forkin4th
1,095 FOLLOWERS
Fourth grade teacher who loves sharing her experiences while teaching.
forkin4th
8M ago
When it comes to a difficult task, it is hard to stay motivated! Personally, I find it easier to motivate students to work hard at a common goal if they know what's in it for them. Honestly, I have to set a personal reward so I work hard to achieve my goals. While some may say that rewards-based incentives don't work, I say it builds discipline. It makes the success so much sweeter when you know you can relish in your favorite episode of Real Housewives because you finished grading all the quizzes! Click the image below to download this freebie for your classroom ..read more
forkin4th
4y ago
Representation matters! You may feel like you have heard that phrase a lot this past summer, especially with the 2020 Census going on. However, it really does. When I think back to my childhood as a Mexican-American kid going to school in a predominately white neighborhood, it was hard for me to see people that looked like me achieving success. With Hispanic Heritage Month starting this week, I am going to share some of my favorite classroom read alouds that celebrate my culture!
Aside from my parents, the working Hispanic adults around me during my elementary da ..read more
forkin4th
4y ago
One of the hardest parts about distance learning is so much of the instructional materials become so dry and it's easy for students & teachers to lose interest. When your students need a break from reading passages and you need to escape grading Google Classroom assignments, then rely on Google Forms for its amazing ability to self-correct questions!
Another struggle during distance learning is determining how to translate science instruction into an online learning platform. So, I found the educational and engaging YouTube videos I would have shown to introduce a scientific ..read more
forkin4th
4y ago
Research projects are PERFECT for distance learning because it puts the child in charge of their own learning! The reason it is important for teachers like me, is our district decided teachers are not allowed to instruct on new academic content during this time of school closures. This was a result of not being able to insure everyone has access to the same material. So I thought, RESEARCH PROJECTS to the RESCUE! Besides, it's what I typically assign after state testing is over with anyway!
So, who doesn't love going on the endless rabbit hunt from time to time when you star ..read more
forkin4th
4y ago
During school closures, there have been A LOT of adjustments and struggles teachers and students alike have faced with this transition.
As a way to gain greater insight into the teacher struggles of being forced to become an online teacher literally overnight, I'm asking for your help! Since I was unexpectedly pulled out of the classroom last year, I am not living the current reality that I would if I still had my own class. So, I am looking for honest teachers who are not afraid to share their opinions. You may be the right person if you also love freebies! For ..read more
forkin4th
4y ago
Attitude is a powerful thing, and it's important to UPLIFT students during distance learning when we can all feel a little glum!
To combat my classroom Debbie Downers, I started a Moodlifter Monday video segment. Basically, I played a humorous or thought-provoking video while my class watched & ate their morning snack.
First, I set the stage for the video clip and stressed the importance of keeping a positive attitude even during times of adversity, and then played the funny reel. My students LOVED getting in on the action and really enjoyed finding cli ..read more
forkin4th
4y ago
As an educator, I'm always considering the needs of how to make the curriculum accessible for my struggling readers. Now more than ever, it is important these students get the help they need in the form of these technical tricks:
#1 - Share This Google Chrome Extension with Families
You may already be familiar with Read&Write Gold from your school's access to these amazing text-to-speech tools! Click this link to access a free 30-day subscription to Read&Write.
Read&Write for Google Chrome™ provides personalized support to make documents, web pages, and common f ..read more
forkin4th
4y ago
Even before our schools closed because of COVID19, I have been a huge advocate and user of Google Classroom to engage learners and improve 21st century skills in the classroom! Yet, at this time, Google Classroom is such a convenient way to continue learning during our school closures! Not only has Google provided a way for us to connect through our devices, but they've done it for FREE and other educational websites are offering free access to their resources too!
While the pandemic and change can be stressful, you don't have to reinvent the wheel with the amount of free and ENGAGING reso ..read more
forkin4th
5y ago
Are you looking for something quick and engaging to include in your lesson plans the week after winter break? Sharing how people celebrate New Year's traditions around the world is a FAVORITE activity of mine (and my students)! I just love getting to connect with my students and find out more about how their family celebrates, as well!!
Something I have been meaning to do is update my files to Google Slides. With the return back to school after winter break, I knew I wanted to add in related VIDEO CLIPS for my students to get a better understanding of how people around the world celebrate ..read more
forkin4th
5y ago
Veterans Day for elementary students can be a great time to instill a sense of pride in our country. Elementary students (and teachers) can sing patriotic songs in honor of the day, such as "I'm Proud to be an American." The choir at the first elementary school I taught at was a central part in the town's Veterans Day parade and would nail this song every time. Veterans Day is also a great time to find out if your students have family members who served in the military. I love how it makes for such an easy and engaging conversation to build community!
Like most Americans, I am incredibly ..read more