Hello, and happy Thursday! Fall has FINALLY arrived in Missouri - I saw an extremely accurate meme on Facebook yesterday that said, "Missouri weather just went from 90 to 55 like it saw a State Trooper," and that description could not be more accurate! At our daughter's soccer tournament the week before last, my husband, younger daughter, and I were in shorts, t-shirts, and flip-flops. At our ... Read More about Using Padlet for Pre-Assessments
If You Give a Teacher a Day Off
Hello, friends! Happy Sunday! I hope your week is off to a great start and you're getting ready to tackle the week ahead. Last Friday, I did something I rarely do as a teacher - I took a day off. Yes, I took a mental health day, as we sometimes call the days that we take off when no one is sick, no one has a doctor appointment, we're not going to a conference/workshop/meeting. I just took a day ... Read More about If You Give a Teacher a Day Off
October Mystery Post – Teaching with Technology
Hello, all! Welcome to the first installment of the monthly "Mystery Post" from Teaching with Technology! October seemed like a great time to debut this new feature of my newsletter, with Halloween and all things spooky popping out this month. The Mystery Post for this month isn't a single post, but a collection of posts on one of my favorite topics, flipping the classroom. I began my flip a ... Read More about October Mystery Post – Teaching with Technology
Flexible Seating Reflections
Hello, friends! It's been quite some time since my last post --- but, I'm still here! I've been absolutely swamped this week, and I'm sure you feel my pain. I've hit the point in the semester, where I almost constantly feel like I'm behind on evaluating work and providing feedback, entering grades, averaging test scores ... I'll get it together soon, though! Today, I'm sharing some initial ... Read More about Flexible Seating Reflections
Cell Phones in the Classroom – My Policy
Happy Friday! The whirlwind of the back-to-school season has almost calmed in the Petty household. We're almost settled into our crazy weekday routine of laying out clothes the night before, setting cell phone reminders, packing backpacks and lunches, ensuring that all dance, soccer, and piano requirements are ready to go, enjoying a nighttime read, and finding some time to rest and recharge as a ... Read More about Cell Phones in the Classroom – My Policy