Tips for Engaging Parents this School Year It’s that time again for many of us worldwide to start the new school year! This time of year is very exciting, but also comes with new challenges. One of the most important challenges of the school year is how to engage parents. Larry Ferlazzo, author of Building Parent Engagement in Schools, points out that while many schools involve parents they rarely engage parents. According to Larry Ferlazzo, engaged parents are those that enter into partnerships with teachers and school staff to provide the best learning environment for children. Begin the Conversation Instead of having parents sign a syllabus with difficult language try sending a personalized email. I use a blanket email I copy and paste but the first two sentences always say something along the lines of, “Dear Mr. Set-up an Online Parent Community Set-up a community for your parents to communicate with you and other parents. Keep Parents Active Partnerships work best when we help each other. Invite Parents to a Workshop
Have Fun Teaching Watch Free Documentaries Online | Documentary Heaven Starfall's Learn to Read with phonics Free eBooks | Best 20 Sites to Download eBooks 20 Sites to Download Free eBooks for your Digital Library With all the technology around these days, we don’t need a tree to make a book. Scholastic survey of 2014 shows that 61% of school kids in the USA read digital books vs. 25% in 2010. Print books, CDs, Blu-ray discs are going to the past. Now we can download eBooks onto our Kindles, iPads, iPod, phones, laptops… the list is endless. Here’s a useful collection of sites for getting free eBooks (yes, free!) SEE ALSO: 200+ FREE & Useful Teacher ResourcesSEE ALSO: 15 Websites to Download Free Audiobooks for Your Player Free-eBooks.net This great website is exactly what it says on the tin – a huge free source of eBooks available for download. To download a free ebook, follow the steps below: Step 1. Step 2. Step 3. Step 4. Note that with the free account, you may download up to 5 books each month. Google Play Books If you are a lucky owner of Android smartphone or tablet, then you don’t need to look for free ebook sites. eCampus eBooks.com
National Science Digital Library Top 10 Ways to Wake-up Students in Class - SimpleK12 The following is a guest post from Michelle Doman, a 7th and 8th grade Language Arts teacher at Brandon Middle School in Wisconsin. Top 10 Ways to Wake-up Students in Class Many people get a little squeamish, wiggly, and offer a scrunched expression when I respond to the question, “What grades do you teach?” I teach middle school, and with heart and honesty, I find great joys (and challenges) in teaching the group referred to as “tweens” and adolescents. So, I invite you into the quirky world of middle school. Here are the Top 10 Ways to Wake-up Students in Class... 10. 9. 8. 7. 6. 5. 4. 3. 2. 1. If anyone has more ideas to capture the wondering, daydreaming, (hormonal) minds of middle school students, I would love to read about them. Related Articles 10 MORE Ways to Wake-up Students in Class About the Author Michelle Doman is a 7th and 8th grade Language Arts teacher at Brandon Middle School in Wisconsin's Rosendale-Brandon School District. P.S.
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