angie kantorowicz

It’s report card time. Report cards are a great way to show student growth BUT you can spend a lot of time doing report cards. And if you don’t handle report cards just right, your best intentions can backfire and make your teacher life pretty miserable.

Looking for the free Report Card Word and Phrase Bank with Report Card Template? 
Here's the link: www.makingthebasicsfun.com/reportcardcommentbank

Here are the 6 Report Card Dos & Don’ts. Keep reading to get more info on each. 

• Don’t rely completely on a number in a grade book.

Do have a student folder with work samples to support percentage/grades/skills.

• Don’t have data and students work in several places.

Do organized data in one spot for easy and quick reference.

• Don’t write a new report card comment for each student.

Do use a report card template and word/comment bank to structure and quickly fill in student data and observations.

• Don’t reveal a problem area in a report card without talking with parents about the skill/behavior deficit first.

Do communicate with parents before report cards come out about any problems.

• Don’t use negative language in report card comments to describe a child or their skill/behavior.

Do use positive language to describe skills/behaviors deficit. 

• Don’t tell parents about a problem without explaining how you are helping the child remediate the issue.

Do give specifics on exactly how the child is not on level and how you are working with the child to meet our exceed specific skills and/or behaviors. Plus, give strategies and materials parents can use to help the child. 

Student behavior issues during independent work stations can make your life miserable.

If kids can’t behave then your role of teacher shifts to judge and jury. 

That’s no fun.

But how can you get your students to behave? You have to teach it. 

We will talk about set-up/clean-up, rotation, noise level, and partner problems.

I’ve lived and fixed the mistakes so you don’t have to. 

Let’s dive in and get you started. 

Ready for some easy to implement tools to help ALL of your students? Occupational Therapist, Angie Holmes, joins us today to give us useful tips on how to strengthen students' core, cross the midline, improve muscle control, improve focus, and give every student ways to improve their academic performance.  All these tips will help your students be better readers, writers, thinkers and all around happier students. Don’t miss the tips on easy ways to collect data if you have a student in the referral process and some of her go-to OT tools to help struggling students.  I can’t wait for you to hear this conversation. You are going to walk away better equipped to help your students.  Let’s start rockin’ today’s episode. Here we go.

How do you get a job as a teacher? Getting your first teaching job can be really stressful.  What are hiring teams looking for in new teachers? Knowing what skills to showcase while applying for a teaching job and during the teacher interview is key in showing you are the best person for the job.  Today we talk with Daryl Mikesell, a K-2 and middle school principal about the attributes he looks for in new (and seasoned) teachers.  Use Daryl’s insights to guide you as you apply and interview for teaching jobs.  

Teacher Resource: I am recommending that teachers head to the “Dream Big” podcast episode 55.  This podcast episode hosted by Bob Goff is one for the books. Bob has a conversation with the producer of Kid President,  Brad Montague.  With a precarious upcoming school year fast approaching this podcast episode is going to equip you to be the teacher you were meant to be in this time of change, growth, fear, and uncertainty.  This is a podcast episode you won’t want to miss.  Please listen to it. The link is posted below.   

Time Stamp
Welcome:0:06
Intro: 0:55
Podcast Recommendation: 2:47
Daryl Mikesell: 6:31
Freebies: 38:41
Goodbye: 40:49

PODCAST RECOMMENDATION: Dream Big Framework Podcast- Ep. 55 224 Brad Montague- Creating A Better World For Kids https://dreambigframework.com/podcast-1/bradmontague

Freebie Alert:
Teacher Binder: https://www.makingthebasicsfun.com/binder 
Teacher Binder Editable Calendar:https://www.makingthebasicsfun.com/calendar2021
Classroom Supply Checklist: https://www.makingthebasicsfun.com/supplychecklist

Want more?
Website: https://www.makingthebasicsfun.com/podcast/

 “What can I do to make sure my child is ready for kindergarten?” It's a question every kindergarten teacher has heard hundreds of times. Now more than ever parents want to make sure that their child is ready for kindergarten.

 The standard response involves reassurance and the suggestion of daily reading.  But what if there was a parent-friendly resource that would engage the up and coming kindergartner? Today we talk with Ashlie Buresh and Emily Hankins about their book “The Summer Before Kindergarten.” This teacher made and tested book is packed full of activities that will give parents a fun and easy format to help their child enter kindergarten with the skills they need for success.  No worksheets, no complicated directions, just simple fun activities developed by kindergarten teachers to answer the question, “What can I do to make sure my child is ready for kindergarten?”

Welcome: :06
The Summer Before Kindergarten: 2:13
Teacher Binder Calendar: 23:25
Closing: 28:50



The Summer Before Kindergarten by Ashlie and Emily goes on sale July 1:
https://www.summerbeforekindergarten.com/

Freebie Alert:
Teacher Binder: https://www.makingthebasicsfun.com/binder 
Teacher Binder Editable Calendar:https://www.makingthebasicsfun.com/calendar2021
Classroom Supply Checklist: https://www.makingthebasicsfun.com/supplychecklist

Hey teacher friends. I have a tool that’s going to give you an edge or an unfair advantage going into next school year.  Using a teacher binder to organize your teacher life is one of the best things you can do to give you the edge you need to Rock This Teacher Thing.  In today’s episode, you will get a Teacher Binder Starter Kit so you can actually take action today.  The coming school year promises to be one of uncertainty but there’s one thing you can be certain about and that’s that you will be ready with the help of a teacher binder.  We’ve got work to do so let’s start rockin' today’s episode.   Here we go.   

Freebies Mentioned:
Classroom Supply Checklist: https://www.makingthebasicsfun.com/supplychecklist
Teacher Binder: https://www.makingthebasicsfun.com/binder 

Should I become a teacher? Should I continue my teaching career? Becoming a teacher and staying in education is a big decision and teaching in the early primary grades isn't for everyone. 

Listen in on this conversation with Connor Kline, a male kindergarten teacher, who tells us why he decided to become a teacher and what motivates him in his teaching career.  This conversation is going to put a smile on your face and a spring in your step.  

The early primary grades need more male role models like Connor.  

If you know a young person questioning a career in teaching this is definitely an episode for them.  If you are already in education, you will walk away with a new sense of mission and vision for your teaching career. 

Timestamp sections:

Grab your freebie-1:23

Connor Kline: 3:45

Closing: 35:30

Freebie https://www.makingthebasicsfun.com/supplychecklist 

It’s Spring 2020 and school life is upside down.  Right now you are probably surviving and looking forward to better days.  Those better days are coming but we can make them even better.  Every summer teachers prep for a new school year full of promise, hope, and excitement.  But many teachers forget one critical piece that will ensure a school year in which they and their students will thrive. What is this missing link? We will find out today. (Here’s a clue… You are actually doing it right now.- Humm)

My Favorite Podcasts That Interviewed Ian Morgan Cron Author of The Road Back To You:
https://buildingastorybrand.com/episode-42/
https://andystanley.com/podcast/enneagram-for-leaders-part-1/

Looking For The Grit & Gratitude Journal mentioned in today's episode?
Click this link and get signed up to get it sent to your email inbox.

https://www.makingthebasicsfun.com/G&G 

Time Stamp For Your Listening Pleasure- 
Intro:  :40

You Are Not Ordinary- This is how I know: 6:13

Idea 1- Know Yourself With Enneagrams 10:20

Idea 2- Fill Your mind with the good stuff. Using Podcasts. 13:02

Idea 3- Get Spiritual 17:10

Idea 4- Go Beyond Creative 20:28

Idea 5- Celebration 22:00

Bonus Idea- Environment and the Old You.  24:06

Big Announcement: 25:53

Last in a series, you will get the last 3 of 12 strategies to make amazing videos for your students.  After today you are more than equipped to make videos they need and deserve. You are adding a special time to their academic experience and they will be talking about it in the years to come.  Truly, you are making a special impact on their lives.  Let’s make it as joyful, engaging and effective as possible.  You can do this. 

https://www.makingthebasicsfun.com/videoguide

You have 6 strategies in your toolbox from episodes 1 and 2. Today you will get 3 more to add to your growing skillset.  I’m so proud of you for taking the time to make these online moments with your students the best they can be.  Making boring videos is not an option. Instead, you are teaching students in an effective and engaging way using video.  This is not lost time. Your students are going to tell generations to come about how their teacher gave them an amazing education through video.  You are a part of their forever story.  Let’s make it one with a happily ever after ending.

https://www.makingthebasicsfun.com/videoguide

Teaching effective online lessons to your students requires a different set of engagement skills.  You don’t want to make boring videos. Today we continue with the solution to boring videos. Using these next 3 strategies you will be making videos like a pro. Start making videos today that bring engagement and joy to your students. We will review the first 3 strategies from part 1 and then dive in with 3 more in today’s part 2 episode.

https://www.makingthebasicsfun.com/videoguide

You hit the record button. Then fear and uncertainty start to whisper in your ear. Sure you know how to bring joy and engagement to your classroom but you’re not in your classroom. You’re in front of a camera talking to a “no one’s there” class. Is your video going to be boring? Not if you use the strategies from today’s episode. Start making videos today that bring engagement and joy to your students. - Part 1

https://www.makingthebasicsfun.com/rockin-this-teacher-thing-episode-7/
https://www.makingthebasicsfun.com/videoguide

Hey teacher friends, this is Angie and the Rockin’ This Teacher Thing podcast show, the podcast for early primary teachers that rock their classrooms every day. No one wants to be boring, especially when we are making videos for our students. But there’s a good possibility that our students will lose interest and disengage with our instructional videos if we don’t use high-quality engagement strategies designed especially for video.

Don’t make boring videos. Make videos that students will want to watch again and again. Today’s part 1 of learning and using boredom busting tools for making amazing videos for students. Come on let’s do this!!! Here we go.

#001- Kindergarten and First Grade Teachers, this one is for you.  A podcast just for you and your specific teacher needs.  It’s episode 1 of 1 million and we are talking about Attention Getters in your classroom.  You need them but sometimes they get stale and ineffective.  Here are some tips to freshen up your attention getters and use them to teach content.  

If you'd like to get the links for the freebie and the show notes for this episode head to:

https://www.makingthebasicsfun.com/welcome-to-rockin-this-teacher-thing-episode-1/

I hope you enjoy this first episode.