As I looked through those ideas and thought about this past year, I chose some top posts that inspired (or will continue to inspire) me.
Starting with the Answer (Matt B. Gomez) - Give kids the answer and ask them to come up with the story/question. This post echoed in my mind for a while. And it's the inspiration for our morning math routine.
Ten Ways to Deal with a Hard Year (Education Rethink) - Okay, technically this post was in 2012, but I have continued to reread it through 2013. John Spencer states some truths about hard years. My first year last year was challenging...and this year has had some challenges, too. John's post reminds me to look for the successes and to look for the learning.
Two Words the World Needs (Jon Acuff) - This post is no longer active. Jon has moved and his old posts have disappeared. (One reason I love Evernote. I copied the post into my notes and can still read it offline even though it's gone online.) Jon wrote: "The world has a lot of stuff. It does. .... But there is one thing that the world is lacking. One thing it is desperate for. More you." This post challenged me to think about what my class really needs - it needs for me to bring my own unique perspective and talents to help my kids learn.
How a Second Grader Got Me to Stop Teaching and Start Listening (Elementary Math Maniac) - I'd recommend this post just for you to see how a second grader is thinking about addition. But this post also challenges me to remember that my students are thinking and building understanding in different ways. Sometimes I need to guide it and sometimes I need to listen and understand it.
Using Twitter in the Primary Classroom (Learning and Sharing with Ms. Lirenman) - This post is inspiring and I wanted to start using Twitter in my classroom this year. I tried and ran into connection problems. Then I moved schools and was confronted with starting over - so I haven't accomplished this goal. But I still want to do it and this post continues to remind me why.
25 Clever Classroom Tips for Elementary School Teachers (Buzzfeed) - I love quick ideas, especially reuse or repurpose ideas. These are some fun ones. (I use binder clips to label my student mailboxes and Angry Bird beanbags go on desks when students leave the room.)
As I read through all those notes, I discovered these top ideas from 2013 that I want to try--
Got any great links to share with me?
