a place for them to record log in information, teachers, office hours days/times, links for meetings, and also a few important reminders about the courses. Click here to see my cheat sheet. Hopefully, parents will be able to save a few minutes and clicks to access information they use on a daily basis. For more parent information about online learning check out E-Learning: Setting Kids Up for Success and What Parents Should Know About Virtual Learning.

4. Host a monthly read aloud. Read alouds are without a doubt my favorite part of teaching, especially online. I used to host weekly read alouds with my students, and while my calendar doesn’t leave me time for a weekly one, I would like to host a monthly one. A few months ago, I hosted a read aloud for an hour and read Fantastic Mr. Fox to my kids just for fun. I had quite a few participants and many students thanked me for doing it. Going forward, I need to put the read aloud on my calendar and encourage students to attend. For more information on virtual read alouds, check out Effective Read Alouds in the Virtual Classroom and Incorporating Read Alouds for GradesK-12: Tips and Tricks from a Virtual Educator.

My resolutions are realistic for me to tackle as we start to gear up for second semester. While I wasn’t the best teacher first semester, I’m proud of myself for still providing quality feedback to my students and helping them earn credits towards their high school diplomas.

Little Reading Coach is a certified Teacher of English (K-12) and Reading Specialist (P-12) offering online reading,  writing and home-based learning support tutoring services for students in grades 6-12. For more information click here.

New Year’s Activities for Kids

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New Year’s is known as a time to reflect on the past year and make goals for the new one. New Year’s resolutions are set and there’s a sense of optimism and hope as we end the holiday season.

Now that Miss Molly is four, I wanted to start explaining the importance of this holiday to her. As always, I start by researching some books and other forms of media to help me with this process. Below are some great activities to help kids learn and celebrate this holiday.

Squirrel’s New Year’s Resolution by Pat Miller. To be honest, I was drawn to this book because Molly always points out squirrels. This picture book does a fantastic job of not only explaining what a New Year’s resolution is, but following the main character Squirrel come up with one. This book is available in paperback, hardcover and ebook on Amazon. There is also a really lovely audio recording of a read aloud on YouTube by Storytime Now! .

Happy New Year Around the World (coloring book) by Sylvia Walker. I’m in love with this book for a couple reasons. First, it introduces young readers to how different cultures around the world ring in the new year. Some countries include: China, Germany, Italy and Mexico. But the absolute best part is this story has pictures for readers to color! So it’s pretty much a 2 in 1! My little reader always needs to be busy, so the fact that we can read AND color this book is fabulous!

Rudolph’s Shiny New Year. I will always have a soft spot in my heart for the classic holiday films from the 70s, even if Eon still freaks me out a little. I love how this movie discusses the passage of time through songs and Rudolph’s journey that help little viewer’s understand the theme. It’s available on DVD and it can also be streamed on Amazon.

Little Reading Coach is a certified Teacher of English (K-12) and Reading Specialist (P-12) offering online reading,  writing and home-based learning support tutoring services for students in grades 6-12. For more information click here.

Distance Learning Winter Writing Activities for Grades 6-12

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As students enter middle and high school years, they sometimes forget that writing can be fun because they are constantly writing formal essays, research papers and responses. Creative writing can still happen in an English classroom while students practice using literary skills.

There are new products in my store that encourage creative writing while focusing on characterization, plot elements and point of view.

Winter Writing Characterization Activity– Students will create a character sketch of a snow person in three steps (brainstorming, writing and creating a visual) focusing on direct and indirect characterization. The product includes definitions to make this an independent writing assignment for students to complete on their own. There is a graphic organizer included for brainstorming. This is a great hybrid, remote or in-person activity for students to practice writing skills in a fun way for all students in grades 6-12.

Winter Writing Plot Activity– Students will create a short story about the ultimate snow day in three steps (brainstorming, writing a short story and creating a visual) based on the elements of plot. The product includes definitions to make this an independent writing assignment for students to complete on their own. There is a graphic organizer included for brainstorming. This is a great hybrid, remote or in-person activity for students to practice writing skills in a fun way for all students in grades 6-12.

Winter Writing Point of View Activity- Students will write about a snowstorm from two different points of view in two easy steps (brainstorming and writing) based on point of view. The product includes definitions to make this an independent writing assignment for students to complete on their own. There is a graphic organizer included for brainstorming. This is a great hybrid, remote or in-person activity for students to practice writing skills in a fun way for all students in grades 6-12.

Winter Writing Activities Bundle– This bundle includes three winter writing activities focusing on characterization, plot and point of view. Each activity includes definitions and graphic organizers for brainstorming, making them independent writing activities for students to complete on their own. This is a great hybrid, remote or in-person activity for students to practice writing skills in a fun way for all students in grades 6-12.

Little Reading Coach is a certified Teacher of English (K-12) and Reading Specialist (P-12) offering online reading,  writing and home-based learning support tutoring services for students in grades 6-12. For more information click here.

Homeschool Logic Lessons for Gifted and Talented Kids Review

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Disclaimer: I was provided a copy of this book from the author to facilitate this review. As always, all opinions are my own and are not influenced in any way.

As the parent of a preschooler (EEK!), I’m always on the look out for ways to supplement her education outside of the classroom. The majority of parents are concerned about their child’s letter and sound knowledge and counting abilities. But, what can we do for kids who are ahead of their class at this stage?

Homeschool Logic Lessons for Gifted and Talented Kids, by Smarty Buddy LLC, is a color workbook geared towards preschool and kindergarten students that provides enrichment activities and assessments.

Over the last few years I’ve had the opportunity to work with homeschool families. This book has everything a homeschool family needs to provide additional challenges to their little learners. It’s easy to use, includes clear directions, and offers multiple practice opportunities.

The organization is superb! The table of contents is extremely helpful and well laid out, making the book very user friendly. Each section is dedicated to a different skill, so there’s no weeding through trying to find what you’re looking for. The book offers nine lessons include the following: picture classification, figure classification, picture analogies, figure analogies, number analogies, number series- abacus puzzle, paper folding, sentence completion, and number puzzles. The premise of the book is to help foster students’ cognitive abilities.

As an educator, I like that the lessons and practice activities are in the beginning of the book, there’s a full assessment is at the end, and an answer key! The lessons include really clear step-by-step directions, allowing instructors to explain the lesson with ease. The pictures included are relatable concepts to preschoolers and kindergarteners, and the visual aids really help with comprehension.

Parents and educators can give the assessment all at once when the lessons and practice activities are completed, or give each section individually when a skill is completed. This allows for parents and educators to customize instruction based on their learner’s individual needs.

I recommend this book for homeschool families, parents and early childhood educators teaching preschool and kindergarten learners.

To purchase the book click here.

For more products and apps by Smarty Buddy LLC, click here.

A Christmas Carol Distance Learning Activities

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December is always an exciting month with so much holiday fun taking place. Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, is one of those classic pieces of holiday literature that is a great piece to use during this time with students in grades 6-12.

Many students often read the play version of this text, and take field trips to see a live performance. There are also countless movie versions available as well.

I have always been a believer in using film versions to support student’s learning and reading comprehension. I created five easy-to-use activities that can be paired with text and film versions of A Christmas Carol for those teaching remotely, hybrid or in person.

A Christmas Carol Scrooge Character Chart– Students can record how Scrooge changes as a character throughout the course of the text or film using this chart. It includes definitions of indirect and direct characterization and requires students to cite evidence and provide an analysis. This product can be used for any version of the text or film adaptations.

A Christmas Carol Character Chart– This character chart lists the main characters and requires students to record descriptions and provide evidence from the text or film. Characters included are: Scrooge, Bob Cratchit, Tiny Tim, Jacob Marley, Ghost of Christmas Past, Ghost of Christmas Present, Ghost of Christmas Future, Fred, Fezziwig, Belle and Mrs. Cratchit. This product can be used for any version of the text or film adaptations.

A Christmas Carol Lyrics Analysis Activity-Using lyrics from The Muppet’s Christmas Carol, students will highlight the text for examples of indirect, direct and background information on Scrooge. Based on the highlights, students will write three short responses that require textual evidence and explanations.

A Christmas Carol Compare & Contrast Text to Film Activity– Students fill out a Venn Diagram comparing and contrasting a text to film version of A Christmas Carol. Based on the graphic organizer, students will respond to two short responses that include textual evidence and specific examples. This product can be used with any text and film version of the work.

A Christmas Carol Theme Extended Response– Students will write four paragraphs focusing on a theme seen in both a film and text version of A Christmas Carol. This product also includes a rubric.

A Christmas Carol Activity Bundle– This bundle includes the following activities:

*Scrooge Character Chart Activity

*A Christmas Character Chart Activity

*Lyrics Analysis Activity

*Compare & Contrast Text to Film Activity

*Theme Extended Response (with rubric)

**Bonus item** a fill-in plot diagram with definitions

This is the perfect product to help supplement learning while students read or view film versions of this classic holiday story. 

Little Reading Coach is a certified Teacher of English (K-12) and Reading Specialist (P-12) offering online reading,  writing and home-based learning support tutoring services for students in grades 6-12. For more information click here.