Hey Reader, Last week in Tuesday Tips, I shared a simple prompt I use when I want students to take their thinking a little deeper: “Say more about that.” I especially love this strategy during science discussions. For example: Teacher: If an ice cube melts, does it still weigh the same? Student: Yes, the liquid weighs the same as the ice cube. Teacher: Say more about that. Of course, that answer is correct, but if you follow up, you might learn whether the student understands conservation of...

Hey, Reader, The beginning of the year is such an important time for setting expectations. But sometimes, especially in kindergarten, it feels like herding cats. Kids come in with the expectation that you will hop up to meet their every need in the moment they want it. "Teacher, teacher!" Ugh. That just hurts my ears. Which is why I focus on preventing that problem as soon as school begins. The Key is Ignorance - Yours! When a student starts shouting and waving their arm wildly, it is so...

Hey, Reader, I like to start the year by setting expectations, and I imagine that you do too. As I am building routines and procedures, I also want to communicate that this is a classroom of thinkers. Here’s one of my favorite ways to get students to push their thinking a little further. A student answers a question during a math discussion. “I think the answer is 3/4 because…” Or during a discussion about a text: “I think the character was angry because she felt left out.” If I want that...