Creative Teacher
If You Had Only One Behavior Strategy to Use in Your Classroom, What Would It Be?
By: Jon Konen | Sep 26, 2022
If you had only one behavior strategy to use in your classroom, what would it be?
This question is nonsensical as we all know it takes several strategies to be an effective teacher, but what strategy works most frequently?
Being a former teacher and principal, and now a superintendent, I have spent my career working to increase the number of tools in all my toolboxes. Whether that ...
Top 6 Reasons Why 2020-21 Was the Worst School Year Ever… and Why Next Year Will Be Better
By: Jon Konen | Jun 22, 2021
Never has a school year given us so much to gripe about… and never has summer break brought such a feeling of sweet relief. In the past week since school closed, it’s been nothing but sunshine and margaritas as I slip into the bliss of morning hikes, beach days and ...
Igniting Magic: 5 Things I Learned When I Transformed My Classroom Into a Campground
By: Brooke Knowles | Feb 11, 2019
Can you just hear the crackle of the campfire and the crickets chirping? How about the sweet taste of marshmallows, chocolate, and graham crackers? The tent is set up in your favorite spot, right next to the tallest evergreen tree. You and the kids settle in to read a good book ...
11 Strategies to Encourage Students to Own Their Learning
By: Amy Konen | Jan 19, 2018
How often have you run out of time during a lesson and it simply ends with a lot of teacher talk and not enough time for student processing? Many times, I have found myself doing the talking when it is time to head out for lunch and kids simply pack ...
5 Potential Triggers to Be Aware of During the Holiday Season
By: Amy Konen | Dec 21, 2017
It’s here, it’s here! My favorite time of the year! I love the hustle and bustle of shoppers and crowds. I love that everyone comes home to be together and that I get to play Christmas music twenty-four hours a day and sit in the glow of my twinkly tree. ...
5 Questions to Tackle in Organizing the Physical Space in Your Classroom
By: Jon Konen | Nov 21, 2017
Five rows with six desks in each row…each row is two feet from the next with every desk pointed to the front of the room where the chalkboard and teacher desk are located. Does this paint the picture of the standard old school classroom? Starting in first grade, I could ...
10 Strategies to Assist in Developing the Soft Skill of Note Taking
By: Amy Konen | Nov 21, 2017
Do you have students in your class that become frustrated when they are asked to take notes on the material you are presenting? Do they try and write every single word that you say and ask you to repeat your words to try and capture it all? Do they become ...
11 Total Participation Techniques That Involve Movement
By: Amy Konen | Nov 8, 2017
“Simple biology supports the obvious link between movement and learning” (Jensen, 2005).
Jensen explains that oxygen is necessary for brain function, more blood flow equals more oxygen and physical activity increases blood flow (2005). Other outcomes of increased movement are: more cortical mass, greater number of connections among neurons, and gene ...
5 Questions in Establishing a Culture for Learning
By: Jon Konen | Oct 30, 2017
What do Google, Facebook, Nike, Apple, and Walt Disney have in common? They are five of the top ten corporations in which people said they loved to work, according to a recent USA Today article. They all have a positive and enticing work culture. Mirriam-Webster defines corporate culture as the ...
50 Amazing Field Trip Spots in the U.S.
By: Kylie Hall | Oct 26, 2017
Field Trips. They are children’s favorite part of elementary school and probably high school too. But field trips don’t have to just be about getting a day off from class. Savvy teachers who understand their students need something that will hold their attention understand there are plenty of events and ...