Mrs. Slaviero's Blog

  My Language Support Historians and I began our National History Day journey today. My first group was getting started when we went virtual, and this project was too daunting a task to do with all of us at home. My students have come so far this year, and this is a great way to challenge them to continue their growth. We did book tastings and each student selected a topic. I've streamlined the NHD project into two parts: a presentation to their class (to practice speaking skills) and a paper bag album (to not overwhelm with many choices, and to focus on the key points of the project, in a novel way). I'm also creating a model album, with a topic none of my students are studying: Rosie the Riveter. A model project will make expectations clear. Paper bag albums were something I made for an elective class years ago, the kids loved them because they are easy to complete and keep when finished. This will also be a good way for students to practice the art of writing (not typing) in...

A classroom that's too quiet can actually be distracting. Our usual classroom environment is one of group work and discussion. There are often times, though, where independent concentration (in short bursts) occurs, and no noise isn't necessarily conducive to learning. It can be challenging to focus if people do not have something to hear while they're concentrating. I've played relaxing background music for years and found that all of us prefer some background noise while we are in class. My go-to music is usually instrumental classical, although I've been mixing it up to include instrumental modern music. Another instrumental soundtrack on heavy rotation during class is the instrumental Hamilton soundtrack. (Words in music can distract, and modern songs that students know might make them concentrate on the song, instead of their classroom activities.) This year I've really focused on adding more historical options and it's been successful. We have listened...