Hey there. Let's talk about a magical little secret that can bring some peace and quiet into our hectic lives: fish tanks and aquariums. Over the years I have experienced many overstimulated children benefit from watching a classroom aquarium. Who knew that watching fish swim around could be so calming? Kids can be bundles of energy, bouncing off the walls one minute and melting into a puddle of exhaustion the next. But introducing a fish tank into their space can … [Read more...]
Classroom Fish Tank Project
For the past 15 years, I have been doing a project in my classroom that tops all of the other projects I do. It is the type of project that comes up in any conversations I have with past students who are back for a visit. Years ago, my brain conceived this project and it has only gotten better with time! When I do it, we create an ACTUAL FISH TANK in our classroom. Other teachers have used the project as more of a Project Based Learning project where students … [Read more...]
STEM: Keeping it Simple and Effective
There are always buzz words out there in the teacher world. Right now, two that I can think of are Flexible Seating and STEM Challenge. If you go on Pinterest or follow any teaching groups on Facebook, you have surely seen these two terms over and over. As teachers, I think it is easy to get sucked up into the current trends in education, but it is REALLY important to remember that you need to be using these trendy ideas with a critical mind. … [Read more...]
