I'm sure that my fellow educators understand what I mean when I say that there have been changes in education this year.  I have noticed trends in my own classroom and it seems my colleagues are doing the same.

I am curious if any of you have found new strategies or activities  as a result of teaching during the pandemic that you think you will carry into future school years.

Personally, the most impactful change for me is a slight change in my class structure.  I've always used a set of "Nows" per day that are listed on my dry erase board.  Beside them are a list of "Laters" that always stay the same.  Pre-pandemic, I always listed the "Nows" and we would work through them during the class period.  If, at any time, students finish an activity early, they can work on an approved "Later" of their choice.  This structure helps my classroom run smoothly and eliminates (or greatly reduces) the "What do I do now?" question from early finishers.

Then came virtual teaching.  I am a creature of habit and I needed something to keep my classroom running as normally as possible for me and to set up a structure for my students. In my district, we began with a hybrid model where half of the students attended two days a week and the other half attended two days a week.  There was also a teacher work day rounding out the week. I started the year with the "Nows" and "Laters" structure when students were in the classroom.  We then went to an "all-in" model with all students in class every day and that routine continued.  Eventually, we went to strictly virtual for a little while and then back to hybrid.  However, the hybrid model was now more flexible and  teachers were able to structure it however we wanted to.  Students still attended in person two days a week, but I was able to make any day students were not in class a virtual day.  So, I was teaching everyone virtually one day a week and then running an in person class and a Google Meet class simultaneously the other four days a week.  

When we went virtual, I added a Google Form for my "Nows" and added exit questions to the form for each section of the class. For example, if we were doing vocabulary, comprehension, and grammar sections in class, then students had an exit question for each. I also added possible "Laters" that students could do to the Google Form. Each day, I posted the Google Form Exit slip in my Google Classroom for each class period.

I know exit questions are just good practice.  But, I'm not ashamed to admit that I rarely did them pre-pandemic.  However, I do find a quick multiple choice question or short answer question provide quick data that was helpful when students were not in my classroom every day.  Maybe I just was able to be more observant before and didn't find I needed exit questions much before.  Or, maybe I just trusted the education I knew my students were getting before they came to me pre-pandemic. Then, everything changed and I can't really be sure of anything right now.

So, even though we are now back to having students in the classroom every day, I've kept the Google Form exit slip.  I still list our daily activities and the students can check them off as we do them and answer a quick exit question per topic.  I plan to carry this simple change into future years of teaching as well. It's very simple and an easy change.  But, it provided structure and accountability for my students when they were not in my classroom.  It helped my virtual classes run more smoothly.  Simple changes with a lot of benefit are the best kind, as far as I'm concerned. Now, it gives the students more of an action-oriented link to our daily activities instead of simply reading them on the board and I get daily data on their progress.

I'd love to hear any changes you have made.  Let's share some ideas and have something positive come out of this year of teaching during a pandemic!

 It's Monday morning and you have just started a lesson that you put a lot of time and energy into perfecting.  Well, let's be honest.  It's probably not perfect, but it's Monday morning and it's still going to be a learning opportunity for your students.  Then you start hearing a pencil tapping from your most wiggly student. You glance over and see him dancing in his seat. You briefly wonder if your "perfect" lesson is not as engaging as you thought it was.  Mr. Wiggles starts kicking his feet forwards and backwards, adding a nice sound effect to his performance. He abruptly stands up and you wonder if he's about to break into a dance routine.  But, no, he's just getting one of the squishy cushions you keep stored at the back of the classroom. He sits back down and silently wiggles on the cushion. There are no more sound effects and Mr. Wiggles is back to focusing on his work.  Flexible seating options for the win!

The trend of flexible seating created a lot of buzz for quite a while.  At this point, most teachers who were interested in trying it out already have.  Those who were not interested have probably forgotten about it.  There were some who went all in and removed all of their desks, tables, and chairs  in favor of couches and recliners.  Those who made the change also were likely to give students the freedom to move about the room whenever they wanted.  The term is "flexible" seating, after all. 

Personally, I liked some of the ideas involved with flexible seating.  But, I am a bit of a control freak.  I embrace that personality quirk and I think it makes my classroom run smoothly.  However, I also teach sixth-graders, who are full of energy. I have never minded the bouncy behavior of kids at this age, but it often creates noise and distractions for others.  So, I went into the idea of flexible seating knowing that I wanted to give students options to channel their energy. I did not want to sacrifice my classroom structure because I knew that would drive me crazy.  So, I took more of a middle-ground approach that I have been perfecting for the last few years.

Hello, readers! It's been quite a while since I've posted on my blog.  As many of you may recall,  in addition to writing The Maisy Files, I'm also a teacher.  Specifically, I teach sixth-grade language arts. I've decided to dedicate my first post back to a teaching topic.  I've also included a freebie download that other teachers may find useful.

I would imagine that most teachers have skills they enjoy teaching more than others.  Or, perhaps even just topics that they feel are more important than others.  For me, that topic is vocabulary instruction. I am sure this comes from the fact that I like words. That's not surprising, is it? A teacher and author likes words! In my personal experience over the last eighteen years, I have found that the more vocabulary skills students have, the more successful they are in their comprehension and writing skills.

It is a poorly kept secret that I enjoy books aimed at a much younger audience.  I don't even feel the need to pretend I only read them to keep up on what my students are reading. 

Rick Riordan is one of my favorite authors.  Since I loved his previous mythology-related series, I decided to give Magnus Chase a chance.  I have always been interested in Greek, Roman, and Egyptian history and find their mythologies intriguing.  So, I wasn't surprised that the Percy Jackson and the Olympians, the Heroes of Olympus, and the Kane Chronicles series are among my favorite reads.  But, I've never been very interested in Norse mythology. So, I wasn't sure about this one. 

But, I was very pleasantly surprised. Having very little prior knowledge of Norse mythology, most of which came from a viewing of the movie Thor, I actually learned quite a bit.

Fans of Percy Jackson will enjoy Magnus Chase.  The first-person narration is definitely in a similar style, and Magus has a well-fleshed out personality that comes through naturally. 

The story begins as Magnus turns sixteen.  So, he is a little older main character than some of Riordan's previous works.  That being the case, parents should note there are a few mild swears, as well as some sarcastic references to the Norse goddess Hel and her underworld realm of Helheim. 

As the story begins, Magnus is a homeless teen, and has been since his mother's death.  Early on, an uncle informs him that his father is a Norse god.  Of course, Magnus doesn't believe this.  After a series of events, the details of which, I will not spoil, Magnus has no choice but to believe.  

These events start Magnus on a quest to find a weapon that can help prevent Ragnarok, the Norse mythology version of the end of the world.  Along the way Magnus becomes a central figure in a group of unlikely friends, including a dwarf, an elf, and a valkyrie.  Together, they travel and meet a variety of Norse mythological figures as they try to stop events that will lead to the end of the world and the ultimate battle at Ragnarok.  Readers visit Valhalla, meet Thor and Loki, and go fishing for the World Serpent.  Riordan's specialty is weaving mythology into the narrative in a way that makes readers eager to learn something along the way. The Sword of Summer continues this tradition.

As with all of Riordan's books, there are a variety of diverse characters and themes of acceptance, courage, and friendship.   If you have a reluctant reader, I highly recommend Magnus Chase and the Sword of Summer.  The second book in the series, The Hammer of Thor, is due out on October 4th.  So, now is the perfect time to pick up the first book.  

I'm excited to share a new opportunity for readers! As an independent author, I know how hard it can be to work in the industry with little to no guidance.  That's what I'm very pleased to have found a great group of authors to collaborate with. Our group is called YA Author Rendezvous.  

The authors in the group are mostly writers of young adult fiction, though the genres have expanded as the group has grown.  We have authors who write everything from children's picture books to new adult books.

You may be asking yourself why this matters to you.  Well, we're having a Facebook launch event where you can "meet" the authors, find new books, and...win prizes! We have e-book bundles, signed copies, gift cards, and a grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card! The event will take place on Friday, November 6th.  If you join the event, it will give you the proper time for your timezone, but it will be from 5pm to 8 pm PST.  


I know many of you who follow my blog or other social media have purchased my books for your young readers.  I think it may be time that you also found something new for yourself.  The holidays are right around the corner.  You could find some new gift ideas or even win a gift card that could help with your holiday shopping.

Check out a sample of the books that will be available as prizes below, and click here to RSVP to the launch party! You  can also  find out more about our group by navigating to the "More Great Authors" section on my website.

​I hope you can all make it to the event!
​

What better time for free stuff than during summer vacation? Today I'm sharing some freebies! 


1. First up is a Rafflecopter giveaway for a $25 Amazon gift card! To enter, check out the bottom of this blog post.  


2. Do you like audiobooks?  Here are a couple of promo codes for free books on Audible.com! They are first come, first serve! I just request that if you claim one, please don't claim the other. Also, please leave a comment if you were lucky and were able to redeem a code.  If you are unfamiliar with Audible, just know that you can redeem a promo code without a subscription! The code is good for any book, but I hope you'll check out The Maisy Files if you haven't yet! You can add the code at checkout. Check out Audible.com here.


Code 1:
2ZR5FDRRE8QK4
Code 2:
EHPY3HF7GL35R


3. The next one applies to Amazon's new Kindle Unlimited program, which anyone can subscribe to regardless of whether or not they own a Kindle.  You can also get a free 30 day trial subscription! Kindle Unlimited gives you access to a large selection of Kindle books, many of which have accompanying audio books.  I tried it out and it was pretty cool to listen and read along to Maisy.  I think it would be great for young readers.  Of course, The Maisy Files is available, but there are a lot of great books included in the program! A regular subscription is $9.99 a month, but you can try it out for a month for free. Check it out here. 


4. If you need something to keep the little ones busy, here are a couple of coloring pages.  Click each picture to download a PDF file, which can then be printed.

I hope everyone is enjoying a safe and happy summer! Check out the giveaway below!