Prepare like a champion and do your homework.

Hopefully you’ve documented the struggles and achievements of each child in your room. It’s a big task, but from the parent’s perspective, this is the most important part of a conference. They’ll want to know where their child is struggling and where they can improve.

I would suggest having an organized system for conferences. If you devote time to creating an outline and jotting down the most important things you’d like to discuss, time won’t get away from you, and you’ll have a productive meeting.

If you haven’t adequately prepared for the conference, and you haven’t done your homework, the parents will likely be unimpressed, and you’ll have a tough time recovering from a tarnished relationship with them. It’s much harder to be a teacher in a classroom where parents aren’t on your team.

Invite the parent(s) to express thoughts/concerns.

Parents want to be heard, above all. They want to feel invited to share any thoughts and concerns they may have about their child, your instruction, the classroom, or even other students. Give them time to vent, ask questions, and give you feedback. In the meantime, keep your cool. Reacting emotionally instead of logically can damage your reputation and your relationship. Write down the concerns that parents bring to you. This will help you in step 5: make a plan for following through.

Be ready for surprises.

Parents enjoy taking an opportunity with a new teacher to talk about the difficulties they may have had in the past. They also may want to use this time to vent about their frustrations or struggles at home. Oftentimes, parent teacher conferences involve much more than just discussion of the child. Remember that the way you handle yourself during a conference says a lot about who you are, personally and professionally. Keep your cool and do not engage in bad-mouthing another teacher. Instead, move the conversation back to the experience they are currently having, and offer to do what you can to make their child’s experience a better one.

Keep your tone (and your focus) positive.

No parent wants to sit through 20-30 minutes of “your child should be doing better.” Instead, focus on keeping your comments positive. Encourage parents to provide ideas on how you can all succeed. Is there anything you can do to make their student’s experience in your classroom more enjoyable or easier? Parents will respect that you’re putting yourself out there. Make them feel as though the burden for their child to succeed isn’t only on their shoulders – you are part of their team. Parents will leave your parent teacher conference feeling much more confident in their child’s ability and much more comfortable with who you are personally and professionally. 

Make a follow-through plan with the parents.

When parents express concerns, they’re hoping for something to change. Sending their child to school in a classroom where they’re unhappy is no parent’s dream. During parent-teacher conferences, write down any concerns that parents may bring up, and before the conference is over, make sure you have a plan. If you really want to go a step further, encourage them to reach out to you at different checkpoints; maybe later in the fall or just before winter break. This will help you hold yourself accountable and will give parents “permission” to check-in on how things are going with their student.

Parent-teacher conferences can be intimidating – especially for new teachers. Instead of dreading them, see them as an opportunity to grow closer to your student’s families. Building relationships is half of the battle when you’re a teacher and having parents on “your side” will aid you tremendously throughout your career. Parents need to feel that they can trust you; that they can come to you when there’s an issue. Describe your open-door policy, and remind them that email is always a great way to communicate. If you work in a school where parent involvement is lacking, make sure you emphasize how willing you are to work around their schedule – whether that’s a phone conversation or an early morning meeting. Families are truly a part of who your students are. A parent-teacher conference is your opportunity to become just a small part of their family.

The post 5 Tips for Parent-Teacher Conferences appeared first on Tanya Yero Teaching.

1.) Drops on a Penny – I was expecting my 4th grade gifted students to think this was a lame experiment, but they loved it. It was easy prep for me, and I was able to target every step of the scientific method with my class.

2.) Transfer of Energy Experiment – This lab is easy to implement and covers potential and kinetic energy. Anything related to force and motion is a surefire hit with students. Check out Frugal Fun 4 Boys’ blog post on how to conduct this lab in your classroom. She has an archive of great science labs!

3.) Marble Rollercoasters – In this experiment we use the testable question of “How does increasing the slope of a ramp affect the marble’s speed?” Like the other two activities, this lab requires easy to find materials. I use cut up pool noodles to make my ramps, which I reuse throughout the year for other force and motion labs. If you want to conduct this experiment with your students I have a freebie that can be found in my TpT store.

What are your go to experiments for teaching the scientific method?

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1.) Mathantics – This channel is run by two cool guys that use humor and themes to teach math skills. Their videos are detailed and relatable for young students.

2.) MashUp Math – I follow Anthony on Instagram and I love what he stands for. He’s all about making math fun and complex for students. His videos have great graphics and examples.

3.) Khan Academy – Khan Academy is one of the largest educational channels on YouTube. They have tons of math videos, and also videos for other subject areas. There are even professional development videos for teachers. FYI – the tutorials on this channel are more suited for upper elementary.

What YouTube channels do you use in your classroom?

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Earlier in my career if administration or parents asked me to do something, I was all over it. I was happy to help and it was nice to be needed, but I soon realized saying yes to everything meant I was spreading myself too thin. I was serving on committees, being team leader, running clubs, tutoring, and the list goes on. I became overwhelmed and felt like my students were suffering because of it. My students will always come first and sometimes that means saying no to commitments outside of your classroom. The quality of instruction I give to my students is most important. Don’t be afraid to let go of commitments. Yes, it doesn’t feel great when you “let someone down,” but I would rather do that than overextend myself again. You’re human, you can only do so much.

Rewards raise mental happiness. It works for children and guess what…adults too. Do something for yourself. Take a day off from work and have a mental health day. My first few years of teaching I never took one day off. I would go in even when I was sick. I was convinced my students wouldn’t be able to live thru the day without me. For some odd reason I also had fear of missing out on what was happening on campus. I guess I was worried Ryan Gosling would stop by my school and I would miss the whole thing. Looking back, it was so odd. You have to have days or special times for yourself. Set a goal and then reward yourself when you accomplish it. Eat cake.

Earlier in my career I would do elaborate themed classrooms. I would make my husband go into school with me on the weekends before the new school year started. We would spend countless hours hot gluing fabric and accents to cement walls (YES, I had cement walls in my classroom), so I could have the most amazing room. This was before Pinterest, but these rooms were the epitome of “pin-worthy.” And everything else I did had the same gusto and commitment. Thru time I learned that not every lesson or day has to be over the top. Sometimes a worksheet works just the same. Sometimes you bring a pack of Oreos and call it a party. Your students would rather have a happy teacher on a daily basis than someone trying to keep up with all the fads and excitement found on social media.

Do what you can. It will always be enough, but all it starts with taking care of yourself. You steer the ship that is your classroom and your mental health has to be in the best shape possible for everything to function.

The post 3 Tips for Avoiding Teacher Burnout appeared first on Tanya Yero Teaching.

1.) Dog Man and Cat Kids – Technically this book comes out the last week of 2017, but with the holidays it’s easy to forget about its release. Dog Man is a great graphic novel series, especially for reluctant readers. My 4th graders love this series and anxiously await for a new release to see what happens next.

2.) What Do You Do With a Chance? – Written by the same creators of What Do You Do with an Idea? And What Do You Do With a Problem?, this book is guaranteed to bring the same warm fuzzies to your students during a read aloud. Releases: February 6th

3.) Hidden Figures – Based on the book and Disney movie, Hidden Figures is written as a picture book for children. My students LOVED this movie when it came out, so I’m sure they will love the book too. Releases on: January 16th

4.) Supergifted – This book is the sequel to Gordon Korman’s Ungifted. Ungifted was a favorite in my classroom when it came out, so I know the sequel will be as equally sought after. Everything Korman writes is a knockout. Releases on: January 2nd

5.) Just Like Jackie – This book is being compared to Fish in a Tree. Sign me up. The plot is about a young girl and her ambition to protect her family. The book is getting rave reviews and I’m excited to add a new book about acceptance and diversity to my library. Releases January 2nd

We have a lot of new books to look forward to in 2018. What is on your must-have wish list?

The post 5 Children’s books to Look for in Early 2018 Children’s Literature appeared first on Tanya Yero Teaching.

Be very selective in the resources you use in your classroom. Most textbooks, worksheets, and workbooks lean toward the procedural side of questioning. Don’t be afraid to swap out basic questions for more complex ones. My first few years of teaching I never thought to write my own word problems, but once I started I didn’t stop. I was able to make them relatable to my students and ensure I was targeting various levels of questioning.

Teachers fear the idea of something being “too hard” for our students. Why is there such a stigma associated with challenging opportunities? All of us are the people we are today because we rose to the occasion in moments of strife. We learned in that difficult moment what worked and what didn’t. Your students are going to benefit very little if everything is a cake walk.

As you reach the higher levels of understanding, you reach conceptual understanding. Teaching conceptually means stepping back. This was incredibility hard for me. By nature, I want to help, hence why I (and you) became an educator. I have also been told by many loved ones that I am a long-winded speaker; therefore, my first few years of teaching involved me rambling in the front of the room. While I was loving every second of my math lessons, I was doing all of the work. In time, I learned that I shouldn’t be doing all of the talking and thinking. In fact, I realized that I should be doing about 30% of the talking and that questioning (paired with wait and exploration time) were critical parts to any lesson.

My Bloom’s Taxonomy Cards for math are a great way to ensure you are targeting the different levels of understanding. I keep my cards on a key ring and store them on my desk. There are always near me to use as a guide when I am teaching a new skill. What do you use in your classroom to target the different levels of understanding?

The post Targeting the Different Levels of Understanding in Your Math Class Bloom’s Taxonomy appeared first on Tanya Yero Teaching.

Symmetry Bugs – Idea from 4th Grade Frolics

This activity uses symmetry and reflection to create unique looking bugs. Tara’s blog has step by step instructions for you to use to teach your students how to effectively create a reflection of their name to make an outline of an original bug. It’s fun and requires little prep.

Optical Illusions – Idea from Rundee’s Room

This activity is AWESOME. It’s great for following directions because there are several steps that students need to follow for a successful illusion. If you can get a parent volunteer to help you by walking around and monitoring each step while you provide the instructions I would recommend that. Also, ask students to bring in markers and colored pencils if you don’t have enough in class.

Emoji Agamographs – Idea from Art with Jenny K.

My students went bonkers for this activity. I loved it because there was a narrative writing component to it. Jenny has SO MANY incredible resources in her TpT store that integrate art and curriculum. If your testing days fall near a holiday, check out her store. She has many holiday themed art activities.

I’m always looking for new ideas to do with my kiddos during testing week! What do you do? Leave a comment below!

The post 3 Easy Art Activities to Do in Your Classroom the Week of State Testing appeared first on Tanya Yero Teaching.

Like everyone else, I’m spending Thanksgiving week running around my house cleaning, making extra trips to the grocery store, and reflecting on what I’m grateful for the past year. I have a wonderful family. We bought our first house this year. Our dog, Penny is the light of our lives. She makes us laugh with her spunk and stubbornness. I also have the very best friends a girl could ask for.

But one of the things I am most grateful for is the ability to help other teachers. As a teacher myself I know the grit that goes into our profession and all that you do for your students. As a thank you I made these gift tags. If you’re looking for small gifts to give your teammates Bath and Body Works is the place to go. They always have great sales and incredible coupons. The tags below can be used for the candles, hand lotion, and soap.

Enjoy and get your FREE gift tags here! Happy Thanksgiving!

The post Quick and Cheap Gift Ideas {WITH FREEBIE GIFT TAGS} appeared first on Tanya Yero Teaching.

I’m not someone who leans on either side of this debate with a firm stance. I find myself in the middle. There are days I give homework and days I don’t. But when I do I make sure to go thru my mental checklist to ensure that the homework I give is quality work. Below is the checklist I follow.

I don’t assign homework that is busy work or unrelated to standards. In the past I have tutored for various families. At times I would help the child with their homework. I can’t tell you how many assignments came my way that weren’t related to state standards. It felt as though the teacher assigned the homework just to simply assign homework. As educators what message are we sending our students? From their perspective they get the message of “your time isn’t valuable,” and that’s not what we want. Leave the lengthy word searches and coloring assignments behind.

We work with small children every day. We know their attention spans. After 15 minutes (AT BEST), they begin to fade. Keep it short and sweet. I don’t need to assign 20 problems of long division to know if a child understands the curriculum. I need 4-5 questions and that’s it. If I assign math homework its 5 questions or less, especially for complex skills. If they get it we don’t need to beat a dead horse and if they don’t, there’s no reason to make a student complete 20 questions incorrectly. When the assignments are short I can easily check them and make a list of students that I need to pull during small groups for extra practice.

Unless it’s a project, I NEVER send home assignments that will go into the gradebook. Let’s be honest….we know that parents are at an arm’s reach at home. What they perceive as “helping,” could be more “completing.” It’s understandable. Most are not trained educators and they want to help their child. My teaching partner and I even opt to do most projects that would be normally be assigned as homework in class. We get a better representation of the child’s ability. Homework is a great practice tool, but it should never be used as form of assessment. We have all had students that we know don’t understand what was taught in class, but yet their homework is correct all the time.

State standards and assessments are only becoming more demanding. We ask our students to work very hard every day. They should be going home mentally exhausted, like we are. I don’t want to go home and deal with hours of school work. Instead I want to decompress from the day, spend time with family, and relax. Our students deserve that same opportunity. I don’t have many memories of homework during my elementary years, but instead I remember Girl Scouts, ballet, and spending time with my sisters. I’m dealing with 9 and 10 year olds and I want them to enjoy being that age.
Find a system that works for you and your students. There is no correct answer for every classroom, but hopefully this checklist will help you. Do what you feel is best for your students.

The post Should You Be Giving Homework? appeared first on Tanya Yero Teaching.

1.) Flair Pens – Ya’ll. Sam’s Club has the best deal on flair pens. 20 for $14.99! I have purchased several sets for myself and friends.

2.) Cardstock – You can never have enough cardstock. You can pick up a pack of 500 pieces of Rainbow Astrobrights for $8.32. I keep two reams on deck at all times in my classroom.

3.) Children’s Books – My go to location for picking up new releases is Sam’s Club. They are reasonably priced and you can count on Sam’s to always have them in stock. My classroom library is stocked thanks in part to Sam’s. The books in the picture below are all relatively new and range in price from $6.98 to $12.88

4.) 3 Tier Utility Cart – This cart is awesome. I have one in my classroom and one in my office at home. I store goodies that I use regularly in my classroom on this cart because of its portability. I can wheel it to my small group table, to my Activeboard, or back to my desk. It’s functional and cute. This cart will run you about $35.00.

5.) Permanent Markers – HOLY MOLY. All the heart eyed emojis for this set. I saw this baby for the first time last weekend and didn’t hesitate to pick it up. I used to use flair pens for grading papers, but have since started using markers so I can preserve the life of my beloved pens. These BIC markers do not disappoint. You can get 40 markers for $9.98.

What supplies do you buy in bulk? Leave a comment below!

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