January 2019 Teacher Finds!

Hey, friends! 

Do you ever feel like January drags?  As much as I love being a teacher, it can be incredibly difficult to get back into the swing of things after Christmas break.  I know my teaching family (pretty much everyone in my family is an educator of some sort) and friends talk about the January blues/slump.  To combat the blues, I found some new products, lesson ideas, and games to spice up your January!

Gim.Kit.com

If you know anything about my classroom, you would know that I LOVE making engaging and FUN lessons.  Gim.Kit.com was created by a high school student, and as soon as you check out the gameplay, you will see why the game platform is so popular with students.  You can take any questions and quickly make them into an engaging strategy game!  I quickly created a Gim.Kit.com game with my kids to review the parts of an essay.  It was a great way to end the last 15 minutes of our class.

Gim.Kit.com in my Classroom!  

Formulate

So, I have teamed up with Formulate to give away a custom shampoo and conditioner set!  The products are absolutely amazing!  My hair has been a frizzy mess since I was a middle schooler, and they have finally found a way to tame this crazy mane!  This giveaway only takes seconds to enter and is about to end!  Enter by following my custom link below!

Formulate Giveaway!

Question Trails & Loops

The last January game changers are question trails and loop activities!  Why do I love them?  1.  They are standards-based and make an amazing assessment.  2.  They are kinesthetic; the activity gets my kids up and moving!  3.  Students have to check their own work!  If students get a question wrong, they will figure it out because they will end up at a question they have already answered.  4.  The activity visually shows me who needs additional support on the topic.  5.  The activity is totally student-centered!  I have two question loops that are already made and ready to go!  Save yourself some time and check them out!

Figurative Language Question Loop 
Theme Question Loop

What is Instructional Design?

          When I first decided I was going to get my master's degree, I did not know what I wanted to get it in.  I knew I wanted to stay in education, but have the flexibility to get out of a classroom if needed.  Behavior management is one of my least favorite aspects of teaching, so I knew I never wanted to go into administration.  These notions left me confused.  Most educators I know have a masters or doctorate in administration.  I thought of the other options available to educators, I could be a reading specialist, but that did not leave me with enough movement.  I do not know of any reading specialist jobs in my district.  Schools are struggling for funding, so those jobs are often the first to be cut.  My struggle continued, I could go into ESOL, but I am not fluent in another language.  That option was not going to work for me.  Finally, I found my sweet spot, instructional design!

          I consider myself to be a creative person.  I have an interest in technology and design.  I have a background in education.  Instructional design offers a variety of employment opportunities.  It was the perfect fit for me!  If you are currently contemplating going back to school and are not interested in the typical degrees offered to educators, consider instructional design.

            What is instructional design?  Instructional design is the systematic process by which instructional materials are designed, developed, and delivered (What is Instructional Design?, 2017).  If you enjoy working with technology and creating your own classroom materials, instructional design might be the concentration for you!

Reference:

What is Instructional Design? (2017). Retrieved August 24, 2017, from https://www.instructionaldesigncentral.com/whatisinstructionaldesign