Charity Preston's Blog
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Recent posts
Rubrics for Assessment
July 31, 2012 - 01:21 pmDifferentiation in the classroom is a given, and one way to differentiate is by changing up the product for different level/interest of the learner. Of course, if you are allowing open-ended assignments, you want to make sure ...
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Would You Ever Get Rid of Your Desk?
July 24, 2012 - 02:01 pmI know some are looking at the computer like it has alien doodads coming out of the top of it, but think about how much space a teacher desk takes up, and how often you use it. Of course, in some schools, the furniture is pre- ...
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Pretesting and Analyzing Student Growth
July 17, 2012 - 02:30 pmPretesting students is the key to finding measurable gains in the classroom, whether it is in a public school setting or in an corporate employee training program. By finding out what material the students already know and do not kn ...
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Setting Up a Preschool Classroom
July 10, 2012 - 12:39 pmPreschool classroom layouts tend to be much different than traditional elementary school desk arrangements. Spaces are needed, of course, for teacher-led time. But, children of this age are not developmentally ready to sit for long ...
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A Few Good Book Teaching Ideas
July 03, 2012 - 03:18 pmAlexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, written by Judith Viorst, is a story about Alexander who wakes up with gum in his hair and trips on his skateboard. His mom forgets to put dessert in his lunch box, and hi ...
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Tracking Student Growth
June 26, 2012 - 12:59 pmAssessment of students is a hot topic today in the field of public education. How do we know the students are making adequate yearly progress? Are they learning an entire year's worth of material? Can we fit all that material in ...
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Lesson Planning Tips
June 19, 2012 - 01:28 pmLesson planning can be an art form, if done properly. For too many teachers, lesson planning can be the black hole of a week - taking several hours out of planning time. Or leaving no planning time, so the lessons, teacher editions, ...
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Substitute Teaching Tips
June 12, 2012 - 02:04 pmToday, I thought I would give some of my substituting friends some fun ideas! We have all heard the quote: "Substitute teaching is highly regarded among substitute teachers." Don't get me wrong, I starte ...
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Do You Play Games?
June 05, 2012 - 12:04 pmStudents that are engaged in learning are more likely to enjoy learning and will, in turn, be more open to retaining your lesson. Fun educational games can assist in the fun. By using everyday objects to create curiosity, students a ...
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Making a Cohesive School Environment
May 29, 2012 - 12:41 pmProbably the most important factor in a school management system is the staff that will be expected to implement it. If the teachers do not come together as a cohesive unit, agreeing with the philosophy or executing the rules and co ...
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Utilizing Fun Online Activities
May 23, 2012 - 01:08 pmAre public education classes beginning to utilize the technology available to them to create more online experiences while in school? Many would say yes. Depending on the school and the district, some are more technologically advanc ...
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Parent Conference Night
May 15, 2012 - 12:05 pmDoes this sound like your typical parent-teacher conference night: prepare 20 things to show parents, have parents come in for 15 minutes and speed talk their ears off, have one parent who wants to "chat" for an extra 8 mi ...
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Creating a Great Seating Arrangement
May 08, 2012 - 01:14 pmClassroom desk arrangements can be a tedious process for some and non-existent for others. Many veteran teachers feel that straight rows are the only way to go, while "newbie's" in the building feel that effective clas ...
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Types of Technology
May 01, 2012 - 02:24 pmThere are many types of technology that can be used in the K-12 classroom today. Our future classroom has become the present. Many items you might have heard about or seen, but not used. Maybe others are new and you haven't even ...
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Bulletin Board Ideas
April 24, 2012 - 06:11 pmPrimary bulletin boards can be cumbersome for some teachers to keep up with on a regular basis. We have so many other responsibilities that adding a currently changing bulletin board can sometimes be the straw that broke the cam ...
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How Do You Create Authentic Assessment?
April 17, 2012 - 04:09 pmAuthentic assessment is basically any type of assessment that is not paper-and-pencil type of testing. It can include projects, portfolios, or running records. I first really used authentic assessment when I student taught in a ...
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Graphic Organizers to Aid in Learning
April 10, 2012 - 02:22 pmGraphic organizers are a great teaching tool to use regularly! Many teachers are great about using KWL charts, but those are not the only graphic organizers out there. Visual and mathematical-logical learners truly benefit from this ...
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Use Menus to Differentiate
April 03, 2012 - 01:51 pmSome teachers may have heard of using menus in the classroom. While using restaurant menus also works great for many activities, that is not the type of menu to which I am referring. These menus are basically a list of differentiate ...
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Graphing Student Gains
March 27, 2012 - 01:40 pmAs educators, the buzzword data should be enough to burn ears by now. But, I feel as though it really does drive the instruction. For example, would you take your own child to compete in a swimming relay race if she had never learne ...
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Teaching Social Skills
March 20, 2012 - 01:22 pmSome teachers believe that teaching social skills is not something we have time for throughout the day. In my opinion, we don't have the time NOT to teach them. While I understand that every child will not be expected to leave c ...
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Brain Breaks Assist in Learning
March 13, 2012 - 12:38 pmCurrent research has shown that taking breaks regularly from direct instruction will increase retention level dramatically. Think of every lesson as a quick cycle: -10 minutes of skill introduction o 10-20 minutes of ...
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Brain Breaks Assist in Learning
March 13, 2012 - 12:38 pmCurrent research has shown that taking breaks regularly from direct instruction will increase retention level dramatically. Think of every lesson as a quick cycle: -10 minutes of skill introduction o 10-20 minutes of ...
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Classroom Accountability!
March 06, 2012 - 03:25 pmMost teachers have heard of a token economy classroom. Many variations are out there based on this very principle. I personally find a simple form of this idea to be rewarding for the students, but more importantly, for me. This is ...
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Using MI in Your Instruction
February 28, 2012 - 12:02 pmIf you have worked or learned about anything educated-related ever, you have already heard about Mr. Gardner and his Multiple Intelligence Theory. I am not one to debate theory, but I do agree that children all have many talents and ...
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Timing Students To Stay On Task
February 21, 2012 - 02:45 pmTimers keep food from being burnt (well most of us anyway). They also keep track of how much time is left in the game. And timers should also be used constantly in the classroom. Your students will stay on task more often than n ...
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Don't Forget the Tunes!
February 14, 2012 - 12:58 pmNoise level is something we have to control every second in our classroom. It can't be too noisy, or others will be bothered, including the teacher next door. I was always conscious of my class's noise level so I didn't ...
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Learning at the Carpet
February 07, 2012 - 12:01 pmMany teachers believe that teaching from the carpet is a practice that should end after Kindergarten. The argument is that the students should practice self-control and be able to learn from their seats. In the real world, adults ar ...
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Stopping the Fidgeting!
January 24, 2012 - 05:25 pmBeing an observer in a classroom can be extremely enlightening or extremely frustrating. Students can be engaged in learning or engaged in what they are currently playing with in their desks. Unfortunately when a teacher is trying t ...
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An Inexpensive Classroom Must-Have!
January 17, 2012 - 01:56 pmStarting off with something so simple, the first task to change your classroom to a haven of learning is to grab some Popsicle sticks from a craft store. It doesn't matter whether they are plain or colored. It doesn't matter whether th ...
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Setting Up A Great Seating Chart!
January 10, 2012 - 04:22 pmSeating charts are a critical component of any classroom. They can make or break the atmosphere, and ultimately, the learning. If students are distracting others, some will become frustrated. Others may become an additional behavior issue. ...
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Student Motivation
January 03, 2012 - 06:27 pmStudent recognition in the classroom is a necessity to keep students working their hardest. It becomes easy to overlook the student who is always doing what is expected, and to always notice the child who is misbehaving. But, consciously recog ...
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Electronic Resources Organized!
December 29, 2011 - 01:51 amOrganizing your files (hard copy and electronic) is vital to finding resources, rather than spending more time locating them on a computer or jump drive. It is important to retrieve and use these aides in order to gain the best benefit fro ...
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Try a Token Economy System
December 20, 2011 - 12:09 pmBehavior management is typically not a widely covered topic in university teacher education classes. I suppose that is because there are so many other items of importance, such as standards, assessing, and actual methods coursework. Unfort ...
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Time Management for New Teachers
December 13, 2011 - 10:51 pmTime management for the new teacher can seem unattainable, but there are ways to make the most of your time, while also allowing for a few moments for mental health. The first year will always be the most difficult as you are trying to get ...
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Classroom Technology
December 06, 2011 - 01:02 pmUsing technology in the classroom used to entail putting a filmstrip on or using the overhead projector to enhance the daily lesson. Today, there are a wide variety of ways to involve students and increase retention. Not only do students l ...
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Why You Need to Use a Curriculum Map
November 29, 2011 - 01:29 pmCurriculum mapping could mean various things for various people. In this case, my personal definition is as follows: curriculum mapping is the act of placing an entire year's worth of instructional material on a calendar so that it is ...
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Materials Organization in Your Classroom
November 22, 2011 - 12:37 pmAnother important classroom skill is organizing materials. The beginning of the school year is so hectic on its own, why make it worse by not having a plan for all those student supplies? Plastic rectangular baskets from a dollar sto ...
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Classroom File Organization Idea
November 15, 2011 - 01:29 pmWith all the papers and ideas we have in the classroom, finding a place to store them all can be overwhelming! The key to organizing files is to find a system that works for you and stick to it. Train your parent volunteers, student teache ...
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Student-Led Parent Teacher Conferences
November 08, 2011 - 11:34 amParent-Teacher Conferences can be very frustrating for all involved. The parents may or may not have had a good previous experience in school and feel uncomfortable in the atmosphere. The teacher who has to prepare all the materials ...
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How About a Bulletin Board Solution?
November 02, 2011 - 03:31 pmBulletin boards in primary classrooms can become quite a chore when they have to be changed monthly, or even weekly. Always changing the student work, borders, and background - not to mention punching a new title out of c ...
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A Lesson in Moon Phases
September 26, 2011 - 03:43 pmHi all! I was excited to hear that Jennifer from Rowdy in First Grade wanted to do a TBA Science Week! I dig teaching science, in particular - rocks and minerals (just ask my old 3rd grade team about that!) ...
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Hear Me On the Radio!
September 24, 2011 - 01:48 pmHave you seen the all new radio program TBA Today yet? If not, you need to check it out! I pre-recorded my first interview with Debbie Clement, a national speaker, presenter, author, musician, and entertai ...
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Inferencing Battleship
September 22, 2011 - 03:05 pmIs that an oxymoron? Since when will you have students begging you to do more of it? Well, if you take a peek over at The Organized Classroom Blog, I will show you a fun tech secret that I have found to work wonders! ...
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Punctuation Ideas
September 21, 2011 - 03:24 pmDid you know that National Punctuation Day is coming up on September 24th? Well, if you are caught off guard (I wonder if there is a greeting card for National Punctuation Day?), make sure to stop by The Organiz ...
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Freebies and Puppies - Who Could Want More?
September 20, 2011 - 03:24 pmFreebies for you preview and a birthday gift for me! Please stop by The Organized Classroom Blog today as I need some serious help! See you there!
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Freebie Read Aloud eBook!
September 16, 2011 - 10:15 pmThis was an item reserved solely for the newsletter subscribers of The Organized Classroom Blog. but I have decided to release it to everyone else since it was such a hit! There is a small "token." Stop by The OC Blo ...
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Green Light Means Talk!
September 14, 2011 - 06:14 pmToday on The Organized Classroom Blog, I will show you a way to keep noise level down without saying a word yourself! Also, make sure to stop by yesterday's post to enter for a free iSuper Grader app for your iPhone/iPod or iPad ...
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Get Your Grader Giveaway!
September 13, 2011 - 02:01 pmMy blog post on The Organized Classroom Blog today is actually a do-over from a July giveaway that was HUGELY popular! The sponsor has asked me to giveaway 4 more graders! 2 for the iPad and 2 for the iPod/iPhone! Head o ...
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School Bulletin Board Boards Organization
September 12, 2011 - 05:39 pmDo the strips of bulletin board borders drive you crazy when you are trying to change them every month? Are they falling out of the box or getting bent in all the wrong places? Take a look at the latest entry from The Organized Cla ...
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Unnecessary Article
September 07, 2011 - 03:33 pmIf you are a follower of The Organized Classroom Blog, you will probably already know that I am taking a week off from blogging to hang out with my family. So, imagine my surprise when I sat down last night to actually read a magazine for f ...
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Balance Beams
September 01, 2011 - 05:44 pmHow do you balance work and home life? That is tough for so many teachers! I asked the same question of my Facebook Fans, and they came in with some fantastic ideas, which I have compiled and made available for you to download in a free eBo ...
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Flowers in the Classroom
September 01, 2011 - 01:20 amI noticed yesterday on the Facebook Fan Page that people were loving a comment about using Chrysanthemum in the classroom with their students, so I compiled all the ways that they mentioned into one handy little document. If you use this bo ...
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Zipping Desks Solution!
August 30, 2011 - 05:32 pmLooking for a way to keep those desks in the same place in your room? Head over to The Organized Classroom Blog to see my latest video! :) See you there!
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Elephants in School?
August 30, 2011 - 01:45 amDo you think elephants in school are a good idea? Well, if you need to find out more, stop at The Organized Classroom Blog to see for yourself and grab a freebie file too! See you there!
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Classroom Website Freebie!
August 26, 2011 - 03:20 pmWell, today it was just over 3 minutes because I had so much to show you! Make sure to head over to The Organized Classroom Blog today to see a quick video I made that tells you all about creating an awesome online website for your class - ...
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Get Your Free Fundraising eBook Now!
August 25, 2011 - 08:20 pmAs per the usual Collaboration Wednesday, this week's question posed to The Organized Classroom Blog's readers was all about finding great fundraisers that can help to add a few extra dollars to your classroom budget. Lots of great ...
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Super Easy Assessment
August 24, 2011 - 08:46 pmThis one's for the newbie teachers out there, though if you watch the video, you might find a new way to decorate an old clipboard. :) Head over to The Organized Classroom Blog to see the latest teaching tip straight from me! ...
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Dice Trays
August 23, 2011 - 06:47 pmLooking for a new way to roll dice without hearing the click-clacking all over the desks? Come on over to The Organized Classroom Blog to see my latest video where I will tell you all about it! While you are there, make sure to t ...
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Economical Dry Erase!
August 22, 2011 - 09:55 pmWant to know how to make these? You have to watch the video I just made today at The Organized Classroom Blog! See you there! PS! Make sure to stop by and enter to win any or all of the prizes from 40 sponsors ...
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Math Problem Solvers
August 19, 2011 - 04:38 pmDo you struggle with finding fun and novel ways to get students interested in math facts and problem solving? Stop over at The Organized Classroom Blog today to take a look at a couple of things I think would be an amazing addition to any c ...
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Take Time to Check Out the Books!
August 17, 2011 - 09:44 pmDo you know about Barefoot Books? I had never heard of them before, until they agreed to take part and sponsor a prize in The OC Blog Back To School 2011 Giveaway Event! now, I am SOLD! Stop by The Organized Classroom Blog today to read all ...
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BTS 2011 Huge Giveaway!
August 16, 2011 - 04:47 pmMake sure you stop by The Organized Classroom Blog today to find out how to win big! See you there!
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Math + Dice = Super Fun Learning!
August 15, 2011 - 04:00 pmHow about a fun dice game? Check out the latest blog post at The Organized Classroom Blog to find out more! See you there!
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Freebie eBook! Get Yours Reserved!
August 11, 2011 - 07:34 pmHappy Thursday! Want to find out how to reserve your free eBook copy filled with read aloud titles from PreSchool to High School? Take a look at the latest blog entry from The Organized Classroom Blog! See you there! ...
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Grades 3-5 Free Files!
August 05, 2011 - 02:52 pmWow - that was a lot of alliteration in one title :) Head over to The Organized Classroom Blog to find out where to claim your 15 free files! Happy Friday everyone! See you there!
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Spelling Ideas in One (or Maybe Two!) FREE eBooks!
August 04, 2011 - 10:03 pmThe Organized Classroom Blog has not just one, but TWO free eBooks this week, courtesy of all the great conversations happening over at our Facebook Fan Page! See you there!
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Spelling Awesomeness!
August 03, 2011 - 08:32 pmToday on The Organized Classroom Blog's Facebook Fan Page, the theme was Spelling! There were ideas I found from the awesome TBA Super Spelling Ideas Workshop, a great review (and future giveaway) on The Organized Classroom Blog, as wel ...
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Class Goal Tracker Giveaway!
August 02, 2011 - 03:34 pmCooperative Learning Giveaway at The Organized Classroom Blog! See you there!
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Free Parent Communication e-Book for Teachers!
July 28, 2011 - 08:03 pmStop over at The Organized Classroom Blog today to get your free copy of our Parent Communication e-Book! Over 10 pages long, it lists almost 30 ideas for making sure your are connecting with parents of your students! Stop by Th ...
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Clearly Science!
July 26, 2011 - 07:41 pmCalling all my science teachers out there! Make sure to stop at The Organized Classroom Blog today to enter to win something even your most awnry boys will be sure to like! See you there!
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Merry Christmas in July!
July 25, 2011 - 10:48 pmIf you live in the Eastern US, you may be wishing for some cooler Christmas temps right about now! While I can't make that happen, I can get you thinking about some fun Christmas-ey activities for your classroom in honor of July 25th, C ...
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