Learn Create Inspire
Sharing successes and challenges through teaching while becoming a (hopefully) published author.
Self Talk & Emotions: Three activities to explore 54 Things Wrong with Gwendolyn Rogers
Using literature to unpack self talk and build class community is powerful. Three more activities to do with 54 Things Wrong with Gwendolyn Rogers. I also share a few ideas for how I design lessons linked to books I am reading. Making a novel do double or triple duty in the intermediate classroom makes engagement with the text even deeper.
Exploring and Responding the Hard Things: Talking About Ukraine
This post explores how I used loose parts, an interactive lecture, and art to help my students start to understand the invasion of Ukraine. It is filled with examples of what I did and provides a few other activities that could be done to support your teaching. My little students with big hearts want everyone to know that they will welcome any Ukrainian people who come to our school and hope the conflict ends peacefully. This is cross-curricular and hands-on.
Mrs. Salter’s Arcade: Hands-On Cross Curricular Fun
Readers Request: Mrs. Salter’s Arcade. A brief overview of the 2.5 weeks that I use to turn my classroom into a cardboard arcade and the learning that occurs. I have provided BC curriculum links as well as a sample package to use and possible assessment. Be inspired. Get messy. Have fun! This is a great project to start the new year with. You could tell kids about it before they go on break and they will come back with so many ideas!
Deep In Revision
My blog posts are few and far between because (1) teaching and (2) revision. I am having fun reading books about writing non-fiction and starting to share parts of my book with friends for feedback.
Reader Request: Exploring the First Peoples Principles of Learning
This is a lesson that helped my kids unpack the First Peoples Principles of Learning. We unpacked the language and then used these as a lens through which to view literature. This could also be done at a staff meeting or pro-D to help adults unpack the principles as well. I did make a mistake and have corrected it within this blog post. We are all still learning and when we know better…we do better!
Picture Books Part 7: Activities Inspired by Anchor Texts
Do you like to use picture books to explore identity/core Competencies? This post will give you two activities you can use after reading Count of Me by Migeul Tanco or I Am Every Good Thing by Derrick Barnes. Both activities are hands-on and one involves loose parts/creating a class book using Book Creator.
Reader Request: Hands-On Forestry Stations AND a Few Extra Activities… (Cross Curricular)
How do you make resources more hands-on? Run stations! Here is an outline of forestry stations I ran in my grade 5/6 class as well as a framework for designing your own stations. I also include a few additional forestry activities. Get messy! Play! Have fun!