The phrase “student engagement” is used frequently in the realm of the education, but has this frequency led to the dilution of its meaning? ASCD’s Inservice hosted a number of guest bloggers during their Student Engagement Week in April, and we were thrilled and inspired by the depth of research and the breadth of suggestions.

The school year may be winding down, but that doesn’t mean that learning comes to a halt. Motivate your students to read this summer with decorative bookmarks, customized reading journals and more!

Teacher Appreciation Week wrapped up last week, but we wanted to share a few experiences from our team members. After all, shouldn’t we treat every week like it’s Teacher Appreciation Week?

Preventing bullying or tackling an existing bullying problem takes an entire school. Action is required of administrators, teachers, students, and parents. On a larger scale, school culture and environment is crucial for students to feel safe and to prevent bullying actions.

Inspire students to share their love of literature by creating a bumper sticker with their favorite literary quote using the VariQuest Awards Maker.

What better way to welcome new students in your class next year than to share advice from your current students?

Sherman Oaks School is a TK-6 Two-Way Spanish Dual Immersion School located in San Jose, CA, the heart of Silicon Valley. The school has 520 students enrolled, including many out-of-district families who enroll for the dual language experience. With 72% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, the entire school is Title I funded. Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of this learning community, however, is the 70% of students who are English Language Learners, or, ELLs. This month we are thrilled to recognize Sherman Oaks for their commitment to student success and academic achievement.

Sherman Oaks School, a TK-6 Two-Way Spanish Dual Immersion School located in San Jose, California, uses the Awards Maker to recognize incredible student success, and has cultivated a culture that celebrates and covets these awards, therefore encouraging student’s drive to succeed.

This end of year idea is part of our partnership with two super creative educators from The Curriculum Corner, bringing you free Common Core aligned lesson ideas, teacher resources, and templates you can easily print with your VariQuest Perfecta 2400 or VariQuest Poster Maker - just be sure you have the latest VariQuest Software v4.0! Lesson: End of Year Reading Celebration Level: Primary Classrooms Objective: Students will celebrate their reading successes for the current school year. Materials: Dr. Seuss Poster Reading awards for each student in the classroom. Snacks and drinks (if desired) Preparation: Print and display the Dr. Seuss poster in your classroom. Prepare individual student reading awards based on observations of student reading behaviors from Reader’s Workshop. We have included some ideas below. Click on each image to download the PDF Celebration Idea: During one of the final Reader’s Workshop times of the school year have the students gather in an area of the classroom to present awards for reading. Serve snacks and drinks (if desired). Take a moment to discuss each student’s successes in reading and present the student with his/her award. Reading Award Ideas: Most improved reader Always uses independent reading time wisely Stays on topic when talking about reading Pays attention during mini-lessons Chooses just right books The teacher might also think about reading skills that are a strength for each child. Here are some skills to consider: Comprehension Fluency Sight words Writing about reading The teacher might also consider what types of books a child reads and understands well (an expert, so to speak): Fiction Nonfiction Animal books History books Mysteries Popular series Did you like this lesson? Leave a comment and let us know what topics you would like us to cover in future posts and we will work on delivering free resources to help you prepare for your lessons!

This end of year idea is part of our partnership with two super creative educators from The Curriculum Corner, bringing you free Common Core aligned lesson ideas, teacher resources, and templates you can easily print with your VariQuest Perfecta 2400 or VariQuest Poster Maker - just be sure you have the latest VariQuest Software v4.0! Lesson: End of Year Reading Celebration Ideas & Resources