Ms. Natasha Theodora

Best Teaching Practice

Friday Five: Student Privacy Online

Friday Five: Student Privacy Online
Protecting Student Privacy ONline As teachers, parents, students, and administrators trust us with so many things. We’re trusted to educate children every day. We’re also trusted to keep them safe and always consider their best interests. As I exist more in the teacher world’s social media, I am concerned about student privacy online. A few years ago, Europe rolled out new data protection rules and regulations, and I just so happened to be working in the EU at that time. These data rules were intense, but they made me reflect upon the student data I collect as a teacher and… View Post

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Literacy Instruction

Teacher Talk: Storylords

Teacher Talk: Storylords
Storylords? Storylords WARNING! This post in no way shape or form is about a best teaching practice. This teaching practice is so expired and out of date that I include a warning here. But it is fun, and kids love it. It’s not research-based at all. Sit back, relax, and let me tell you about Storylords and why I love it so much!   Most kids who grew up in Wisconsin in the 80s and 90s knows the joy of Storylords. To say this program is outdated is an understatement, but kids still love it. This show is by no means… View Post

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Community

Changing Our Thinking: Parents Don’t Care

Changing Our Thinking: Parents Don’t Care
Rethinking what we do is what teaching is all about. This series looks to bring up those practices and offer ideas that are more relevant in today’s classroom. I know parent/teacher conference time is coming up, and today we’re discussing how we talk about student’s families. Sometimes we act like parents don’t care about their children- that isn’t true.  We’ve All Heard It… Or Said It Parents Don’t Care “I can’t believe they don’t even care about their child.”  “____’s mom couldn’t bother to show up for parent/teacher conferences again.” “We waited for an hour, but ____’s dad never showed… View Post

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Teacher Life

Weekly Wisdom

Weekly Wisdom
Initiate the Learning Process The teacher’s task is to initiate the learning process and then get out of the way. -John Warren Well, yeah sometimes as teachers we do accidentally stand in the way of learning. Maybe it is putting up a scaffold that isn’t needed or waiting a bit too long before allowing independent practice. Sometimes it is keeping kids in a small group when they’re ready to move on. It happens!  Once when our TCRWP staff developer visited our school in the US we had to go off and coach a partnership. I went and taught a little… View Post
Community

A Class Gratitude Activity

A Class Gratitude Activity
Tap Someone WHo Has your class ever had a moment (or several) where it seems like they just can’t get along? Does every little moment turn into a small tiff? When that happens, it is best to pause the academic learning and work on some social-emotional learning. It’s time for a class gratitude activity! Tap Someone Who is the perfect one. I learned this activity at summer camp, and I have played it with adults, teens, first graders, and everyone in between. Summer Camp When I was a junior in high school, I was a counselor in training at the… View Post