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how our first week of homeschooling REALLY went
Week One of School at Home is officially in the books. Kids have been here, all up in my "office", every day this week. They saw friends up until Tuesday, so we're really pretty new at this. Last week, I shared my ingenious Homeschooling During Coronavirus Schedule. Did you see it? It was pretty awesome. Let me remind you: It was perfect for elementary, middle, or high schoolers!You could adjust it for your needs! It was colorful! It was adaptable! There was choice! Did I say … Read More...
everything free and awesome online to do while kids are home: classes, crafts, virtual tours and more
Here's everything free and awesome online to to while kids are home from school thanks to the Coronavirus Outbreak. I'm talking FREE online classes, crafts, virtual tours, free broadway shows, musicals, and meditation. Free yoga and exercise. Free learning resources, games, and more. We're all home from work, school, sports, and extra-curricular activities, so what are we doing? Trying. To. Stay. Sane. Friends--thank you to each and every one of you who have sent me links to … Read More...
get kids to cook: weekly meal plan sheet
Kids are all home from school for who knows how long, so let's get kids to cook this week, friends. It's a perfect time to get kids in the kitchen, planning and preparing meals, and helping with household chores. Think about it: three meals a day, seven days a week, times [how many people in your family] = a lot of meal prep. So let's get kids cooking. Here's the skinny. . . Get Kids to Cook -- Weekly Meal Plan Sheet This is super-simple, friends, but if kids have a little … Read More...
homeschooling schedule during coronavirus school closings
Here is our official homeschooling schedule during the current Coronavirus school closings. School at home. Here we go! Since we are in an official state of emergency now, in order to contain and control the spread of CoVid-19, we have to keep our kids at home. That means that a whole lot of children in the US will need to be "homeschooled" for a while. And though it may be super difficult for many families, the most important thing is that we keep our kids on a schedule so that we all … Read More...
free hand washing posters: coronavirus 2020
We may have three 'big kids' in our house, but we all still need reminders to wash our hands, especially during the 2020 Coronavirus Outbreak. So I scoured the internet, found a ton of free posters, and printed some out for our family. Here's the skinny. . . Free Hand Washing Posters -- Coronavirus 2020 It's a basic thing, I know--but many times, especially when we're running late (which our family usually is!), sometimes hand washing is forgotten. Or maybe it's not … Read More...
building relationships with students and colleagues: 6 secrets to success
I'm thrilled to be partnering with Advancement Courses, a leader in K-12 professional development with over 240 online courses in 20 different subject areas. Relationship-building in schools may be the most important thing that teachers do. If teachers aren’t connecting with students and colleagues on a personal level, how do we do our best work? After years in the classroom, and many, many conversations with fellow educators, here's what I found to be true. . . … Read More...
lent for christian families: pray, fast, serve cards
I've wanted to create these Lent Cards for Thoughtful Christian Families for a while now. SO here they are! I'm thrilled--and so are many of my Christian friends! Finally, I've modified our Lent Cards for Modern Catholic Families, and I've made them more Bible-based. Still keeping with the idea of Pray, Fast, and Serve, which are important tenants of Lent, these Lent for Christian Families Cards are exactly what my family needs. Here's the skinny. . . Lent for Christian … Read More...
Building Relationships: Advancement Courses teACh Team 2020
I'm thrilled to be partnering with Advancement Courses, a leader in K-12 professional development with over 240 online courses in 20 different subject areas. Many of you know that for the last few years, I have been working closely with Advancement Courses and some of the country's most influential educators to share topics that matter most to teachers. We're excited to announce that the partnership is continuing and is growing stronger than ever! The teACh Team consists of three … Read More...
Online PD for teachers: Advancement Courses
This year, I'm thrilled to be partnering with Advancement Courses, courses designed to be more engaging, meaningful, and enjoyable-- with real feedback and application in today's K-12 classroom. Continuing education can be one of the biggest challenges for us as teachers today. I feel like I'm always asking: Where are all the relevant, meaningful courses? Where are all the courses approved by my school and the state? Where is the professional development that fits my schedule? Where is … Read More...
valentine’s day class party: 10 easy activities for that extra 10 minutes
Here are 10 easy activities for that extra 10 minutes at the end of the Valentine's Day class party. Keep these in your back pocket, and the party will be a breeze! Who even KNEW how hard running class parties could be? I wish that there was a guide somewhere--some easy-to-follow guide that gave you every kid-approved craft, game, activity, or snack that room parents and teachers needed to get through the chaos of class parties. If you want the whole Valentine Class party, you can … Read More...
