distance Learning: Another Fun Virtual Lunch Game

Up for a lunch full of making weird sounds and laughing your head off while forgetting the entire English language? Then this online Scattergoties game might be for you! I’m always on the hunt for free games that make lunches fun for my learn from home kiddos. This version of Scattergories from swellgarfo.com (direct link […]

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Distance Learning: A Fun Self-Confidence Building Game

I’m calling if Self Confidence Skribbl, and it might just be the most fun way I’ve ever pushed middle schoolers outside of their comfort zones to help them see just how wonderful they are. Here’s how it works: Begin by providing time for each person to make a list of 10 things they love about […]

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Distance Learning: Building Confidence in Middle Schoolers

Recently, I’ve noticed that many of my Learn from Home students have hit a wall. It’s been almost a full calendar year since they have attended school in a physical building and regularly interacted face-to-face with a large group of people that love and support them. And for many, it’s been almost a full year […]

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Revisiting Ramona

Oh man, did I love Ramona Quimby as a kid. When one of my young readers begged to dive into Ramona and Her Father as our next virtual one-on-one readaloud, I couldn’t believe my luck. This reader has grown tremendously this year with the work of her dedicated team – she receives a mix of […]

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Kids Antiracist Book Club: Black Brother, Black Brother by Jewell PArker Rhodes

Looking for a book to add to your middle school curriculum that will spark meaningful conversation about racism, especially in schools and sports? Black Brother, Black Brother, by Jewell Parker Rhodes, could be it. Read it with… Jerry Craft’s New Kid to compare microagressions and overt racism, and open readers’ eyes to look more critically […]

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November Antiracist Read: We Want to Do More Than Survive, by Bettina L. Love

My November anti-racist read was We Want to Do More than Survive: Abolitionist Teaching and the Pursuit of Educational Freedom, by Bettina L. Love. I experienced this book via audiobook, and then re-read the hard copy from my local library. Here is some information about the book, from IndieBound: Drawing on personal stories, research, and […]

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Creating a Book Soundtrack with Middle Schoolers

7th and 8th grade digital book club is 2/3 of the way through The Honest Truth, a novel by Dan Gemeinhart. Last week, I wrote about one of the ways that we’re exploring identity and privilege through the novel (you can read about that here). This week, we’re taking a new angle to make a […]

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