classroom culture Archives

03 Apr 2020

A Better Way To Teach Math

This episode was recorded and edited before the coronavirus & distance learning was front of mind for educators. Valuable takeaways though regardless if you're virtual or in person One of challenges of teaching math is being able to satisfying answer the question 'why'? Before we can even answer the question for students, we have to answer the question for ourselves. Why does the math work this way? It's much easier to teach a student how to do a problem. It's a bit harder to explain to them why it works the way it does. It's even more challenging to help…

21 Feb 2020

No Planning Time, Low Test Scores, & Correcting Students | Q&A Show

What do you do if you don't have a planning period? How do you help students master a skill after they've failed a test? How do you correct students when they're wrong? Any advice for a first time long-term sub? We explore these questions into today's Q&A show. EPISODE NOTES In this Q&A show, we discuss: How do you support students & help them master content after they've scored low on a test?How do you find time to prep, grade, plan without using all of your free time outside of school if you don't have a prep period?How do you…

14 Feb 2020

Skype | Classroom Uses You Haven’t Thought Of

Sometimes we don't utilize simple tools that could have a powerful impact in our classroom. Skype has always been one of those tools for me. It has the power to bring the world into my classroom but I've rarely utilized it. I think it's not until we hear stories of how others are using it that it begins to spark ideas for what it could look like in our classroom. EPISODE NOTES Today I chat with two educators who are all about Skype in the classroom. Jeni Long & Salleé Clark (who go by the dynamic duo name of Jenallee)…

09 Feb 2020

How to Keep Your Sub Days From Being a Total Wash

My first day in the classroom was as a sub. I went in with ambitions to change young peoples lives; to see the student who isn't seen, to hear the student who isn't heard. The sub plan read as follows: "have the students work on odd problems on page 114 in the workbook." There were about 4 different workbooks amidst the pile of papers on her desk and I don't know which one she was referring to. Needless to say amidst my complete lack of classroom management skills and lack of direction, the day was a total wash and one…

28 Oct 2019

Screaming at Kids, Comparing Students, and Creating a Self-Sustaining Classroom | Q&A Show

How do you handle the noise level in your classroom and get your students attention without screaming? What do you do about students who just refuse to study for tests? How do you create a self-sustaining classroom? We answer these and more in this first Q&A show! EPISODE NOTES In this Q&A show, we discuss (timestamps included): 0:51 - What are the top three books that guide you in building a self-sustaining classroom culture?8:37 - As a first year robotics teacher, do you compare one class with another as a way to motivate students? In Brazil, if one class is falling behind another, it's common to…

23 Oct 2019

5 Ways To Greet Your Students

Had the pleasure of being on Vicki Davis' '10 Minute Teacher Podcast' this week! I shared the 5 different ways I greet students depending on the day of the week! Monday - Merry Mini-Fist Bump MondayTuesday - Happy Two-Thumbs Up TuesdayWednesday - Happy Waving WednesdayThursday - Happy Thankful Thursday; what are you thankful for besides your friends & your family?Friday - Happy High-5 Friday If you've got 10 minutes, take a listen to the podcast here :) You can see Vicki's full blog post on the episode HERE.

30 Aug 2019

3 Reasons You Should Start A Classroom Economy

Financial literacy is a hot topic in education. A classroom economy is a way for your students to have experiential learning when it comes to financial literacy. I share what exactly a classroom economy is and three reasons you should consider starting one in your class. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LL9FMGltRvI RESOURCES Vanguards 'My Classroom Economy' Resources - myclassroomeconomy.org Thom's 'Create & Manage A Classroom Economy' course - thomgibson.com/classroomec...

30 Jan 2019

Mindfulness in the Classroom

Mindfulness has started to become a bit of a buzzword in the education space. Today we talk with a district mindfulness specialist, a psychologist, and a classroom teacher to explore what mindfulness is, what it isn't, why it's worth doing, and how to get started in your own life and in your classroom. In this episode: I speak with mindfulness specialist James Butler to discuss best practices surrounding how to get started with mindfulness in the classroom. I interview psychologist Dr. Tori Olds about the deeper happenings in the mind when mindfulness is being practiced. I chat with educator Jaclyn Mann about her experience in…

28 Nov 2018

Collusion, Communism, and Catan…The Best Gamification of a Gov & Econ Class

I got the chance to go into Mike Franz's high school gov & econ class when they were playing YOLO, a year-long game where one week of school represents one year of life. The first week of the game the students are 18 years old, the last week of the game they are near retirement age. What will they make of their society, of their economy, of their investments, of their world? We explore the following: - what the game looks like from beginning to middle to end - how Mike utilizes class jobs to stay organized and to have…

20 May 2018

Which Apps To Use In A Classroom Economy?

THIS VIDEO AND POST WAS CREATING IN MAY 2018. CLICK HERE TO SEE MY CURRENT CLASSROOM ECONOMY SYSTEM (updated for distance learning). In this video, I focus primarily on the banking systems and budgeting options for a classroom economy but also share a little bit of some of the other changes I made this year. https://youtu.be/d2FYRSe5Ftg Full Classroom Economy Resources - thomgibson.com/classroomeconomy My Kids Bank - mykidsbank.orgBankaroo - bankaroo.comGood Budget - goodbudget.comMy Classroom Economy - myclassroomeconomy.orgEveryDollar - everydollar.com