Archived Teacher Blog: Mrs. Newingham's Blog

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A Year With Mrs. Newingham's Class

date 07-24-2007 09:59 AM
author Maureen Ryan writes:

body For the 2006-2007 school year, 3rd-grade teacher Beth Newingham of Michigan shared her teaching strategies and offered a peek into her classroom with wonderful photos. Read her entries from a year in the life of a 3rd-grade classroom. ... Read More

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Give your Classroom Library a Boost!

date 05-15-2007 08:16 PM
author BETH NEWINGHAM writes:

body Check out these economical ways to beef up your classroom library! ... Read More

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Movie Making in the Classroom

date 04-29-2007 10:51 AM
author BETH NEWINGHAM writes:

body Check out how my students and I use the magic of movie-making to extend our learning in a fun and motivating way! ... Read More

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What are you Reading?

date 04-25-2007 06:57 PM
author BETH NEWINGHAM writes:

body The best teachers are those who are constantly finding ways to become a better teacher. Let's share some professional books that we have found to be helpful for us as teachers! ... Read More

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Writing Teams

date 04-17-2007 08:10 PM
author BETH NEWINGHAM writes:

body Here is a great way for students to share their writing with their classmates and really focus their revision on specific writing skills. ... Read More

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Embracing Our Diversity

date 03-29-2007 09:13 PM
author BETH NEWINGHAM writes:

body Celebrate the wonderful diversity that exists in your school or classroom by planning a research project that culminates in an exciting International Festival! ... Read More

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Classroom Management in a Reading Workshop

date 03-15-2007 09:00 PM
author BETH NEWINGHAM writes:

body Managing independent reading while you are also conferring with readers and meeting with small groups can be challenging! Here are some ideas to help you make this time less stressful and more productive. ... Read More

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Interactive Bulletin Boards

date 03-01-2007 01:58 PM
author BETH NEWINGHAM writes:

body Check out my bulletin boards that get students involved in learning! ... Read More

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Class Book Awards

date 02-16-2007 06:58 PM
author BETH NEWINGHAM writes:

body Celebrate favorite books in your classroom by creating class book awards! ... Read More

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To Typing Camp We Go!

date 02-05-2007 10:16 PM
author BETH NEWINGHAM writes:

body We all know that our students must learn to type, especially in a society that is becoming increasingly dependent on technology. Here's a way to make learning to type fun for your students! ... Read More

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Celebrate Black History Month with an African American Wax Museum!

date 01-25-2007 06:54 PM
author BETH NEWINGHAM writes:

body Research, writing, and public speaking are combined to produce a fun and memorable learning experience for students! ... Read More

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Make Test Review Fun!

date 01-15-2007 06:54 PM
author BETH NEWINGHAM writes:

body Get your students excited about studying! ... Read More

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Martin Luther King Jr. Interactive Timeline

date 01-09-2007 10:45 AM
author BETH NEWINGHAM writes:

body Do you want to learn how to create an interactive timeline that depicts the life of Martin Luther King Jr.? ... Read More

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New Year's Resolution Time Capsules

date 12-21-2006 09:00 PM
author BETH NEWINGHAM writes:

body Help your students make meaningful resolutions that they will revisit at the end of the school year! ... Read More

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Creative Thank-You Cards for Parent Helpers

date 12-09-2006 01:15 PM
author BETH NEWINGHAM writes:

body Here are some fun ideas for personalized thank-you cards you and your class can make for parents volunteers! ... Read More

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Homemade Holiday Gifts in the Classroom

date 12-04-2006 07:05 PM
author BETH NEWINGHAM writes:

body Here is an idea for helping your students create a homemade gift to give to a loved one during the holiday season. ... Read More

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Holiday Hope Chests

date 11-26-2006 11:38 AM
author BETH NEWINGHAM writes:

body Holiday Hope Chests are a great way for your class to take part in a meaningful service project this holiday season! ... Read More

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Make the Most of Parent-Teacher Conferences!

date 11-14-2006 10:01 PM
author BETH NEWINGHAM writes:

body You only have a short time to spend with each parent. How can you make your conferences more effective and productive? ... Read More

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Name That Genre!

date 11-05-2006 08:13 PM
author BETH NEWINGHAM writes:

body As we all know, students do not master concepts by simply memorizing definitions. To apply their knowledge of the different genres, we play a game called "Name That Genre!" ... Read More

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Creating a Writing Center

date 10-29-2006 09:14 PM
author BETH NEWINGHAM writes:

body It is important to have a writing center in my classroom where students can go to find the necessary supplies and materials they will need to draft and publish special pieces of writing. ... Read More

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Finding Themes in Literature

date 10-18-2006 08:29 PM
author BETH NEWINGHAM writes:

body Finding common themes in literature is an important skill for growing readers. I use interactive theme posters to help my students practice this skill in my classroom. ... Read More

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Student of the Week

date 10-05-2006 10:34 PM
author BETH NEWINGHAM writes:

body To help build community in my classroom, I have students take turns being our "Star of the Week." During the week that a student is our "Star," each day consists of an exciting event or activity to honor him or her. It is also a way for students in the class to learn more about each other and each other's families. Parents choose the week that their child will be our star by signing up at Curriculum Night. As you will see, parents also take part in some of the "Star of the Week" activities. ... Read More

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Mystery Readers in the Classroom

date 09-28-2006 09:50 PM
author BETH NEWINGHAM writes:

body I am always looking for fun and interactive ways to get parents involved in what is happening in our classroom. Many parents are interested in volunteering, but making copies, laminating posters, or labeling books in a workroom does not allow them to spend quality time in our learning environment. Since it would be a distraction for parents to be in the classroom during instructional time, I set aside time every week for parents visit our classroom to read aloud to the students. To add an exciting twist to an otherwise typical read-aloud experience, the reader each week is a mystery to the students until minutes before he or she arrives in our classroom with his or her favorite picture book. ... Read More

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Partner Clocks

date 09-21-2006 07:40 PM
author BETH NEWINGHAM writes:

body I find that many of the activities I do in my classroom require students to work with a partner. Before I started using partner clocks, my students always chose the same person to be their partners, and there were always some students who were never chosen by their peers. If I took the time to assign partners, I ended up wasting five minutes of time that could have been spent engaged in the planned activity. ... Read More

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Read Across America

date 08-31-2006 02:58 PM
author BETH NEWINGHAM writes:

body I invite students to keep track of the places their reading takes them. Early in the year, my reading workshop mini-lessons encourage students to celebrate and share their reading with each other. We talk often about how reading can take you into a whole new world of fantasy, heightened reality, and, in this case, to exciting geographical locations. As students read, they will often discover that specific places in the United States (cities, towns, states, landmarks, etc.) are mentioned—and even brought to life—in the text. ... Read More

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Creating a Classroom Library

date 08-22-2006 05:48 PM
author Emily Adams writes:

body I have been using your classroom web site as inspiration to organize and level my own classroom library. How do you level books that are not included on the Scholastic website or do not have a GRL letter associated with them?

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Books that Promote Teamwork

date 08-16-2006 06:01 PM
author BETH NEWINGHAM writes:

body

Especially at the beginning of the year, I like to read aloud books that promote teamwork and cooperation during our Team Meeting in the morning or right after lunch. Great discussions often follow the read-alouds that help to build community and promote teamwork within the classroom.

Here are some sites that include book lists about teamwork and cooperation. Perhaps you will find them useful for selecting good read aloud books to promote your teamwork theme!

I hope this helps! -Beth

Message Edited by balbery on 08-16-2006 09:14 PM

Message Edited by balbery on 08-16-2006 09:19 PM

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Teamwork Theme

date 08-07-2006 08:52 PM
author MICHELE HIGGINS writes:

body Beth,
What a great idea? It looked like you put a lot of work into this theme. What program did you use to create the baseball cards and magazine covers?
They look awesome! Good luck this year!
Michele

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Kick-Off with a Theme that Lasts!

date 08-02-2006 11:35 AM
author BETH NEWINGHAM writes:

body At the end of summer, I always look for a great back-to-school theme to start the new school year. Last year, I chose an original take on the idea of teamwork. ... Read More

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