Top 12 Young Adult Books for Reluctant Readers

Based on the last school year, I've compiled my list of the best read, most asked for, and favorite books from my class library.

All 12 of these titles are young adult fiction, and all of my copies of these books are coming apart at the seams..literally! The list includes books aimed for both guys and girls. This list is (most importantly) not up to me–all of these books were checked out most of the year because my students LOVE them…some would definitely not make my top 12 list!

I put them in reverse order and linked the titles to a summary of the book…so, drum roll please:

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18 Educational Apps for Halloween

Halloween is one of the most fun holidays. Kids love the spooky monsters, sounds, music, dances, treats, traditions, haunted houses, and costumes that surround the holiday. As an educator or parent that has an iPad, iPhone, or iPod you can capitalize on this time to help kids learn while celebrating the holiday.

Here are free apps to help encourage math, literacy, and problem-solving skills. Some of the apps are just fun!

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Tips to Stop Stressing Over Parent Teacher Conferences

Does thinking about the end of the grading quarter leave you dreading the impending parent conferences?

Many teachers will be scrambling to get those final assessments in before the end of the marking period, double-checking report cards, and printing off reports in an effort to pull together a quick snapshot of each child’s progress since the beginning of the school year.

Then, they will be expected to present this information to the parent in a quick 15-minute time slot, while dealing with running siblings, parents that are late then want to stay to chat forever, and no-shows who don’t bother to take the time to call to cancel. It's no wonder this time of year is so stressful for teachers everywhere!

Perhaps these tips can help ease the stress over parent conferences.

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Do’s & Don’ts for Teacher Halloween Costumes

Halloween can be a scary time. Not only are spooky ghosts and goblins roaming the streets, but you also have to face a chilling reality: Halloween is merely days away and you still don't have a costume!

Unlike in offices and other adult-dominated domains, costumes are often allowed and even expected in schools. Teachers need to balance creativity, professionalism and the logistics of dressing up for school.

Here are a few Do's and Don'ts to help you find the perfect Teacher Halloween Costume:

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Breaking Bread: Lunch Bonding with Students

As teachers, we are all working hard to establish that all important teacher/student relationship that is paramount when trying to engage students in learning and growing.

One way I establish that bond is creating a special atmosphere during a weekly lunchtime setting. Sharing a meal and eating together is a strong primal bond for human beings.

Teachers who find time during the week to eat in the cafeteria with their students or who arrange a lunch with a small group of students are given the chance to learn a great deal about their students in this type of social setting. Students feel more relaxed in this type of setting than in the classroom in a desk. They will share more about themselves and their world both at school and away from it.

For students the cafeteria is a location within the school building where the usual rules don’t apply. You don’t have to raise your hand to speak, you can talk to friends, you can laugh, a lot!

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Are School Libraries Expendable?

"Don't tell me where your priorities are. Show me where you spend your money and I'll tell you what they are.” ~James W. Frick

Frick would tell California, and their out-of-control budget, that school libraries are NOT on their list of priorities.

When budgets are hurting, arts are always the first to go. No Child Left Behind made social studies the low subject on the totem pole. Now, it seems, libraries are on the chopping block.

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Celebrate a Healthy Halloween in Your Classroom

As Halloween approaches and candy sales rise, students look forward to celebrating this spooky holiday in the classroom. Fighting childhood obesity is becoming a bigger focus in schools, so a candy free-for-all may go against your school’s nutrition initiatives.

Is it possible for teachers to maintain healthy habits in their classroom celebrations during this candy-packed holiday without being a total drag? Absolutely!

Here are tips to turn your classroom’s Halloween celebration into a healthy and nutrition-friendly event.

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Classroom Halloween Activities for Any Grade

Believe it or not, Halloween is just around the corner. Maybe you’re already bracing for the costumes and the sugar rush, but what if Halloween could serve a useful educational purpose?

To prepare for Halloween in your classroom, check out these activities for fun new ways to sneak in some spooky lessons and ghoulish learning!

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Top 12 Ways to Increase Student Participation

Call it "active learning," or "classroom participation" -- every teacher wants more involved students and fewer apathetic ones. With a little extra planning, that is possible.

Below are four common reasons students don’t participate and techniques to solve those problems and spice up your lessons.

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One Teacher's Juggling Act

Spare time? Sleep? What teachers knows what those are?

If you feel like your juggling skills are worthy of a Ringling Brothers Circus Act, you are not alone. I've been struggling to balance my life as a teacher with all my school, home, and family obligations while maintaining my sanity.

Between teaching full-time, going to graduate school part-time, spending time with my family and friends, and blogging, it is nearly impossible to keep up with it all. For me, the name of the game is prioritizing.

While I’m not an expert, I hope that this look into my life and how I juggle it all will help us all gain some perspective on the crazy life of a teacher.

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Teacher Reminder: Students Didn't Choose Their Parents

“They did not choose their parents..."

“They didn’t choose their genetic pool.”

“They couldn’t say I want two college-educated parents who love me, care for me, and make education my priority.”

After hearing these statements, I realized that, many times, I get frustrated with my students about things over which they have no control. And I'm resolving to change my ways.

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50 Ways to Use Twitter in the Classroom

Many critics of Twitter believe that the 140-character microblog offered by the ubiquitous social network can do little for the education industry. They are wrong.

K-12 teachers have taken advantage of Twitter’s format to keep their classes engaged and up-to-date on the latest technologies. The following projects provide you and your students with 50 ways to incorporate Twitter into important and lasting lessons.

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Engaging Classroom Games for All Grades

Who doesn’t like to play games? Not only are games fun, interactive, and social, but they're also great tools for learning.

With so many demands placed on educators to always be ‘standards-focused,’ game can seem like more of a distraction than an instructional tool (especially to principals passing by). I know many teachers who shy away from games completely because they don’t want their principal to walk in and say, “Umm, Mrs. Pak, why are your students playing around instead of learning?”

On the other hand, games add flair and student engagement to more tedious, yet necessary tasks like teaching math facts, grammar rules and vocabulary, reviewing for tests or even completing lab experiments. Adding an element of competition motivates and energizes students.

Here are my nine student-favorite games to use in K-12 classrooms.

All of these games can be played, with varying degree of difficulty, with younger kinders to older high school students. It’s the subject matter and the materials that are used that make the difference to the students who are playing the games.

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Top 12 Ways to Teach Finance Skills to Kids

It's never too early to teach children financial lessons and the necessary life skills of money management.

As a veteran finance professor and father of two young sons, I'd like to share my top 12 ways to teach good money habits to kids of all ages.

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My Kindergarten Teacher, My Hero

Throughout our entire career as students, we encounter a tremendous amount of teachers. Each one impacts our educational career in some way or another.

Every once in a while one of those teacher leaves a lasting impression. For me, that was my very first teacher: Mrs. Mathers.

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Mr. Teachbad: Please Differentiate Teachers' PD

Every teacher in-service day inevitably means school-coordinated professional development... which is likely to leave you with a big ironic question hanging in the air:

Why don't they differentiate my professional development training?

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Exit Slips: Effective Bell-Ringer Activities

One teaching objective frequently used by administrators and educational evaluators is the old adage “Teach bell-to-bell.” Sometimes, however, this wise advice is easier given than done.

Teachers find themselves with five or even ten vacant minutes at the end of class, and they ask themselves, “What now?” While some may opt to allow students additional “study time” or “early homework time,” such a plan usually goes awry, and students begin chattering, antagonizing one another, and generally become disruptive in the absence of an actual purpose.

A better answer to the “dead time” issue comes in the form of Exit Slips: simple index cards or short sentence strips that allow students the opportunity to demonstrate mastery over the day’s subject matter.

When those final few minutes of class arrive, three options are available:

1. Review
2. Prediction
3. Critical thinking

Each option comprises a worthy role that exit slips can play in even the most diverse classrooms.

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Battle Bullying by Connecting with Students

Recently, a military family I know - a husband and wife I went to high school with and their two children - was reassigned to South Carolina. This marked their fourth move in seven years. “Karen”, a seventh grader and, “Cody”, a fifth grader began the year at a new school.

In a matter of days, Karen, an outgoing and bright student who loved school, went from never wanting to miss a day of classes to one who begs her parents to let her stay home. A strong student and an award-winning equestrian suddenly begged her mother to home school her. The reason? She was being bullied.

Teachers play a vital role in creating a sense of community in school. By making connections with students, you can better recognize instances of bullying and play a role in preventing them.

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Top 12 Classroom Management Dos and Don’ts

Does this sound familiar?

You labored all night creating a thoughtful, engaging lesson. You were confident that your students would enjoy it, only to have your excitement—and theirs—dashed by the antics of a handful of students.

You spent all your time writing names on the board, calling out troublemakers’ names, and “ssshh-ing” them. You’re exhausted, irritated—both with them and yourself—and dispirited because you didn’t get through everything you needed to. Crushed, you don’t even want to think about planning for the next day, let alone doing it all again in your next class.

Learning simply cannot occur alongside misbehavior, so instruction hinges upon classroom management. Effective teachers are effective classroom managers. It’s essential that you handle disruptions in a non-confrontational manner, reinforcing rather than undermining your authority.

Instead of pulling your hair out in frustration, give these Classroom Management “Dos” and “Don’ts” a try:

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