Let me begin by saying, “I LOVE using board games in Science!” Well, not just in Science, in my classroom in general. They are so diverse and students love them too. Why should I Use Board Games in Science? Board games offer our students an opportunity to learn through play. If you had to pose the same questions in a worksheet and in a board game, which activity do you think your students would choose? Mine would choose the game over and over again. Now I’m not saying you ... View Post
Create Personalized Dictionaries
Do you create personalized dictionaries with your students? Thinking back, I remember creating my own personalized dictionaries when I was a student in school. (I always loved studying my teacher's perfectly formed letters - is that weird? I'm still not happy with my printing, but I digress!) I recall searching for my desired word and if I couldn't find it, I would approach my teacher to add it to my dictionary. But not, as a teacher, I DREAD the September filled with "How do I spell.....How do ... View Post
Useful Websites to Teach Global Communities
The global communities unit is so fun, but also can be overwhelming. Many students haven't left the province, let alone the country. This can make learning about global communities challenging as it is an abstract concept. Without exposure, students can’t easily imagine places different to their own. As a result, I needed to create opportunities for them to experience different communities in an interactive way. With this in mind, I set out to find some websites and interactive activities ... View Post
Roles and Responsibilities in Grade 1
A perfect way to kick off the year in Grade 1 is with this Social Studies unit. Teaching kids about their new responsibilities as "big kids" in the school is a great way to begin this unit. It is always challenging to help students understand big concepts like 'rights', 'responsibilities' and 'roles', but breaking it down into ideas they can relate to makes it so much easier for them to comprehend. How do I teach Roles and Responsibilities in Grade 1? I've created a detailed and easy ... View Post
Inquiry-Based Learning with Wonderwalls
What is Inquiry Based Learning? If you are not aware of this term, inquiry-based learning focuses on developing a students’ skills in asking good questions, forming thoughtful ideas and analyzing information. With inquiry-based learning, students are given the opportunity to investigate open-ended questions using reasoning and existing knowledge. We know this is great for students and allows them to bring in their own ideas, experiences and interests. It lends itself well to differentiation ... View Post
Social Emotional Learning in Math
In 2020, a new expectation was added to the Ontario curriculum: Social Emotional Learning in Math. This topic is so important to develop positive attitudes in learning Math. I have seen countless children arrive in a Math class filled with feelings of anxiety. Sometimes, these feelings come from off-handed comments from parents, siblings or their favourite TV stars who say "Oh I can't do math!". This can create a feeling of math being scary or 'hard' when we know it is neither ... View Post