What Works For Me! “Lesson-planning hack: Plan from Tuesday to Monday so you aren’t scrambling Sunday night. ‘New’ weeks start on Tuesday, which gives you Monday to finish prepping for the week!” —Nicholas Emmanuele, Teacher
Have you tried a new approach to lesson planning this year? We'd love to hear all about it! 🌟
#WhatWorksForMe #EduSky
Film yourself teaching and watch it. It’s eye opening to see what your habits are. For example, I start a LOT of sentences with “So…” I also learned a lot about the frequency and type of questions I ask. It truly made me a better teacher. It’s awkward at first, but it’s totally worth it. —Laura Miller, Teacher
Have you tried this before? 📺 🤔
#WhatWorksForMe #EduSky
“Let them tell you their stories. Work stories. Pet stories. Homework stories. Relationship stories. Stop and listen. One on one or even in a class of 34, which I’ve had, it’s a game changer. 23 years later, relationships are the most effective tool in my teaching tool box.” —Heather Leise, Teacher
“Relationships are the most effective tool in my teaching tool box.” 🧰
#WhatWorksForMe #EduSky
What Works For Me! “I’ve had my students write down on multiple sticky notes this year what they would want to hear on tough days. I collected those notes and handed them out when I saw students needed them. The power of their own positive words returning to them made a difference.” —Danielle Sicotte, Teacher
🗒️ 🧡
#WhatWorksForMe #EduSky
What Works For Me! “Yesterday, I made a student the leader of the class, and it was their job to quiet everyone down. Turns out, classmates listen to classmates more than they listen to the teacher.” —Linda Garrett, Teacher
What are your favorite strategies for quieting down your class?
#WhatWorksForMe #EduSky
What Works For Me! “Instead of asking, ‘Why are you in the hall?’ I now say, ‘Can I walk you back to class?’ It turns out that once a student has been away from class for too long, they’re often afraid to return because they fear getting in trouble. By walking them back, they have an ally and can re-enter the room with more confidence. I even have kids who see me and ask, ‘Will you walk me to my class?’” —Sarah Wysocki, Teacher
“Our team recently decided to spend the first ten minutes of meetings sending positive emails home. 10/10 recommend. It’s always on my list, but I don’t get around to it as much as I’d like. Building it into our structured team time was a great solution and means so much to the students.” —Emma Pass, Teacher
Has your team tried this? ✉️
#WhatWorksForMe #EduSky
“Our leadership team does this every week—we each pick a staff member and write them a positive note. We’ve done the entire staff twice, and we are on round 3 now. It has been a powerful game changer for the staff and team!” —Kathryn Ashmore, Educator
What Works For Me! “For procedures and tasks, I used to say, ‘Does it make sense?’ or ‘Do you know what to do?’ Now I say, ‘Tell your partner what you are going to do, then your partner will repeat what you said.’ After that change, everyone follows directions to the dot.” —Arlene Jimenez, Reading Specialist
What do you say after sharing directions for a task? 🤔
#WhatWorksForMe #EduSky
What Works For Me! I use a Math Lottery when we’re reviewing for a test. Students solve a problem, then bring their answer to me. If they're correct, they get a sticky note to place on a 10x10 numbered grid. They write their name on the note, cover a number, and then move on to the next. At the end, I use a randomizer to select a few winners for a small incentive. They love it! —Lisa Vilander Aggers, Teacher
Tip: Set a timer for the activity—it ends when the timer goes off, not when students have finished all the problems!
Credit to The Teaching Files for the original idea! 💡 Here’s the free resource if you’d like to try this in your classroom: https://bit.ly/4jZZi3x
#EduSky #WhatWorksForMe
“I don’t put grades on anything anymore, just feedback. They can see their grades online 24/7. Keeps the actual grade private, too.” —Carla Zygner, Teacher
What Works For Me! “At the end of the year, we did ‘Dirtiest Wipe.’ I dampened a bunch of towels with water. I set a timer and told the kids that they had 5 minutes to wipe anything in the room that needed a scrub. At the end, they held up their towels and the dirtiest wipe got a prize (and then they all got a prize because it was the last day and they all hustled). They loved it!” —Jen Spath, Art Teacher
Doesn’t it feel great to come back to a clean classroom after a break? Here’s how Jen gets the whole class to help. 💫 🧹
#WhatWorksForMe
“I got into the habit of making sure the last question of every assessment is: ‘What else do you know that I didn’t ask you?’ The responses vary, but I love it as another way for students to communicate their comprehension.” —Alicia Tanpreet Johal, Middle School Science Teacher
“What else do you know that I didn’t ask you?”
#EduSky #WhatWorksForMe
What Works For Me! “I’ve had my students write down on multiple sticky notes this year what they would want to hear on tough days. I collected those notes and handed them out when I saw students needed them. The power of their own positive words returning to them made a difference.” —Danielle Sicotte, Teacher
“The power of their own positive words returning to them made a difference.” 📝 🧡
#WhatWorksForMe #EduSky
“Whenever I send positive communication home via email, I always CC the student, too. They love to see the great things that you brag to their families about. Also, I find that students will save those emails in their inbox for months afterwards and look at them when they need a pick-me-up.” —Sarah A, Teacher
What are your tips for communicating with families? ✉️
#EduSky #WhatWorksForMe
“Our leadership team does this every week—we each pick a staff member and write them a positive note. We’ve done the entire staff twice, and we are on round 3 now. It has been a powerful game changer for the staff and team!” —Kathryn Ashmore, Educator
This routine is simple, but it’s game-changing for school culture! 📝
Thanks to educator Kathryn Ashmore for sharing.
#SchoolLeaders #EduSky #WhatWorksForMe
What Works For Me! Film yourself teaching and watch it. It’s eye opening to see what your habits are. For example, I start a LOT of sentences with “So…” I also learned a lot about the frequency and type of questions I ask. It truly made me a better teacher. It’s awkward at first, but it’s totally worth it. —Laura Miller, Teacher
What Works For Me! “I enjoy dimming the lights and eating lunch in the peace and quiet of my classroom. Yes, all alone. I check my personal messages and the headlines. I tidy my desk. And I just prepare myself mentally and physically for the rest of the day. I know it may seem anti-social, but my introverted self needs this little bit of recharging midday.” —Loryn Venekamp, Teacher
How do you recharge during the day? 🔋
#WhatWorksForMe #EduSky
Listen to records.
Read books.
Go outside.
See friends. #whatworksforme
“Two years ago, I was saying ‘Do you have any questions?’ Last year, I switched to ‘What questions do you have?’ It made a difference. Today, I tried ‘Ask me two questions.’ And they did! And those questions led to more questions. It amazes me that the littlest things have such a big impact!” —André Sasser, Math Teacher
What are the little things that make a big impact in your classroom?
#WhatWorksForMe #EduSky
What Works For Me! “My new math mantra (and for life, really) is ‘Make the mistake.’ I call, ‘Who thinks they got it wrong / thinks they need help? Can we share your answer to learn from it?’ I will circulate and tell kids who volunteer: ‘I see you, but you got it right... Hold that for a minute, let’s see if we can fix a mistake instead.’ Kids are taking a lot more risks and getting better in the process.” —Taryn Ballesty, Teacher
How do you encourage students to embrace mistakes?
#MathSky #ITeachMath #EduSky #WhatWorksForMe
“Let them tell you their stories. Work stories. Pet stories. Homework stories. Relationship stories. Stop and listen. One on one or even in a class of 34, which I’ve had, it’s a game changer. 23 years later, relationships are the most effective tool in my teaching tool box.” —Heather Leise, Teacher
What Works For Me! “I use 6-7 as a call and response signal to quiet down in the library. I say 4-5 and the kids say 6-7 and put their voices on silent. Works great; they either love it or think I’m cringe and say it a lot less!” —Amy Schermetzler, School Librarian
One of many effective 6-7 strategies we saw educators share last week 👇
#WhatWorksForMe #ClassroomManagement #EduSky
What Works For Me! “Something I started doing this year: When I grade papers, I put the grade on the last page of the assessment instead of the top of the first page. My students like the privacy it provides.” —Rebecca Olivares, Teacher
What Works For Me! I asked ChatGPT to write an essay on the theme of fear in Macbeth. I gave it to my seniors and told them I’d probably score it a D. Their job was to redeem it. C level added quotes and better syntax. B level had to thoroughly expand. Most chose the ‘A’ option: not look at the ChatGPT essay and write their own. It helped them to see how simplistic the AI is, unless they’re sophisticated in programming it. —Kristen Brewer, Educator
Have you tried an assignment like this in your class?
#WhatWorksForMe #EduSky
What Works For Me! After each assessment, my students leave a Hope Tag: a sentence, sketch, or symbol capturing their growth. It’s added as a comment digitally or Post-it if on paper. Before the next test, we revisit them. It’s not just reflection—it’s proof they’re growing. —Cathleen Beachboard, High School Teacher
Hope Tag how-to guide from @cathleenbeachbd.bsky.social👇
Ask students to look back: What's something you didn't know before that you understand now? Or to look in: How did you overcome a challenge during this learning?
#EduSky #WhatWorksForMe #assessment
The best thing I implemented in 20 years of teaching 5th graders was “Starbucks” time. For 20-30 minutes, I allowed students to sit wherever they wanted as they worked on one of the task choices on the board. They could also sit in a small group with me to go over homework if they got stuck. On Fridays, I made hot chocolate for them. Their attendance and productivity soared! —Kim Van Wagoner Ilvento, Educator
What Works For Me! “I got into the habit of making sure the last question of every assessment is: ‘What else do you know that I didn’t ask you?’ The responses vary, but I love it as another way for students to communicate their comprehension.” —Alicia Tanpreet Johal, Middle School Science Teacher
Have you tried adding a similar question to your assessments? 📝
#EduSky #assessment #WhatWorksForMe
What Works For Me! “I have the kids take a quiz about me. They know nothing about me usually, so it’s just guesses. After we go over answers, I have them create their own 6-question multiple choice quiz about themselves. I take the quizzes that night and pass them back next day. They grade them, turn them back in. Then I hand them back again. I’ve learned names so much faster since I started doing this!” —Erin Ramsey, High School Math Teacher
Do you have a tip for learning students’ names?
#EduSky #WhatWorksForMe
What Works For Me! “As principal, I had Post-It notes available for all the students to jot down positive comments about their fellow students and then place them on the hallway wall. Kids loved it! We also held a morning meeting each day and had a segment in which the students were able to share something positive they had noticed a fellow student do the day before. Great way to start the day!” —Susan Jane Craine Long, Educator
Have you tried this at your school? ✏️
#EduSky #WhatWorksForMe
