Google Classroom Management Tips

Guest Blog Post by Rhoda Toynbee 

Using Google Classroom can streamline the tasks of assigning, collecting, grading, and returning student work. It saves hours of time and eliminates those dreaded piles of papers that need grading (you know the ones that mock you from the corner of your desk). One major bonus is of digital work and management is that you only need access to the internet to work on assigning and grading. Your huge teacher bag full of papers and workbooks will start collecting dust.

You will need to establish a routine for assigning and grading digital work. It can be just as daunting and overwhelming as traditional grading if you don’t have a method for wading through it all. Google Classroom is a tool, just like your grade book or textbook. How you use it will determine your success with it.

STEM Engineering: Will building a tower with newspaper REALLY benefit my students?

Guest post by Sarah Wiggins

You've probably noticed pictures of STEM engineering challenges floating around the teacher blog world recently, especially if you happen to be on Pinterest. There are so many pictures of plastic cup towers, coffee filter parachutes, and other cardboard contraptions. Perhaps you've plunged into the fun headfirst, or maybe you are still standing on the diving board wondering, "Will this activity really benefit my students?"

Short answer: YES! After looking at pictures of STEM projects, you might conclude that STEM engineering projects are simply arts and crafts on steroids. Really, they are so much more. Students who participate in STEM gain valuable skills that carry over into all parts of school.

8 Reasons Stem Challenges are Beneficial 

1. New Challenges
   Each engineering challenge gives students something new to solve and more than likely, it is a challenge they have never tried before.


2. Critical Thinking Skills
   Students aren't just scanning a passage for an answer or solving math problems with a step-by-step process. They are actually coming up with a brand new solution. They can't just copy an answer or guess. They have to manipulate the materials and THINK!

Adult Coloring - Art Therapy for Teachers!

Adult coloring is all the rage these days. This is no surprise—as busy as our lives are in the 21^st century, we are all looking for healthy ways to relax, slow down, and connect with our creativity. 

The calming and therapeutic qualities that coloring has on children are the same for adults. And, yes, teachers count as adults even if our students might think otherwise! 

All adults love to color; they just have different needs than a child does. Adults need age-appropriate subject matter that connects to their lives, and they need opportunities to color material with smaller areas and shapes to match their more advanced fine motor skills. As much as we use our phones, other mobile devices, and computers, it’s important to use the fine motor muscles that control drawing, coloring and writing so as not to lose them. 

When to Use Adult Coloring Sheets

What is your most stressful time of the day? Is there a way you can calm it down by using adult coloring sheets? Here are some suggestions for ways you can work my free adult coloring sheets for teachers into your day:

• Start your day by coloring while you enjoy a cup of coffee.
• During lunch, avoid a negative teachers' lounge. Instead, enjoy your lunch outside while you color.
• If your day starts to go terribly awry at school, stop everything you are doing and hand out some interactive coloring sheets to your students. Turn on some quiet music and pull out your own coloring sheets. Sit down with your students (not separate at your desk) and color with them. This will certainly turn the energy of your class around and get everyone back on the same page again.
• When your school day is over, instead of going home feeling frazzled and stressed out, sit down and take a few minutes to color before transitioning to your personal life.
• In the evening, put on some nice music to relax and color at home. Invite your family to join you!
• Keep some of your favorite coloring sheets with you so you can color while waiting for appointments. The long wait at the department of motor vehicles might not make you as angry if you look at is an opportunity to color.
• Color during different types of emotions. See how your work looks when you are angry compared to when you are happy. Allow adult coloring to be a therapy.

Give Adult Coloring a Try for FREE  

Try Art with Jenny K.’s FREE Pop Art adult coloring sheets for teachers. Jenny has included all the instruction you will need to enjoy these unique Pop Art interactive coloring pages for teachers. 

Take something simple like the apple above on the left, and turn it into something magnificent like the apple on the right. These coloring sheets are unique because you get to interact with them. No two will ever come out the same. See how two teachers colored their hearts completely different. They are both beautiful yet unique - like the teachers who created them.

Use hashtag #artwithjennykpopartcoloring on IG to connect with other teachers who are enjoying the benefits of adult coloring. Click HERE to get started right away!

Jenny Knappenberger is an award-winning educator who has taught art to middle school, elementary and gifted children in Virginia and in Arizona. Jenny is is the author of the Art with Jenny K blog and is dedicated to making art integration easy and exciting for classroom teachers.

5 Fun Ways Pets Can Help Children Learn All Summer

Guest post by Christina Berry from The Lazy Pit Bull

This is the time of year when teachers and parents alike begin to wonder what they can do to help students keep their academic skills sharp all summer long. Is there a way to keep kids active and entertained while also engaging them in learning activities? There sure is, and you might be surprised to know that it’s the family pet that can make all the difference for kids this summer.

If your students – or their parents – are asking you for ideas for staying busy this summer, suggest that they try enlisting the help of some pets – their own as well as shelter pets and neighborhood pets - to keep kids reading, writing, and doing math all while they’re enjoying a few weeks away from school. Here are some ideas to get you started, and you'll find a printable version at the end of the article to send home with your students.

1. Walking Dogs

Walking the family dog should be on every kid’s chore list for the summer, whether the child is old enough to go by himself or if he’s accompanying a parent or older sibling as they walk the dog. The exercise benefits everyone, and there are fun ways to incorporate games and challenges into it, using math skills. The student may not even realize he’s practicing math because it will be so much fun!

Parents might consider purchasing an inexpensive pedometer for kids to wear while walking the dog. Create challenges like taking 1,000 steps per walk. Make a chart so kids can keep track of the steps they’ve taken over the course of a week, and then offer a reward once they’ve reached a certain number of steps. Bonus: have them try to figure out how many steps the dog takes, too (hello, multiplication!).

Students can also use apps on a smart phone to map their dog walking routes and keep track of how far they’ve walked. There are some dog walking apps like Woof Trax that earn money for shelter pets each time you take your dog for a walk. ResQWalk is another popular option.

Adding the tech element is sure to make the dog walking more fun, get kids moving, and help keep their number skills sharp over summer break.

2. Writing Stories About Adoptable Pets

It’s a challenge to get most kids to practice writing over the summer, but if you find something fun to write about, there’s a better chance your students will change their tune.

Ask students to visit their local humane society’s web site and choose an adoptable animal to write a story about. Encourage them to imagine where the pet came from, how the pet ended up in the shelter, and predict what kind of family might be good for him (who knows? Maybe it’s the student’s own family!).

Then, have kids visit the shelter to meet the pet in person and deliver the story to shelter personnel. Shelters love receiving work from kids, and they may even hang the child’s story next to the pet’s cage to entice would-be adopters.

This kind of recognition might be just the motivation your students need to keep up their writing practice over the summer.

3. Reading to Pets at Home… or at a Shelter

If you have students who are enthusiastic readers, suggest that they try reading to the pets in their own families. Sometimes reading to a non-judgmental animal who’s often content to simply sit and listen, helps build a young reader’s confidence.

Some libraries offer “Reading to Rover” programs where kids can practice their skills with therapy dogs. These programs are so much fun for both the two-legged and four-legged participants. Check your local library to see if something like this is available for your students.

And, some shelters and humane societies have reading programs where kids can visit adoptable pets and read to them. This type of interaction has proven helpful to young readers, as well as to the pets that enjoy the company and the socialization. This is also a great way to get kids involved in philanthropic practices at an early age.

Check out the website Crayons and Collars for a database of humane societies across the country that offer programs for kids to see if there’s one near you.

4. Earning Money by Pet Sitting

Lessons about earning and saving money are valuable for kids of all ages! Suggest that students set up a vacation pet sitting or dog walking business, as this is a good way for responsible, animal-loving kids to learn the value of money, plus other great lessons like keeping commitments, managing responsibility, and more. Oh, and don’t forget the ever-present math lessons when it comes to anything money-related.

Obviously, pet sitting or dog walking is more appropriate for older kids, unless a parent or older sibling is willing to be the child’s “business partner,” which could be fun, too!

No matter what age your students are, suggest that parents work closely with them when it comes to the money they’re earning, how much they’re saving (this is a good way to work on percentages!), and how much they’re pocketing. Kids can benefit from consistent reinforcement about good money management from teachers and parents alike.

5. Holding a Donation Drive

Summer is a great time for kids to learn about philanthropy. Animal shelters always need supplies and many of the things they need can be found secondhand in our own homes. Encourage your students to open their hearts and give to those in need!

With adult supervision and guidance, students can hold a supply drive in their own neighborhood to collect things that neighbors may not need but the shelter can use, like old sheets, towels, and other items.

Suggest that parents sneak in some math practice by working with their kids to create goals for items collected, and then keep track of the number of items they collect for their shelter.

Some shelters make toys for the pets in their care using empty toilet paper or paper towel rolls. Some collect milk jug caps to use as cat toys, and some make toys out of empty plastic water bottles. These are all things students can collect from friends, neighbors, and family without asking for a dime! Check with your local shelter to see what kind of supplies they need.

Recommend that students organize the collected supplies into categories, tally up the number of items, and then proudly deliver the donations to their local organization. I promise, that will be an experience these kids won’t forget.

Freebie to Send Home!

During the summer, it can be tough for teachers and parents to help kids balance work and play. Finding fun ways to incorporate lessons into pet-related activities might be just the key to help your students continue to build their academic skills all summer long. Before you know it, school will be back in session and students will have had a valuable summer full of good times and learning, too!

Download this free printable checklist with these 5 fun ways pets can help children learn all summer long! Teachers, send it home with your students to share with their parents, and you'll help them avoid the academic "summer slide!"

Christina Berry lives in Indianapolis where she is a wife, mom, Virtual Assistant and Social Media Strategist, Pet Lifestyle Blogger, movie lover, and recovering Diet Dr. Pepper addict. She loves helping bloggers and handmade shop owners create successful businesses, and she enjoys advocating for pets as a volunteer with her local humane society and a Pit Bull rescue. She blogs at The Lazy Pit Bull.

Using Grocery Flyers To Practice Math Skills

Guest post by Alyssa from Teaching in the Fast Lane.

Hello all!  I am excited to be guest posting here on Corkboard Connections. Today I’ll be sharing an easy, low prep way of reviewing multiple math concepts with grocery flyers.

If your mailbox looks anything like mine, it is overflowing with junk mail. One of the biggest culprits is grocery flyers. I receive weekly flyers from four different stores, and they really pile up in the recycling bin. I was staring at the pile one day, and an idea struck me. Real world problem solving was staring right back at me!

On my way to the classroom the next day, I grabbed a handful of flyers to give my idea a try. When small group math time came, I fired out a few questions to my students.

• Have you seen these before?
• What might you use them for?
• What do you think we are going to do with them?

I asked the last question, because most of the time my students have better ideas than I do!

Getting Started with Grocery Flyer Math
My plan was to take these flyers and do a complete review of our math concepts from the year.

We started with each student choosing an item, cutting it out, then gluing it to an index card. On the index card we recorded the price in standard, word, and expanded form as well as drew a base ten model.

The next step was to take these items and compare them. We ordered them from least to greatest then placed them on a giant number line. We also converted our decimals into fractions, and that was just out first day!

More Math Concepts to Explore
I was so impressed with how engaged my students were by these grocery flyers, so I went home after that first day and thought about what else we could do.This is what I came up with:

• Rounding—round the price of each item to find an estimate of the total bill. 
• Adding and Subtracting Decimals—this is even more fun when you find a flyer that has coupons, because it is more authentic practice! 
• Multiplying Decimals—for when you need more than one of an item or for adding tax to a purchase. 
• Multi-Step Problem Solving—students create their own problems based on items and coupons then trade with a partner. 
• Planning—find a recipe and plan a meal. Then figure out the cost of the items. 
• Graphing and Data—use the prices or types of items as data to create tables, plots, or graphs. 
• Measurement problem solving—decide what unit of measurement would be used for each item. Make a list of how much of each unit you want to buy. 
• Geometry—identify any 3D shapes you can find.

Of course, this list is not all that you can do, but it should be a great start!

Alyssa is a fourth grade teacher who strives to reach every student through cooperative learning, novel experiences, and various teaching antics. She blogs at Teaching in the Fast Lane.

How To Effectively Use Interventionists In Your Classroom

Guest post by Lindsay Perro of Beyond The Worksheet.

Do you have an interventionist in your classroom? Do you sometimes struggle with how to use him/her? Do you sometimes forget about them all together and then either send them away or give them something not very meaningful to do? If you’ve answered YES to any of the questions above, I’m here to help!

As a former math interventionist, I was fortunate enough to work with many different teachers and students in every math class in the building. Some teachers were always prepared for me and others didn’t seem to know how to use me.

How not to use an interventionist:

• As a babysitter. I often entered a classroom to hear “Oh good! I can go make copies!” or “Can you watch them… I need a break!”
• As a way to get rid of “those kids.” You know… the kids who’ve been plucking your last nerve all day?
• As an assistant. Your interventionist is not there to make copies, pass out papers, or go grab your lunch.

How to maximize time with an interventionist:

• Plan ahead 
  If you know your interventionist will always be there on Tuesdays, keep that in mind when making your plans. 
• Co-Teach 
  Interventionists often don’t get the opportunity to teach large groups anymore. They should welcome the chance to occasionally co-teach with you. This should be something the two of you plan in advance. Determine who will have which roles and how the two of you will work with the class during independent or group work time. 
• Small groups
  This will probably be your go-to for your interventionist. The groups should be strategically chosen based on who needs a little extra help with the skill you are currently working on. Intervention provides the opportunity for students to work in a very small group with individualized attention. These students can really benefit from this time, so choose wisely! Small groups can be held either in your classroom or pulled out to another area of the school. This will depend on what else you have going on in class that day. It is important to make sure you do not introduce any new material while a small group is being pulled. You don’t want those students to miss anything. 
• Stations
  I LOVE stations but they can be a little stressful if your students are less than cooperative or you have a large class. Your interventionist could have a specific station to work at. As each small group comes around to that station, those students will have a great opportunity to work with your interventionist. 
• Special Education Modifications 
  This one can be tricky depending on your district. If your interventionist is scheduled to come into your classroom on a day you are giving an assessment, you can either send them to another teacher (tell them in advance) or use them to help meet IEP goals for students who need extra time, small group testing or some other modification.

Here’s a free resource just for Corkboard Connections readers! These small group planning sheets will help you organize your intervention time! Click directly on the image below to grab your freebie now!

After spending 8 years in the classroom, Lindsay Perro is currently a full time teacher author, creating math resources for the middle grades. She believes in providing students with work that is hands on, engaging and relevant to the real world. She is the author of the blog Beyond The Worksheet.

Building EQ While Expanding IQ

Guest post by Neetu of Cinnamon's Synonyms.

I'm honored to be guest blogging for Corkboard Connections today. In this post, I'll be sharing a vocabulary building activity that also serves to increase students' emotional awareness!

I have always had a strong belief that a high EQ (emotional quotient) is much more important than IQ (intelligence quotient). In recent years, there have been more and more studies to support this notion. Research shows that people who have a high EQ are more confident, have healthier relationships, and see more success in their careers. If this is indeed true, then I believe it is my job as an educator to ensure that I'm helping my students enhance their EQ.

One of the five key components of emotional intelligence is "emotional-awareness." EQ experts say that being able to accurately identify and label ones emotions, as well as identifying it in others, is an essential ingredient in building emotional intelligence. This means that having a strong emotional vocabulary is a crucial part of this EQuation. For example, just saying "I feel angry" isn't enough because there are so many shades/levels/degrees of an emotion.

With this in mind, the following lesson was born! I love an activity that integrates curriculum (like writing descriptively and expanding vocabulary) with building stronger, more confident children. This lesson strives to help students expand their emotional vocabulary while enhancing their EQ!

I have included two FREE resources to help you get started.

1. Angry Picture Thesaurus - To help students expand their vocabulary of emotion words.
2. Writing template - Students can write their reflection on this template.

In addition to these resources, you will need a book wherein the main character gets angry. Any book will do (and there are heaps to choose from). I chose When Sophie Gets Angry - Really, Really, Angry by Molly Bang.

Since the key to building EQ is teaching students to label emotions accurately I told my students that saying "really, really, angry" (as the author does) isn't near as accurate as saying "I felt irate." So, as a class, and with the help of my Angry Picture Thesaurus (shades of meaning cards), we brainstormed other ways to label the character's varying degrees of anger.

My shades of meaning cards have 26 words for "angry" and each card represents a different shade of anger. The pictures provide students with context and the splash of color on each image helps students zero in on the most important elements of the illustration. These visuals really help my students understand that the word "frustrated," for instance, is very different from "ballistic."

After choosing the cards that best labeled Sophie's various states of anger, I asked my class to reflect on an incident that made them feel 'angry.' Students then chose a card that they could relate to and used very specific emotion words to write their reflection.

About 90% of the students in my class speak English as a second language, so the fact that they were able to use these words accurately started a little party of high fives inside my heart! I just love seeing my kiddos use such spiced up words!!

I'm sure if I had students use a regular thesaurus, they would have just stared blankly at the long list of words... or they would have selected a word without necessarily knowing how to use it in the right context! The images on my cards definitely helped my students select the best synonym for 'angry'!

Below are some examples of what they wrote. I know it's hard to read, so I highlighted some key parts but I will also decipher a couple of them for you just in case! For "frustrated," (top right), one student wrote about a time when she was trying to build a school out of paper, "but," she says, "the school didn't work out how I askpected (expected)." Another student writes, "I feel cranky when my dad wakes me up early."

For the word ballistic (top left corner), my student reflected on a time when his cousin came over and they had a conflict. He explains how he went "rale (real) ballistic." He goes on to say how he started to throw things, he kicked his cousin, and even broke his PS3. Wow! Now that's some intense rage... but how empowering that he now has the vocabulary to describe this very intense level of anger. One might argue, how could this be empowering? He acted out in a violent way. Yes, his behavior was unacceptable and he will need to work out how to manage his anger... but EQ experts say that in order to manage emotions effectively we must be able to label and identify what it is we are feeling before the management process can even begin!

It became clear rather quickly that my lesson was a success! Students were 'spicing up' their vocabulary and building emotional awareness!

After finishing their writing, they colored in the flame on the reverse side of the template, and I put all the reflections together to create a class book.

For my next lesson I will use the same template to discuss ways we 'put out the fire' and cool ourselves down. By coloring the template blue, the flame turns into water coming out of a hose! Knowing how to self regulate (i.e. manage emotions) is another crucial element in building emotional intelligence so it will be the perfect continuation to this lesson!

For teaching self-regulation, I absolutely adore this book:

It's about a bunny who learns how to deal with his anger... he realizes that being angry is OK... it's all about how we deal with it that matters!

Neetu teaches in a school with a high population of English Language Learners. She strives to create engaging language-based resources filled with illustrations that kids just dig! This is inspired by her need to help her students build the vocabulary required to succeed in every subject, not just language arts. She blogs at Cinnamon's Synonyms. 

The Memory Game: Making It Meaningful

Guest post by Deb Hanson of Crafting Connections

I have always enjoyed playing the Memory Game (also called “Concentration”). I remember when my twin sister and I received it as a birthday gift when we were about eight years old. We played Memory for hours. When I began teaching, I created several Memory games that matched the various skills we were working on. As is the case with most learning games in the classroom, my students always CHEERED! when I announced that we were going to be playing Memory.

Over the years, though, I have come to realize that students need to be explicitly taught how to play this game. If students play correctly, this can be a highly educational game. The opposite is also true, however. If played carelessly, Memory can end up being nothing more than a meaningless matching-pictures game. I have witnessed the following scene more times than I care to count:

Joe and Kara are playing Memory. It’s Joe’s turn. He immediately turns over two cards, and quickly looks to see if the pictures match. They don’t match so he flips the cards back over and tells Kara that it’s her turn. Kara does the same thing. Although there is writing on both cards, neither student bothers to read the words.

Teaching Kids How to Make the Memory Game Meaningful
Through the years, I have learned to teach my students how to play Memory before turning them loose to play. Document cameras make this quite easy. I just spread some cards out under the camera as if I am playing a game, and I choose a volunteer to come to the document camera to play with me. After the cards are arranged, I tell the students that I am going to go first, and model exactly how I expect them play the game.

Step 1: I turn over a card, set it down in its place so that every player can see it, and read all of the words on the card out loud.

Step 2: I tell my opponent(s) what I am hoping to turn over to create a match (or what the matching card might say).

Step 3: I turn over a second card, set it down in its place so that every player can see it, and read all of the words on the card out loud.

Step 4: I say either “These cards match” (and pick them up) or I say “These cards don’t match” (and I flip them back over so that they are face-down on the table in their original position).

My student volunteer and I take a few turns, and I instruct my students to watch and tell us if we miss a step. (I intentionally skip a step or two just to make sure they notice.) Once I feel that they know the correct way to play the game, I pass out the materials and allow them to play. Then, I constantly walk around the room, observing the games, and reminding students if they skipped one of the four important steps. After the first time playing, I rarely need to remind them of missed steps because they help each other remember! You can download these directions in Google Docs by clicking the image below.

Memory Game Freebies!

Are you in the mood to play Memory now? Help yourself to the free games below to use with your students. Just click each image to download the freebie from my TpT store.

Taking a few extra minutes to explicitly teach my students this method has proven to be time well spent in my classroom.  When I teach my students this procedure for playing Memory, the game becomes not only motivational, but also meaningful.  What a powerful combination!

Deb Hanson has taught 16 years in a school district in Nebraska. She has taught second grade, 4-5 Reading, and K-6 ESL. Deb is the creator of the Crafting Connections blog where she enjoys sharing her strategies with others.

Building a Bridge with Parent-Made Listening Centers

Guest post by Julie Smith

Hello Corkboard Connection followers! I am so excited to be guest posting today since Laura’s blog has been one of my FAVORITES to follow.

Today I want to share with you an idea for “building a bridge” between home and school.

It is quite simple! Many parents have Smartphones these days, and most phones have a voice-recording app built in. Parents, older siblings, or grandparents can use that app to record themselves reading picture books, magazine articles, poems, a chapter in a chapter book, etc. You can use these recordings to create a classroom listening center.

This idea isn't limited to just the younger grades! Hearing well-read, fluent readers is effective for any reading level. Plus, students become ten times more engaged when they can make a connection to the reader. You know how excited they get when one of their family members comes to school to read to the class. This tool will allow for more people to participate in your classroom!

Instructions for Recording Voice Memos
On the iPhone there is an app called Voice Memo that is already preinstalled. It is SUPER easy to use and parents can simply email you the .m4a (audio only) file after they finish the recording. Most mobile devices have some type of recording app, and any Voice Memo app can be used. Click the image below to take you to a FREE packet of resources that includes Voice Memo Directions to send home to parents. It explains exactly how to record a Voice Memo and how parents can send it to you to use in your classroom.  

How to Play the Audio Files
Once you receive the audio file, you have several options on how the students can listen to the texts based on the devices and access to certain programs you have in your classroom.

1. Listening with Computers/Laptops/ChromebooksThe files will play on any media (iTunes, Windows Media Player, QuickTime, etc.).

Option One for Computers: If you have a server at your school that students can easily access, drop these files into labeled folders. I would rename the file to be the book/chapter title so students can easily find what they are looking for. You could even have folders arranged by reading group.

Option Two for Computers: If you do not have a server that students can easily access then I would recommend putting the files in a shared folder in Google Drive (if you are a Google Apps school) or even Dropbox.

2. Listening with iPads/iPods/Tablets:
Download an app called Quick Voice or Voice Memos (there are many different ones that you can also use!) For Androids, download an app called Voice.

Option 1 for Mobile Devices: Open the files via email, Google Drive or Dropbox on your iPad. Our teachers cannot access email on our county's iPads so when you receive the files from parents they first have to upload them to Google Drive or Dropbox. Be sure to install the Drive App or Dropbox App if you are going to go that route. Once the files are accessed on your portable device, they will pull through and remain on the app (you will have to put them on each device). I wouldn't keep too many files on the app since they take up space. Just switch them out.

Option 2 for Mobile Devices: This works best for upper grades but you can train your little ones to do this too! Have your students access the audio files via Google Drive or Dropbox. They can either sign into their account or you can stay signed into your account for quick access. I would advise you to make up a gmail account to have for just uploading/file organization if you choose to keep the iPads signed into the same account for quick access. This way the kids can't get into your Drive and delete/mess with your files! If your students have their own accounts then you can put the audio files into a shared Google folder and they can access them at home on a computer or tablet!! Build that bridge between home and school. :)

You definitely don't have to keep up with this all year long. This is the time of year when you need to pull EVERY trick out of your toolbox to keep those kiddos engaged. Try this out with a few read alouds and change up that listening center. I promise, your students are going to L-O-V-E it!


Julie Smith has been teaching primary grades for 10 years, and is currently an Instructional Technology Resource Teacher at four different elementary schools. She is a certified Reading Specialist and received her National Board Certification in Early Childhood Literacy in 2011. Julie loves using educational technology that enhances collaboration, innovation, critical thinking, problem solving, and research with the teachers she coaches. She is the author of the blog, The Techie Teacher.

Why No One Reads Your Classroom Newsletter

Guest post by Jennifer Gonzalez

As the parent of three elementary students, I get a lot of classroom newsletters. And every time I get one, I fully intend to read it. I know how important it is to keep track of school activities, to know what my kids are learning, and to support their teachers.

But I don’t always do it. I put the newsletter into a pile of important papers, and other papers pile on top of it, and far too often, I just don’t get to it.

My own disorganization can take some of the blame, but I’m sure my reading would be more consistent if the newsletters were designed differently. If you suspect parents aren’t really reading what you send home, see if your newsletter suffers from one of these five flaws.

Five Common Newsletter Flaws

1. It’s too wordy. 

People are really, really busy. So if your newsletter is comprised mostly of long paragraphs, parents are less likely to read through the whole thing.

A paragraph can be “long” in one of two ways: The first is that it simply contains too many words, too many sentences all pushed together. If you want parents to send kids to school with warmer coats, they might miss that request if it’s buried in a five-sentence paragraph about how cold it is. When you want a message to stand out, cut down on the chit-chat as much as possible. Breaking paragraphs into bullet points also helps.

The other meaning of “long” is more literal: Magazine designers know that long lines of type are harder to read, and they try to limit themselves to 9 to 12 words per line. If you want more parents to read your newsletter, format it in columns.

2. It’s too crowded.

If your newsletter has very little white space – the space on the page that contains no text or graphics – your readers will have a hard time getting through it. White space not only makes reading easier, it also helps important elements stand out.

Adding more white space to your newsletter can easily be achieved by increasing your page margins and the space around individual blocks of text or images. If you find you have too much text to add sufficient white space, reduce your font size a little bit. You’ll be amazed at what a difference it makes to move from 12-point to 11-point. And if you can say the same thing in fewer words? Even better. Think of it like a resume: If you can’t get it all on one page, start cutting words to make it fit.

3. It’s loaded with recycled content.

Some newsletters include the school mission statement, the class motto, the daily schedule, and a blurb about the class website in every issue. After a few newsletters, I don’t even see this stuff anymore; it’s just a lot of visual noise. Then there’s other content that changes only slightly each week: spelling lists, specials schedule, math topics. This information is important, and as a parent, I go straight to the newsletter if my son loses his spelling list or we don’t know if my daughter should wear sneakers the next day. But that’s the thing – I go to the newsletter when I need this information. The newsletter is not always interesting enough for me to read it for its own sake.

To draw parents’ attention to the truly new content – the announcement of an upcoming field trip, your enthusiastic report on students’ science projects – that content needs to stand out. Create a focal point in your newsletter for the most important, freshest story, and push the repeat information to less-prominent spots on the page.

4. It’s a cacophony of clip art. 

Clip art can be pretty irresistible. There’s so much adorable stuff out there, and adding it to your newsletter breaks up what would otherwise be a big, boring block of text.

But too many graphics make your newsletter a mess. And if you use the same exact clip art from week to week, the newsletters will be indistinguishable from one another. Take a “less is more” approach and include just a few pieces of art. Or consider using student or classroom photos instead: Remember, your readers are adults, so it’s possible they might be less drawn to adorable clip art than the kids are.

5. Parents don’t know what to do with the information. 

All advertisers are familiar with the term “call to action.” It’s the thing they ask you to do at the end of an ad – try their product, ask your doctor about a certain medicine, or visit the company website. By giving the recipient something to do, the call to action ensures that the relationship doesn’t end with the ad.

Although you’re not selling anything to parents, you probably want them to do something with the information you send home. But unless you tell them, they won’t always know what that is. Here’s where the newsletter can be a powerful instrument in the parent-teacher partnership: The next time you write your newsletter, consider what you ideally want parents to do as a direct result of reading it. Then include that information.

Putting together a classroom newsletter takes valuable time from your day, but by applying these lessons to your next issue, you’ll make sure it is time well spent. An effective newsletter will strengthen your partnership with parents and ensure your students keep learning well after they’ve left the school building.

Free Newsletter Templates
If you’d like some help with layout, try one of the clean, contemporary designs in my free Newsletter Templates pack, available in my Teachers Pay Teachers store. It’s completely editable and customizable to fit your own style and taste. Whether you use my templates or create your own, remember to avoid these five common flaws to make sure your newsletter doesn’t end up at the bottom of the pile!


Jennifer Gonzalez is the creator of Cult of Pedagogy, an online magazine for teachers of any subject or grade level. In Jennifer's words, "Teaching is an art, a craft, and a science, and perfecting it is an ongoing, endless process." Visit Cult of Pedagogy to read more of her insightful posts! 

5 Reader’s Theater Myths Debunked (and Tips to Make it Work in YOUR Class!)

Guest post by Sarah Wiggins

I first heard about reader’s theater in college and thought, “How fun! I will definitely do that when I have a class of my own.” When I did get my very own classroom, however, I was overwhelmed with everything that I was supposed to fit into my reading block. How could I possibly add one more thing? In my mind, I had made it this giant production that required tons of time and involved massive preparation including sets, costumes, and tense practice sessions. I soon realized I had been thinking of reader’s theater all wrong and letting the misconceptions prevent me from utilizing a valuable teaching tool.

Maybe you have believed some of these misconceptions, too, and my goal is to help debunk the myths.

MYTH #1—Reader’s theater must be a big production. 
TRUTH: You can make reader’s theater as big or as small as you want it. You don’t have to have props, sets, or any of that. The fact that it is divided into parts is special enough.

Try This:

• Just print the scripts and go. 
• Have students sit in their chairs in a circle with everyone’s knees facing the center, no need for “places” or acting, just reading. 
• If you do want to go all out, wait until the last week of school or the week before winter break. Divide students into groups, and put them in charge of producing a play. Hey, that energy has to go somewhere.

MYTH #2—Reader’s theater takes too much time. 
TRUTH: Reader’s theater doesn’t have to require a huge time commitment. Carve out 15-20 minutes when you can.

Try This:

• Pass out a script after the test on Friday or in place of a textbook story one day. 
• Try finding scripts that match up with your social studies or science standards, and do reader’s theater during those times. 
• Pack up a few minutes early, and let students practice their scripts until their bus is called. 
• Do reader’s theater in lieu of morning work a few days a week. Just have students come in and begin working on a script instead of completing a worksheet.
• Use it as a literacy center with a new script each week.

MYTH #3—Reader’s theater is just putting on a class play for fun. 
TRUTH: Unlike doing a play, where the focus is the acting, reader’s theater focuses on reading. The repeated reading aloud enhances fluency and word recognition skills. Not to mention, it addresses the Common Core speaking and listening standards. Added bonuses are teamwork, cooperative learning, and problem solving skills.

Try This:

• Rather than reading a script as a whole class, divide your class into groups for reader’s theater. This way, each student gets more actual reading practice.
• Before beginning reader’s theater in your classroom, set guidelines for fluent reading practices and behavior so that students know this is not just playtime. You may even create an anchor chart with your students like the one below.

MYTH #4—Reader’s theater takes too much preparation and paper. 

TRUTH: Initially, there is some work involved to get it going, but it will pay off in the end. Plus, you can re-use scripts from year to year.

Try This:

• Make 5 copies each time you get a new script. Print on the backs of pages when possible. 
• Highlight the parts ahead of time. If there are more than 5 parts, choose parts that have fewer lines and double them up. It’s ok for one student to read multiple parts. 
• Keep the pre-highlighted scripts in plastic sleeves in a three-pronged folder.
• Invite a trustworthy parent volunteer to do the highlighting and setting up.

MYTH #5—Reader’s theater is just for little kids. 
TRUTH: Reader’s theater can be adapted for students of all ages. Even “big kids” get excited when you break out a script.

Try This:

• Find engaging scripts on your students’ reading levels. Many scripts are based on well-known books. Look for high interest topics, popular characters, and higher-level vocabulary. You may even find scripts that address your content area topics.

Think you’re ready to give it a try? Here is a FREE script to get you started. How Dorothy Saved the Scarecrow is a four-page script for grades 3-5 based on a familiar chapter from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum.

Don’t worry if it doesn’t go perfectly the first time. Just jump in and try it! See how it goes, and tweak it as needed. It will get easier each time as your students get accustomed to your expectations.

Sarah Wiggins has spent eight wild and crazy years in the classroom and believes learning is more than a worksheet. She is on a quest to help students think outside the box, and she likes to share creative, practical teaching ideas on her blog, Using My Teacher Voice.