Apple Blossom Teachers
A podcast for blooming teachers who are looking to learn, reflect, grow, and connect within a supportive teaching community. I am here to be your personal teacher mentor, leading you on your personal professional development journey without the nonsense busy work that often gets piled on new teachers! Learn more at appleblossomteachers.com
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66. REAL Lesson Planning Outline for Student Engagement
10/09/2023
66. REAL Lesson Planning Outline for Student Engagement
We’ve all sat through PD sessions that were less than engaging. It doesn’t feel great to be sitting through a session covering content we already know, or that has us sitting and listening for the bulk, rather than actively putting the new content into practice. The same goes for our students. Today I’m sharing a quick acronym to help you self-check lessons to get the most bang for your instructional buck. When we are planning content that we know might be a little lengthy or dry for our students, we can make it REAL and hook them in. How can I make this a little more relevant? What’s a way we can spin it to be something my students need or are curious about? What engagement strategies or highly-engaging activities can I add? Are these tasks engaging students in the activity, with the content, or both? How can I add a layer of authenticity to our final product? Will students have a purpose for remembering this content other than “because 5th grade standards say we need to cover it?” Are we forming lasting pathways for accessing this content beyond the final exam or end of the unit? Links and Resources Mentioned in this Episode Book: Podcast Episode: Math Games: (bottom row on this page) Photo Samples: Podcast Episode:
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65. Ditch the reading logs! Try this instead...
08/21/2023
65. Ditch the reading logs! Try this instead...
(TLDR - reading logs don't work, but this FREE printable bookshelf can!) Traditional reading logs - we've all seen them, used them, most likely fibbed on them...GASP! It's the truth though - in every post I see about reading logs, so many teachers and parents share anecdotes about how they have encouraged fibbing, even from voracious readers, because it's just something extra to fill out. We do know that keeping track of what we read can be helpful - it allows us to see patterns in our preferences of authors, genres, styles; it helps us remember what we might recommend to others; it gives us a sense of accomplishment when we realize, "Hey, I actually HAVE read quite a bit!" So what can we do instead that helps students reflect on this information and gives us insight into their reading life as their teacher? Try these personal bookshelves! Grab your free set at Want more ideas for building a strong reading culture in your classroom? Catch
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64. Student-centered Curriculum Design
08/14/2023
64. Student-centered Curriculum Design
Student centered norms and classroom design are important to establishing the ownership and engagement we desire. But what about when we get into the day-to-day, actual content area instruction? Many of our teacher manuals aren't particularly designed to be student-centered, primarily because the big publishers don't know our actual students! There are somethings we can do, though, to adapt our content delivery and activities to be more student-centered: 1. Overlapping our content areas 2. Intentionally using formative assessments and flexibility of pacing 3. Providing opportunities to go deeper, not just move faster
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63. Classroom Routines & Procedures in a Student-Centered Classroom
08/07/2023
63. Classroom Routines & Procedures in a Student-Centered Classroom
Today I’m sharing a quick run down of tips to keep in mind as you plan your class procedures and how you will introduce them during that very busy first week of school. The short version: Pre-teach things that are essential to starting a task Mention that you may pause their work mid-activity to briefly introduce the next system they need to know Layer the teaching into activities that use it - don’t separate a full time block to teach a million systems, introduce them as you need them and review next time they come up Keep things short and sweet - our brains will all be a bit mushy, and long explanations mean everyone tunes out and the systems don’t stick! Lastly, have a checklist for you and a checklist for them to see! Resources & Links: - Setting your classroom norms in a student-centered way 3rd Grade
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62. First Week of School Activities to Prevent Student-centered Learning Challenges
07/27/2023
62. First Week of School Activities to Prevent Student-centered Learning Challenges
With student ownership over their learning comes a need for shared responibility over the space and systems. Today I'm sharing 3 activities you can do within the first few days of school to support positive classroom management and gain student buy-in. Anchor charts to open dialogue about our shared vision for a succesful learning environment. Class commitments that will bring that shared vision to life. Family connections - sharing our vision and asking for support from our families. These 3 things can be circled back to all year as you and your students reflect on what is and is not working in your classroom, what everyone wants or needs in order to feel successful, and how every member of the community - grown ups and students alike - are essential to helping that vision come to fruition. Need some visuals? Check out the charts I mentioned on Instagram (): And if you missed last week's episode, definitely catch a listen as you plan your classroom design for the upcoming school year! Listen .
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61 Back to School Tips for Student Centered Classroom Design
07/17/2023
61 Back to School Tips for Student Centered Classroom Design
Let's look at a few easy swaps and considerations for setting up a student-centered classroom. Today we'll talk: math manipulatives classroom library student supplies writing station and more! Links and resources: - hear a bit about the math journey I mentioned in today's episode, plus Mona's tips that have been game changers for my teaching! episode of the Modern Math Teacher Podcast with Kristen Moore of Moore Than Just X.
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60. What Is Student-Centered Learning and Why Is It Important in Upper Elementary?
07/10/2023
60. What Is Student-Centered Learning and Why Is It Important in Upper Elementary?
Today we are kicking off a mini series all about student-centered learning environments. What is student centered learning and why is it important in upper elementary? Today’s episode will be a little more philosophical…overall what does this mean to us and other educators? How has this looked in upper grade classrooms? What are the outcomes - pros and cons- of creating a student- centered learning environment? All of these can hopefully help you reflect on where your classroom is, and what we want our classrooms to be like next school year. Over the next few episodes, we’ll dig more into the practical - what might the first week of school look like in a student centered classroom? How can we design a student-centered learning space? Where does our adopted curriculum fit, especially if it’s not very student centered? Before we get into all that goodness, though, let’s make sure we are in agreement on what a SC classroom is, and why it’s so important to supporting lasting learning for our students. Resources & Links: FREE Training! 5 Keys to Increasing Student Engagement in Upper Elementary - XQ Super Schools article: Article: (International Journal of Instruction; July 2020, Sumardi et. al) Come say hi over on Instagram - I’d love to hear from you!!
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59. Elementary Earth Day Activities...with a dose of SEL?!
04/21/2023
59. Elementary Earth Day Activities...with a dose of SEL?!
In honor of Earth Day, I’m RECYCLING and REPURPOSING an incredible interview with Amy Louise Davis, of Alou Artist, all about how we can reduce “throw away culture” in our classrooms while also supporting mindfulness and creativity in our students. Amy is a textile artist and embroiderer who is fascinated by pattern and sculpture. Influenced by environmental and social issues, she created alou in 2013 to tackle throw away culture. With a particular interest in repurposing often overlooked, pre-loved materials, she uses her skills in sculpting and embroidery to conceptualize and design beautiful new artifacts. Amy has also found a strong connection in the relationship between sustainability and mindfulness, which she shares with us today along with project ideas we can easily incorporate into our classrooms, Links and resources: Meet Amy on her website or follow her on Instagram , where she shares plenty of Reels and IGTV episodes offering tutorials for creative repurposing. Follow along with the ideas and tutorials in her campaign, , and share your own contributions using the hashtag #MendNotTrend on Instagram and Twitter Check out the incredible cacti sculptures Amy mentions in the show . Be sure to follow along on Instagram, where I’ll be sharing my takeaways and applications from this conversation as I revamp my classroom "Sustainability Station" mentioned in the episode: For current resources and updates,
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58. Teacher Inspiration Stories and Strategies
04/13/2023
58. Teacher Inspiration Stories and Strategies
What was the BEST class you've ever been in? What made it so? Great teachers have a knack for seamlessly weaving inspiration, passion, and content together in a way that creates a community of curiosity & excitement. We no doubt always start the year with the mindset of creating this type of learning environment for our students, but come May? No amount of sparkly motivational teacher quotes or giant travel mugs of coffee are getting us through the days right now! So take today's episode as a little power boost to get you through the final stretch of this year, to celebreate all the amazing things you've done to create an incredible space for your students this year, and to inspire all the motivation to be someone's best class ever! And because Teacher Appreciation Week is coming up, let's also celebrate some of the teachers who have left joy-filled and inspirational impressions on us and our teaching! Record a short message on your voice memo app telling me your name, what you teach, and a fun or inspirational memory about one of your favorite teachers. Then email it directly to me at (you can also just type it if the thought of hearing your voice on the radio gives you the heeby jeebies!). I look forward to sharing as many inspirational teacher stories as I can throughout the month of May! Want some specific strategies and projects to level up the engagement &motivation in your upper grade classrom? Grab the FREE video training !
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57. Differentiated Novel Studies: Helping all readers access complex texts
03/09/2023
57. Differentiated Novel Studies: Helping all readers access complex texts
We’ve been chatting a ton about higher order thinking skills and getting our students really digging deep with our grade level content. 🤷♀️But what do we do when students are struggling to simply meet that grade level content? How can we simultaneously scaffold our instruction while also supporting all learners in applying HOTS and complex application of grade level content? It’s absolutely possible, and it is absolutely necessary! Today I'm sharing simple strategies for supporting all learners in accessing opportunities for creative application of learning and complex discussions during novel studies. If you've ever seen a project or complex novel study and thought "That's awesome, but my students just aren't ready for that," this episode is for you! 📱Don't forget to connect with me on Instagram - hearing from you keeps me motivated to share more strategies and ideas! For resources, professional development, and more visit or check out my TPT store .
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56. Teaching Informational Texts Doesn't Have to be Boring!
02/23/2023
56. Teaching Informational Texts Doesn't Have to be Boring!
Looking for some fun ways to teach informational text structures, author's purpose, nonfiction text features, and more that go beyond the usual activities and anchor charts? Here's a quick mini-lesson and an exploration activity you can use to engage your students authentically with informational text analysis. Watch how this frame of thinking shifts the complexity for all your informational reading and writing lessons for the year. 🎉 Grab the FREE on-demand training "5 Keys to Increasing Student Engagement in Upper Elementary" . You'll get project examples, instructional strategies, and as always, some teacher pep talks to keep your own teaching passion burning bright! 👓 Want a visual of the lesson materials mentioned in the episode? and share your ideas in the comments! 📲 Be sure to reach out to me on Instagram if you want a copy of the slides mentioned in the episode, and don't forget to leave a review here in your podcast app if you're enjoying the show!
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55. Higher Order Thinking Question Examples - an easy strategy for leveling up student-generated questions
02/18/2023
55. Higher Order Thinking Question Examples - an easy strategy for leveling up student-generated questions
Let's chat about an easy way to push students' observations, analyses, and questioning to a higher level. Using a strategy known as "Think Like A Disciplinarian," students are challenged to take on the perspective of an expert in a field or topic. Students ask questions, make observations, and draw relevant conclusions that a specific disciplinarian would note about our topic of study. Why is this helpful for teaching higher order thinking skills? Taking on a specific perspective allows students to openly ask questions and analyze a topic in a more complex way, vs just making our own observations as 5th graders Social pressure of being viewed as "wrong" or not knowing something everyone else knows is virtually eliminated when we shoulder the questions onto an imaginary disciplinarian. Inspires complex questioning that helps students reach a deeper understanding of the content 🎉 Grab the FREE on-demand training "5 Keys to Increasing Student Engagement in Upper Elementary" . You'll get project examples, instructional strategies, and as always, some teacher pep talks to keep your own teaching passion burning bright! Connect with me on Instagram , and don't forget to leave a review here in your podcast app if you're enjoying the show!
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54. The Science of Reading Goes Beyond Decoding
01/23/2023
54. The Science of Reading Goes Beyond Decoding
I’m sharing a tool, known as the Icons of Depth and Complexity, for getting our students to think deeply about the texts we read, events we discuss, and situations we encounter. This simple tool for helping students access and apply higher-order thinking skills is a game changer for so many reasons! 🌟🌟🌟 Spelling lessons not sticking for your students? Learn how a few easy shifts to science-informed spelling can make a world of difference! Enrollment in Stronger Spelling: Small Steps for Teachers of Big Kids is now open. Visit to learn more and join the fun! Resources and links mentioned: An from Kern County Office of Education Ian Byrd's Byrdseed Ian Byrd's Byrdseed suggestions for Post from Naomi O'Brien (Read Like A Rockstar Teaching)
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53. Make Good Reading Responses Even Better
01/14/2023
53. Make Good Reading Responses Even Better
These 2 strategies had my students asking if they were allowed to go back and reread! Yup, a great reading response prompt can be the difference between "I have to go back and find text evidence." and "I've gotta find evidence to prove my point!!" Strategy 1: Add a Likert Scale to yes/no questions. Strategy 2: Have students add themseleves to the scene or event. 🌟🌟🌟 Did you hear? I'm kicking off a mini course to help busy upper elementary teachers increase spelling success without revamping your whole word study system. 🔗 Learn more and join the waitlist at today! Links and Resources Mentioned in this Episode: : Novel Study No-No's and How to Fix Them showing the Likert Scale idea Visit
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52: Hot take - When students are stuck, just GIVE them the information.
01/05/2023
52: Hot take - When students are stuck, just GIVE them the information.
Today's quick win strategy is all about keeping our students moving forward, allowing them to deeply engage with complex upper elementary skills, by just giving them the key information. Literally, just give them the key! Fluently solving multiplication facts, figuring out how to spell a word, finding key details from a story...yes, there is a time and place for teaching our students these things. But when working on more complex aspects, don't stall student engagement by sidetracking the lesson. Or worse, don't hold students back from participation in a lesson just because they are stuck on a prerequisite skill. You'll win with more engagement, more motivation to try the tougher concepts, and less time teaching things over and over for the "first time" as students are ready. Cheers to 2023, and I hope this episode helps you and your students get past those post-winter-break brain farts! To learn more about the "Stronger Spelling: Small steps for teachers of big kids" on-demand training launching this month,
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51. Student Publishing to Increase Writing Motivation
12/09/2022
51. Student Publishing to Increase Writing Motivation
Over the last few weeks, we’ve been chatting all about how we can bridge high quality reading instruction to strengthen our students’ writing. Today I want to share this throwback episode to give you some project ideas your students can actually apply all these lessons to. I hope this juicy past episode gives you some ideas on how to motivate and engage your young writers, and provides a frame of reference as we start to get into some higher order thinking strategies over the next few weeks. Episode 31 Links and Resources: 💻 Looking for more ways to take learning from ROTE to REAL? Grab the free video training , plus a print-and-go planning template you can use tomorrow! 📍 The Navigator: Use this to find what you need most! (3:00) How I layered 4 disciplines in one skatepark project to maximize our class time (7:50) What are authentic audiences, and why are they helpful? (9:12) Engagement and motivation…are those the same? (12:30) Why this strategy is ideal for natural differentiation and instructional support for every learner (14:10) Gifted teacher pet peeve soapbox: our gifted and advanced learners need and deserve to have true opportunities to stretch their learning muscles as their peers, and more of the same work AIN’T IT!! (15:28) Higher order thinking skills are not often accessed in our teacher manuals, but here’s how to fix it (21:05) Critical thinking vs. creative thinking (22:11) Let’s jump into over a dozen actual PROJECT IDEAS FROM REAL UPPER ELEMENTARY CLASSROOMS! These are based on the 5 levels of authentic audiences in . (37:07) My friend Mandy’s epic 6th grade kindness crew that’s been running for over 5 years! (38:40) Amy @theuniqueclassroom’s 3rd grade persuasive paragraph activity for their local animal shelter (40:00) My friend Kayla’s awesome marketing pitch project - Shark Tank style (41:45) Why this is also a great approach for embedded SEL lessons & life skills (43:50) Rachel’s 5th grade March Madness letters to university teams that actually got replies!! 🔗 Links and resources from this episode: Free sample pages from Wendy Conklin’s Kwame Alexander engages students in Writing Workshop, and you can too! - interdisciplinary project ideas (plus a in my highlights) an easy way to add in regular informational writing Student-created newsletter Shark News on Edutopia We Are Teachers & USPS “” Program @theuniqueclassroom of children’s writing contests for the FREE virtual training on how to take your upper elementary lessons from rote to “REAL” - leave with 5 “purposeful project” planning templates and the tools you need to increase student engagement, boost motivation, and create lasting learning! Read my about the 5 authentic audiences that will motivate your upper grade writers. Loved this episode? It would make my day to read your review, and can help more teachers discover the podcast!
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50. Lessons on Writing from Real Authors
12/01/2022
50. Lessons on Writing from Real Authors
We’ve talked about using physical texts such as novels, picture books, and poems as mentor text for writing and reading standards. But what if instead of just learning from the author’s writing, we actually learn directly from the author themselves? Today I’m sharing all about why and how you can use author chats (live experiences or prerecorded) to study authors crafts moves for upper elementary writing lessons. How can we regularly bring author’s voices and advice into our upper elementary classrooms? How can we ensure these types of experiences apply to lessons on writing, going beyond just a fun experience? Resources and Links: - Episode 46 - Episode 48 - Episode 49 - Sign up and get their newsletter with author chat invites throughout the school year *FYI: This is a referral link, and you and I will both earn bonus book points for referred sign ups.
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49. How to Use one Mentor Text for Narrative Writing and Reading Skills
12/01/2022
49. How to Use one Mentor Text for Narrative Writing and Reading Skills
Today's focus will be literary mentor texts - using one text with paired reading and writing standards to maximize our class time, increase student engagement with the content, and create learning that lasts. One picture book can tackle authors craft moves, author’s voice, tone of the story, point of view, sentence structures, and research for writing, to analyzing literary elements, word choice, narrative text features, tone of the story, and more for reading. Mentor text for narrative writing in this episode: fiction novels, poetry, fictional narrative picture books, narrative nonfiction picture books, wordless picture books For a similar episode about informational mentor texts, head to Resources and Links - Episode 29 - Episode 46 - Episode 48 *By Meredith Liben and Susan Pimentel on Achieve the Core *By Nell K. Duke, Alessandra E. Ward, P. David Pearson *The Reading Teacher Journal, V.74 Issue 6
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48. Using a reading lesson plan for writing
11/17/2022
48. Using a reading lesson plan for writing
One strategy to really deepen complexity and understanding beyond memorization, to a place where students are truly applying that skill, is to be very intentional with pairing reading and writing. Today, we're chatting all about using your weekly reading lesson plan to truly guide your writing plans. Why is this a huge help for BOTH reading and writing understandings? How does this increase student engagement? How the heck do I fit this in with my given pacing plan?!? This episode zones in on one example, specifically narrative point of view, to give you an idea of how you can pair reading and writing standards to get major bang for your buck! Resources mentioned in this episode: Episode 47 FREE video training If you've tried some of the strategies I've shared and found success, I would so appreciate if you'd leave a review here on the podcast. This helps other teachers just like you discover the show, and that is my biggest dream...to have classrooms full of excited, engaged upper graders everywhere!! Thank you so much for your support.
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47. Reading Conferences: A sneaky strategy for reading instruction in upper elementary
11/10/2022
47. Reading Conferences: A sneaky strategy for reading instruction in upper elementary
It boils down to this: Students can’t love reading without knowing HOW to read. The good news is, teaching students how to read and creating a class community full of students who love to read can definitely happen simultaneously. And in upper grades, it absolutely needs to. Reading conferences are a great strategy for reading instruction in upper elementary, really helping you meet your students where they are and nudge their reading abilities forward. Listen in for what reading conferences ca look like, why they're such an impactful strategy for reading lessons, and how to actually fit them in with your boxed curriculum. Resources and links mentioned: The Reading Strategies Book by Jennifer Serravallo The Reading Strategies Book 2.0 by Jennifer Serravallo A Teacher's Guide to Reading Conferences by Jennifer Serravallo Jen Bengel's reading conferences protocol as shared on featuring Jen Jones, Naomi O'brien, Heidi Martin, and more Looking for more? Visit for a FREE video training: 5 Keys to Increasing Engagement in Upper Elementary
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46. 3 Novel study no-no's you may be making (and how to fix them!)
11/03/2022
46. 3 Novel study no-no's you may be making (and how to fix them!)
These are 3 common novel study and read aloud no-no’s, all 3 that I've definitely done myself! Teaching the BOOK, not the READER. Choosing a book that doesn't resonate with your current readers. Choosing a book that will take too long, OR taking too long on a short book. Today's episode shares what we can do instead that will increase student engagement and propel their learning forward. Resources mentioned in this episode: Dr. Sandra Kaplan's Icons of Depth & Complexity: Ian Byrd - - critical thinking strategies and intro to Depth & Complexity for teachers mentioned in this episode and coffee giveaway - Winners drawn on Nov. 7, 2022. I appreciate your feedback! Additional upper elementary engagement strategies:
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45. Classroom Community Building Starts with a Strong Reading Culture
10/27/2022
45. Classroom Community Building Starts with a Strong Reading Culture
Want 5 simple ways you can support a strong reading culture in upper elementary, and surprisingly have some strong classroom community building as a bonus?! Allow for reading choice Make time for book talks & reading life chats Use reading journals instead of traditional reading logs Incorporate reading conferences to individualize reading progress Share novels primarily for the love of reading! Resources mentioned in this episode: Reading Journal "Bookself" visual A More Powerful Reading Journal - Teacher Guide and Templates book by Donalyn Miller Your no-prep action item this week is to share pieces of your own reading life with your students. This can be a memory from your own elementary reading, a current or recent book you’ve loved or loathed and why, a time you ditched a book, the reason you chose a book, other things you’ve read that aren’t books, and more! Make it your goal this week to connect with one student’s reading journey each day, or with your whole class, by sharing a bit of your own reading journey that relates. Help me, help you! (And maybe get some coffee on me!) so I can better plan the upcoming podcast episodes with your needs in mind. I truly appreciate your input! Winners drawn on November 7th.
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44: Writing Strategy for Peer Editing - The Speed Proofread
08/11/2022
44: Writing Strategy for Peer Editing - The Speed Proofread
You've heard of speed dating, right? What if I told you that model works for efficient and pretty thorough peer editing, too?! "Speed Proofread" eliminates some of the challenges and pressure that come with exchanging papers with one peer, and shifts proofreading and revisions to a whole-class, collaborative effort where everyone supports everyone's growth. The best part? It can be done in just 15 minutes! , and be sure to share this with a fellow teacher who would find it helpful.
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43: Gallery Walk Peer Feedback
08/04/2022
43: Gallery Walk Peer Feedback
This is a simple, no-prep method for helping students give authentic, skills-focused feedback on peer projects. Having students set up art projects, STEM designs, etc. around the room in a gallery format, then having students leave sticky note compliments around peer projects using content-specific vocabulary we were focusing on. Check out examples and of how we've done this with an art project! Don't forget to share this episode with a friend who would find it helpful, and catch you next week for another of may favorite peer feedback strategies!
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42. Gallery Walk Student Presentations
07/24/2022
42. Gallery Walk Student Presentations
Short on time, but still want students to regularly practice formally presenting to peers? Enter - Gallery Walk Presentations! This is a great strategy for building students' presentation confidence, and great for assessing peer listening comprehension. Listen in for a quick run down of what this can look like in upper elementary. Links and Resources: - snag it now before the price increases as more project types are added! Want even more student engagement ideas? Grab your FREE on-demand video training at Ready for a personalized student-centered back to school plan? Kick off your year of Relevant, Engaging, and Lasting Learning. Join me THIS THURSDAY for a live, interactive virtual workshop. For more information, and to register, visit
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41. School Accessibility: Considerations for field trips, assemblies, and more with Erin Castillo of Affirmations and Accessibility
07/14/2022
41. School Accessibility: Considerations for field trips, assemblies, and more with Erin Castillo of Affirmations and Accessibility
Accommodations aren’t just for inside our classrooms, and Erin Castillo of is sharing some insight on how we can make all parts of our school year engaging and accessible to all our learners. This is such an important conversation full of eye-opening considerations. You will leave this episode feeling empowered to support each and every student during things like field trips, assemblies, group projects, and so much more. Erin and I would love to hear your biggest takeaways, questions you have upon reflection, and if you’d like us to dig deeper into accessible education. Take a screenshot of the episode, share it to your stories or feed, and tag us in your thoughts over on Instagram: Erin: Lorraine: 💻 Looking for simple ways to take learning from ROTE to REAL? Grab the free video training , plus a print-and-go planning template for weaving guest presentations into your content! 🔗 Links and resources from this episode: Connect with Erin on and Check out Erin’s resources on Grab the : 5 Lasting Ways to Increase Student Engagement in Upper Elementary 💜 Lastly, don’t forget to share this important episode with a colleague or teacher bestie so every student has access to a well rounded school year!
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40. Student Engagement Strategy: Guest speakers in the elementary classroom
07/07/2022
40. Student Engagement Strategy: Guest speakers in the elementary classroom
Guest speakers can be an easy way to make learning relevant, help students build value for skills, topics, and disciplines you are covering, and form partnerships that can open even more learning opportunities within your community. Ready for more? Join me on July 28th for a half-day, virtual, interactive workshop! I am so excited to help you collaboratively design your student-centered classroom...a place where your students will be eager to continue learning, sharing their knowledge, and have the teachers down the hall asking "how the heck do you do that?!" I promise it's easier than it sounds, and in this workshop we will cover the basics PLUS give you actionable tools and strategies to kick start your best school year yet! For all the details, and to register before we reach capacity, head to . Links mentioned in this episode: - download available as part of the FREE 5 Keys to Increasing Engagement in Upper Elementary video training. Register for the summer workshop:
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39. A Simple Reading and Writing Strategy
06/30/2022
39. A Simple Reading and Writing Strategy
Short and Sweet Episode Week 3: This is a strategy called “Step In - Step Out,” which I originally learned from Michael Friermood, AKA The Thinker Builder. You can learn more about his version , which is awesome for building a deeper understanding of a narrative text, as well as the impact of authors’ choices. I also have a few ideas for how we can do something similar but more focused on nonfiction texts. Listen in for my two ideas, plus a little announcement about an incredible interview dropping on July 12! 💻 Looking for more? Grab the FREE on-demand video training: Got a burning teaching question? Send your Curriculum Conundrum to me , or just DM me over on instagram . Can’t wait to support you!
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38. Student Engagement: Quick scans to introduce vocabulary
06/23/2022
38. Student Engagement: Quick scans to introduce vocabulary
Welcome to week two of our Short And Sweet Summer episodes! Each week I'll share one quick-win engagement strategy for your third through sixth grade classroom, along with a brain dump of ways YOU can use it! These SASS-y episodes are great for a quick listen while running errands, or to save up for a big binge on your upcoming flight or road trip! 💡I'm sharing my two favorite "quick scan" activities for kicking off a unit. These are intended to activate students' background knowledge and give you a glimpse of where you'll need to invest the most effort during the unit. They're also a great way to compare student confidence with the vocabulary before and after the unit. *I origninally learned this strategy from one of my favorite PD books in my credential program, . The colored dot rating and class continuum scale are just two of the 8 quick scans they share in the book, and the quick scan is just the first of the 50 strategies! 🌟🌟🌟 Want a more specific game plan for your grade level, content area, and the students in front of you? Join me for the Upper Elementary Engagement Academy on July 28th, a half-day interactive virtual workshop where we will create your student-centered game plan and fill your tool bag with tons of actionable engagement strategies! Visit to register.
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37. Student Engagement: Examples and non-examples sorts for every subject area
06/16/2022
37. Student Engagement: Examples and non-examples sorts for every subject area
Welcome to week one of our Short And Sweet Summer episodes! Each week I'll share one quick-win engagement strategy for your third through sixth grade classroom, along with a brain dump of ways YOU can use it! These SASS-y episodes are great for a quick listen while running errands, or to save up for a big binge on your upcoming flight or road trip! 💡Today is all about concept attaintment - a way of getting students to think deeply about the content you will be studying, before you even tell them what it is! These example and non-example sorts can be done with no fancy materials, using photographs or clip art printouts, or even with tangible objects. I promise you will pique student interest, get them curious about the unit or lesson ahead, and give them an anchor to which they can connect learning with as you move forward. Ready to make that learning stick? Let's jump in! *I origninally learned this strategy from one of my favorite PD books in my credential program, . This book is worth 10 times it's weight in gold, and has strategies for every stage of your units! (P.S. This is not an affiliate link, I just truly love this book!) 🌟🌟🌟 Want a more specific game plan for your grade level, content area, and the students in front of you? Join me for the Upper Elementary Engagement Academy on July 28th, a half-day interactive virtual workshop where we will create your student-centered game plan and fill your tool bag with tons of actionable engagement strategies! Visit to register.
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