A Teaching Blog
Beginning Teacher tips: Setting Up a Reading Program (Year 3-Year 8) Welcome to the second in our series of blog posts to support beginning teachers. When I studied teaching at University, one of the things I was most surprised with was the lack of practical advice given to teachers about the day to day workings of actually running a classroom. Yes, I got some “thrilling”
Welcome to the first in our series of blog posts to support beginning teachers. The following tips for beginning teachers have been sourced from teachers in New Zealand, Australia and around the world. I surveyed teachers and asked them a simple question: What do you wish you knew when you were starting teaching? They had a lot to share! Setting Up Your First Class Here are
I’ve created 34 Staff Certificates That All Teachers Will Relate To. Share this post with a teacher who will understand! Keep reading to download all 34 certificates for free! These certificates are a fantastic way to celebrate the school year at your end of the year staff party or celebration. 1. ‘Science Experiments’ in the Staffroom Fridge 2. The Mystery of the Disappearing Forks 3.
One thing you need to know about me is I love Christmas, so I have been looking forward to writing this Christmas Activities for the Classroom blog post for a long time! Downunder, in New Zealand and Australia, celebrating Christmas in the classroom can be a fun way to end the school year, while in the Northern Hemisphere, it is a chance to take a
The end of the school year can be tough, it can be chaotic, and it can be wonderful. Most likely, it will be a bit of all three. I was given some great advice on surviving the end of year chaos when I started in the classroom, and I’ve also reached out to some of my teacher friends to share their thoughts in this blogpost.
If you are looking for New Zealand History teaching resources, here are four topics you definitely need to cover. When studying New Zealand’s history, model to your students how to use critical thinking skills. Demonstrate how to look at a piece of information and analyse it critically. Students can then think critically to explore who is telling the story and whose story is being told.
The upcoming Rugby World Cup is a great chance to integrate a high-interest topic into your classroom program. Keep reading to learn more about Rugby World Cup activities you could use in your classroom. Rugby World Cup Activities The 2019 Rugby World Cup, hosted by Japan, will be watched by an audience of millions, and no doubt is already a topic of great excitement for
Te Wiki o te Reo Māori – Maori Language Week is coming up on the 9th-15th of September. The theme is Kia Kaha te Reo Māori – Let’s make the Māori language strong. I’ve put together this blog post to highlight free and low-cost resources to use during this week (and hopefully all year!). There are many free and low-cost resources available; learning and promoting
Overcoming Teacher Imposter Syndrome I have been weighing up whether to write this post for a while now because it is a lot more personal than usual. But here I am, sitting down at the keyboard and its time to get started. From the day I stepped into my first classroom, I struggled with imposter syndrome. For me it is a feeling of being an
Yes, you should be teaching New Zealand History in your classroom! Now that we’ve got that sorted, let me explain four reasons why. 1. Students Need To Know Their Past (and Not Just Some of It) We’ve all heard the classic quote from Edmund Burke, “Those who don’t know history are destined to repeat it”. Quotes don’t become classics like that without at least some
Kia orana! I’ve put together this blog post to highlight Cook Islands Language Week Activities. Read on to gather some ideas for bringing the language and culture of the Cook Islands into your classroom this August. Cook Islands Language Week: Te ‘epetoma o te reo Māori Kūki ‘Āirani runs from Sunday, August 4th until Saturday, August 10th. Did you know there are three different languages
Digital Task Cards are a great way to engage your students in 21st-century learning. Read on to learn 5 Reasons to use Digital Task Cards in your Classroom! What are Digital Task Cards? Digital Task Cards are paperless task cards used on digital devices such as Google Slides, iPads, laptops and cellphones. They can easily be shared to your students and accessed wherever your students
Learn Four Interactive Ways to Teach Beginning Sounds. One of the most important literacy skills in the early years is learning to tell sounds apart. In oral language, this is known as sound discrimination. Even if you don’t know this fancy term, it is likely you have done some sound discrimination as you’ve helped children distinguish between sounds like “b is for bath”, “f is
Australia is a fascinating country of contrasts – arid deserts and lush rainforests, white sand beaches and bustling cities, rich history and new technology! But how much do your students know about Australia? This blog post explains how to explore Australian Geography and Landmarks with your students through our new resource. Australian Geography and Landmarks Success Criteria and Curriculum Links By the end of our
With our crowded curriculum, it is almost impossible to cover all subject areas without a level of integration. Matariki is a great topic to integrate across subject areas as it easily links into social studies, science, te reo Māori, social studies, drama, visual arts…and the list goes on. Read on for some practical suggestions on exploring Matariki across the curriculum. The Benefits of Exploring Matariki
Matariki, the Māori New Year, has many symbols that explain its significance. I’ve put together this blog post to explain how to explore the Matariki stars through visual language. Read on to see a step by step process of how the Matariki stars can be used as a great context for exploring symbols and symbolism with your students. What is Visual Language? Visual language is the
The celebration of Matariki, the Māori New Year, has grown in popularity in recent years and there is a wealth of information and ideas out there to help you commemorate the event with your students. Read on to learn 5 ways to introduce Matariki in your classroom. What is Matariki? Matariki is the Māori name for the small cluster of stars also known by a
5 Reasons to Use Primary Sources in the Classroom Primary sources carry a heavy reputation with them, conjuring ideas of dusty bookshelves, high school or university classes and translating from some ancient language. But primary sources are so much more than that – and can be a valuable tool for us to use in the classroom. Here are five reasons you should use primary sources in
The 21st-century skills of creativity, collaboration, and communication are vital for our students as they enter adulthood in a quickly changing world. Therefore, the art of public speaking and the ability to prepare and deliver a speech are even more important skills than ever. Why The Art of Public Speaking Is More Important Than Ever In this digital age, our students are growing up in
ANZAC Day, held on April 25th each year, is an important event for both Australian and New Zealanders. We teach this integral part of our collective history in classrooms at all levels, which makes finding interesting and creative ways to teach this topic even more important. Keep reading to find some great Anzac Day teaching ideas to help you bring the story of the ANZACs
Anzac Day is an important and special part of both Australia and New Zealand and a topic that I have found can be very engaging for students. When introducing Anzac Day activities in your classroom, it is crucial to consider the prior knowledge and experiences that each child brings with them and how this can be harnessed to its best effect. What is Anzac Day?
Teaching Grammar and Punctuation Skills in Your Classroom Grammar and punctuation skills are essential in your classroom writing program. Your students need to be using parts of speech correctly, developing figurative language, extending their use of sentence structure, using punctuation accurately, and further learning how words work. However, while we know the importance of teaching grammar and punctuation skills, it isn’t always easy to know
As a child, I had an avid imagination. I see the same traits in my own children today; I think creativity just comes naturally to most kids. Using Creative Thinking Activities with students is a great way to encourage problem-solving, teamwork, outside of the box thinking and resilience. Creative thinking is important Creativity should not be underestimated. Many people assume that creative thinking is limited
St. Patrick’s Day is a great little holiday full of my favourite colour – green! This holiday, originating in Ireland, can be brought to life in your classroom in a variety of engaging ways. In this blog post, I will share with you my favourite St. Patrick’s Day activities for upper primary students. What is St. Patrick’s Day? Saint Patrick’s Day is observed on the
Kids loving learning about myths and legends from around the world. The stories are big, bold, exciting and stretch the imagination! In this blog post, I look at four reasons why you should explore myths and legends in your reading and writing classroom. What is the difference between a myth and a legend? A myth is a story passed down from generation to generation to
If you ask your students to name some of the major symbols in New Zealand or “Kiwiana” culture, most could rattle off a few: gumboots, kiwifruit, L&P, hokey pokey ice-cream, pavlova, number 8 wire… and the list goes on. Ask those same students to point to where they live on a map and the likelihood of success is less! Our latest resource helps you to explore
Reading Response activities will likely form a major part of your reading programme, whether you are running guided reading groups, a daily 5 system, literature circles or a reading workshop set up. It is time-consuming to create follow up activities for every book or text that your students read, so it is great to have ready to go activities that work across a range of genre.
New Zealand is increasingly a multicultural country with a growing number of Pacific peoples. With the likelihood that students in your class will have Pacific heritage, it is vital that the classroom space, culture and learning positively reflect Pasifika. Students are more likely to achieve when they see themselves and their culture positively reflected in their classroom and learning. Read on to learn more about integrating
Early Finishers Activities are a must in your classroom. We have all heard the dreaded, “I’m Done, Now What?” Usually, it comes right when you are in the middle of working with a small group or testing a student – basically, right when you don’t need it. Read on to find the 5 must-haves of early finishers activities for your classroom. My first experience with
Daily writing is a crucial part of improving your students’ writing ability. Using daily writing prompts, as a bell ringer or morning work activity, ensures that the children are writing every day of the school year. Here is what I found worked for me: The Daily Writing Approach As the students enter the classroom at the beginning of the day, they know to take out
