On Thursdays I usually use our social media platforms to share using the #ThrowbackThursday trend where users participate by sharing a memory (recent or distant). These posts don’t usually make it to the blog but this memory had a few people asking how this was accomplished so I thought it deserved a dedicated space (with some important updates for 2023). While in the classroom I was the Grade 8 homeroom which meant that I had our Grade 8 cohort for the start and end of the day, in addition to any classes I was teaching. As their “home base” this… Read More
#MantraMonday
Every Monday I share a different ed tech quote on our Thompson Classroom social media pages for our staff to consider. This week’s Mantra is: This quote comes from the Blended Learning Guidebook which was used in the Blended Learning MOOC I participated in this summer. This quote applies both to students as well as teachers. I encourage all of our staff to explore their LMS together, co-create spaces with students, and give patience to yourself and them. Through the day I shared via Instagram/Facebook stories some quick tips on how one might introduce an ed tech platform with comfort/competency in mind.… Read More
Room 132 Info
The 2017/2018 school year is in full-swing! Here is where you can find out more about our classroom and keep up-to-date with the amazing learning my students are uncovering. YouTube Twitter Small group instruction in Gr 7 Social Studies to practice latitude & longitude 🌍 #trsd32 #schoolgoals pic.twitter.com/a2d7aQeRoA — Mrs. Thompson (@Thompsonclass) September 14, 2017 Instagram Welcome back to all #trsd32 students; it’s going to be a great year A post shared by Mrs. Thompson’s Classroom (@thompsonclassroom) on Sep 6, 2017 at 6:06am PDT Facebook Website Canadian History Blog
Classroom Tech Tools
There are still EIGHT days left until I can get back into my classroom and begin setting up for the new year! *insert stressed expression here* In a perfect world I would have loved to have access through the whole summer so I could work at it casually since I am beginning from the ground up after returning from maternity leave. In my first year I had access in the middle of July which worked perfectly; I was set-up and ready to go a week before school actually started and I could relax before the craziness… Read More
Things I Want to Do… But When?
It seems like I have been preparing to get back into the classroom from the moment I left the classroom. I know that it will be a huge adjustment returning to work and trying to balancing work requirements, extra curriculars, my M.Ed classes, and the day-to-day life chaos with wanting to spend all of my available time with Jaxson. I can’t help but think long-term about all the things I want to implement in my classroom and am wondering when the best time would be to explore these areas. One huge aspect at play is that… Read More
Magnetic Border – Classroom Decor
OMG I just discovered the coolest thing! If you have followed my blog for a while you know that I LOVE decorating and organizing my classroom. I really enjoy creating a space that feels inviting and comfortable while providing chances to showcase student work and my own personality. (You can revisit my classroom set-ups from 2013 & 2014). Personally, I’ve always felt proud of my classroom because I feel like it differs greatly from some of the more traditional classrooms in the high school setting. One thing that I completed both years was decorating my whiteboards that ran the length… Read More
A Teacher Spends a Day in PD, What She Realizes May Shock You!
Our division sets aside five days every year to commit to professional development. Whether it is division-wide or school-based the purpose is clear… for teachers to embrace a growth mindset, continue their professional learning, refocus their pedagogy, and increase how successful their classroom is (with the definition of “success” looking different in different situations). Sometimes professional development days are tailored to meet the needs of specific teachers like meeting in grade-groups or by subject-level. A lot of times they are more general and include all teaching staff regardless of their teaching assignment. Division-wide or school-based… subject-specific… Read More
My Former Classroom – Reflective Blogging Part 5
This post is part of the Reflective Teaching Blogging Challenge hosted by Terry at Te@ch Thought. While the original challenge is a year-old already I thought it would be the perfect thing to keep me on track over the next little while.DAY 5 – Post a picture of your classroom and describe what you see — and what you don’t see that you’d like to. When I initially started this post I went back to my previous classroom reveal posts from 2014 and 2013; thinking that I would critique the classrooms that I helped create for my students in the past.… Read More
Classroom Design WINS
One of the hardest parts of preparing for my maternity leave, besides saying bye to all of my students, was having to un-decorate my classroom so that my coverage could prepare it to his liking. I think a lot of teachers really pour their heart and soul into their rooms, attempting to make them the perfect spot to: – facilitate learning – initiate creativity – make students feel welcome – showcase student personalities/learning – showcase their own personalities – etc If you are new to my blog, or just want a reminder, here is what my… Read More
Welcoming a New Set of Grade 8's to the Blogging World!!
Today my Grade 8 Science class joined the blogging world with the official 2014-2015 launch of Mrs. T’s Classroom! This blog is one that I actually started last year with my Grade 8 homeroom, who ended up blogging regularly for their science class as well as featuring a weekly “Mathlete Friday” post. This year we are maintaining our online presence at Mrs. T’s Classroom as opposed to starting all over again with a new domain. Some of my students have already been checking out last year’s posts and are excited about the potential of competing for page-view statistics! We… Read More