Review of In Another Place Blog

I found this blog to make me reflect more on me as a teacher. There was a post entitled One Thousand Miles. I enjoyed reading the views and ideas presented here. I felt like it made me think more about why I am a teacher. Many times it seems like it is easy to focus on the negative aspects of teaching. Whether it be budget issues, time constraints, too much paperwork, or even behavior problems, it is important to not let those issues weigh me down. When I focus on the positive, teaching can be a very enjoyable thing.

Review of The Teaching Tips Machine Blog

The Teaching Tips Machine Blog is another neat blog that gives some general tips and suggestions for getting students to complete homework, to help with classroom management, and to be a more effective teacher. I don't know about you, but I believe that every teacher needs help in these areas at one time or another. I am always on the lookout for things that will ultimately help me become a better teacher. There were definitely lots of great ideas on this blog. There were many suggestions that I could easily try in my classroom, like anchor activities for example. Anchor activities are things that the students can work on independently so that I can focus time on small-group instruction. There were also many other active learning activities to try with the students. There was one mentioned that I have used in my classroom before and the students enjoy it. Response cards are cards that students use to simultaneously give an answer to a question. I like to use response cards because every student is involved and not just one student answering a question. I also would like to try Four-Corners Debate. It would really help increase higher-order thinking skills. Ultimately, there was one part of the blog that stuck out the most to me - Teacher Stress: 5 Stress Relieving Techniques for Teachers. Teaching can definitely be stressful at times!

Review of Mrs. Cassidy's Classroom Blog

This is my first time blogging. I chose to review Mrs. Cassidy's Classroom Blog because in my opinion it is an amazing blog. She seems like an awesome teacher. There are so many neat features on her blog. I like that it isn't just writing and words on her blog. There are pictures, examples, links, student work, and videos. I really loved clicking on the student names and seeing posts actually from the students. I would imagine that they love being on the Internet. I know my students would get a kick out of posting things on a blog. What a neat way to get more technology into their lives! I wonder how that works. Did she have to get parental permission to allow the students to do that? Hopefully, most parents would see the value in allowing their children to be a part of this wonderful use of technology. Another awesome part of her blog was a YouTube video of her students reading a book with students in another classroom. How exciting?! I believe her class is in Canada and they were reading with students in Alabama. Mrs. Cassidy seems like an innovative teacher and I truly enjoyed her blog.