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Learning Machine


From the Reading Machine
The Plural Girls reinforces spelling and plurals.
(Grades 2-12)

From the Math Machine
Operation Order is a fun Web site for teaching order of math operations. (Grades 6-10)

From the Science Machine
Use Metals and Magnetism to explore the topics of chemistry and magnetism. (Grades 1-4)


"Loud are the thunder drums in the tents of the mountains.
Oh, long, long
Have we eaten chia seeds and dried deer's flesh of the summer killing.
We are tired of our huts and the smoky smell of our clothing.
We are sick with the desire for the sun
And the grass on the mountain."

I came across this Paiute Late Winter Song the other day and it so perfectly expressed my feelings as January moved glacier-like into February, that I had to share it.

I know all of you can't really appreciate the seemingly endless misery of the cold, damp, dreary, slippery, sleety (Did I say "dreary?") mess we in the northeast call winter, but I'm sure every teacher can appreciate the late winter "stuck-in-the-hut-sick-with-desire-for-spring" feeling that permeates classrooms this time of year. What to do to? What to do?

How about a contest?

Read more.


Mindfulness in the Classroom: Skill 3
Connection is a product of mastering the skill of being present. It is the ability to observe, interact, and affect the individuals with whom you co-exist.

Heart Health Programs Move into Schools
The American Heart Association is raising its profile on programs schools can use to help students develop good health habits.

Goal Setting 101: The Process in Action
As any effective teacher knows, telling isnt teaching. The best way to help students see the goal-setting process in action is to set a class goal and work together to achieve it.

Strategy of the Week
Poetry Slam
Blend poetry and theater to create a fun event that emphasizes creativity while developing students' thinking and presentation skills. Use a slam as a Poetry Month fundraiser or an antidote to the winter blahs.




Ken Shore: Classroom Problem Solver
Managing the Student With Attention Deficit
A child with an attention deficit can pose serious classroom management problems and take up a considerable amount of instructional time.


Ms. Powell's Tips for Organizing Your Classroom
Versatile Boxes
Use free boxes to hold books, students extra school supplies or communal supplies, binders, notebooks, or anything else you need.

Classroom Management Article of the Week
Practicing Love & Logic Can Mean Happier Schools
Stressing positive teacher-student relationships, empathetic adults, and differentiated consequences, the Love & Logic approach to behavior management has fans among teachers and parents.


From Our Classroom Tips Library
Classroom Management: Parents Have Homework Too
Behavior Management: Modeling and Expectations
Motivating Kids: Relate Lesson to Life
Book Report Makeover: And the Winner Is...
Homework Tips: Clipping Coupons
Best Idea Ever: Do I Know You?
Testing Tips: Learn Test Vocabulary
EdTech Tips: More WordWonders





Fred Jones's Tools for Teaching
The School Discipline Code
The logic of all school discipline codes is timeless: "The punishment fits the crime." The greater the crime, the greater the punishment.



Joe Martin: The Teacher Motivator
Teach in the Now
I dont think Ive ever experienced a system that's more adept at putting off doing the right thing than the public school system.



Emma McDonald: The New Teacher Advisor
Teaching Special-Needs Students in the Regular Classroom
When dealing with special-needs students, educators today have a number of support resources available.


Eric Baylin's Songs to Brighten a Teacher's Day
The New Communications Song
Schools arent like they used to be in terms of communication. Today, theres e-mail, voice mail, cell phones all around the school.


Meet other members of Education World's Professional Development columnist team.



THE MATH AND SCIENCE CORNER

Featured Article
The Heart of Mathematical Thinking
This Valentine Hearts Investigation engages students in collecting data, making predictions, and graphing.

Wendy Petti's Math Cats
Writing About Math
Writing about math can be a positive learning experience. Learn how you can create a positive environment for writing about math.

Measurement Mania
Use the clues to solve the measurement mysteries.

Boxcar Math
Fishing for Division Facts
Practice beginning division facts.

Math Mnemonics
The first eight digits of pi.

THE SCIENCE LAB
Which Rocks Will Fizz?
A demonstration of how to test rock specimens, identify them, and learn about their chemical properties.


Using Micro-Text to Teach Writing
Many teachers agonize when there is no time to share varieties of rich text. They also worry that students might not grasp essential concepts through conventional classroom instruction. Micro-texts might be your solution.

The Anne Frank Wall Project
Jim DeLong's "Anne Frank Wall" celebrates the written word.


Critical Thinking With Fables New and Old
Students explore Aesop's fables and write their own. (Grades 3-12)
Experiencing Slavery and
Imagining Freedom

Read slaves' personal accounts of slavery; write a slave's account of freedom.
(Grades 3-12)

Writing Bugs
Parent for a Day
If you were your parents for a day...
Wish You Were Here
Imagine you are on your dream vacation


Reading Feature
Real Men Read
Administrators, coaches, police officers, bus drivers, and other men from the community pose for posters with their favorite books or magazines as part of the "Real Men Read" program.

The Field Trip to Remember
Allie and Scott take a wrong turn on a class field trip and find themselves in a mysterious gallery where they learn fascinating facts about presidents pets.

Cathy Puett Miller
Fluency Is More Than Just Speed
These classroom-ready tips focus on the most neglected area of fluency -- expressiveness. Improve students fluency by providing opportunities for them to practice phrasing, expression, emphasis, and volume.


Best Books for Teaching About...
Dental Health
The Iditarod





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