One Teacher's Adventures

Have you heard about Autocrat? Autocrat is an add-on for Google that allows you to merge information from a Google Sheet into a Google Doc using a template. I learned about this add-on a couple years ago, and now I use it to create report cards, rubrics, student self-assessments, and anything else I can use it for.  Autocrat makes creating report cards super fast and easy because it can be used to automate the creation of the reports. Click on the video below for a demonstration, or read the step-by-step instructions further below to see how it works. 1. Start With a Template Create a template for your report in Google Docs. You can create tags in your template that will be populated by autocrat if they are set up in double brackets, like this: <<tag>> See an example template below: 2. Create a Google Form The Google Form allows you to easily fill in the information you want auto-populated into your tags. This can include student name, strengths, stretches, or any other...

Teachers are always asking me how to include more speaking and listening activities into their Core French classrooms. For Core French teachers who may not be fluent in French themselves, it is often daunting to speak French with their students. Here is one activity that I like to do to start off my French class everyday:  Question du Jour (Question of the Day). Why try it?  This is my assurance that every student is speaking French at least once in the block.  How do I implement it? I create a question, usually something that fits in to the theme or unit we are studying. I usually have the question written on the board as they come into class. A question during a family unit could be “As-tu des cousins ou des cousins?” A question during a sports unit could be “Aimes-tu jouer au football?” We discuss the question and I ask the student what they think it means. I also use this time to point out grammatical elements/pronunciation of the words so they can make the connection...

  Looking for a great Back to School activity for middle school? This 3-day lesson asks your students to choose one word to act as their motto to drive them forward this year. Students will create a poster and a paragraph to explain why they chose their word and how they are going to use that word to help them reach their goals. Students begin by brainstorming a list of character traits that they admire in other people and answering questions such as "What have you always wanted to be able to do?" and "If you had the resources, what would you do for someone else to change their life for the better?" These questions help students to connect with their values and what is important to them. Next, they work through the writing process to draft and revise a paragraph and poster to share their word to with others. I have also used this as a back to school activity and as a New Year's Resolutions activity and I always get amazing results from the students.  To download...

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Are you looking for a way to help your middle school students understand probability? These hands-on math stations are a great way to help students understand the difference between theoretical and experimental probability.  In these stations, students use common materials to complete simple tests in order to calculate probability of a specific event. My students loved these stations so much that they asked if we could spend an extra day with them to see whether the experimental probability would change.  These allowed for rich classroom discussions on the difference between theory and practice, and some students were able to show extension of the topics by suggesting further tests and trials - including testing 50 times instead of 20, with a hypothesis that the experimental probability would more closely match the theoretical probability with more trials.  My probability stations come with 8 different station cards, teacher notes, and almost all materials needed to run t...

  If you are looking for a way to help your students with self-assessment of the Core Competencies in BC that doesn't feel like a challenge or a burden, look no further! This weekly reflection page has been a game changer in my classroom. Here's how I use it: In the first few weeks of school, I teach the language of the Core Competencies to my middle schoolers. We break apart all seven sub-competencies and create "I Can" statements that are in student-friendly language. Students won't be able to self-assess if they don't have the language of assessment. After they are comfortable with the language, we reflect on lessons where one or more competency was really highlighted. For example, in a lesson about finding reliable sources, I can bring the conversation back to the competency of critical thinking.  Then, starting in mid-late October, we begin a weekly reflection of Core Competencies. I use the page below with my students. (If you click on the image, you can...