Spring is Here

April has certainly started on a wild note - thunder, lightning, hail, and rain - the perfect time to curl up with a good book. Two of my recent favorites are Evertaster by Adam Sidwell and Wonder by R.J. Palacio. Both very different stories, both very captivating. Check them out via our Amazon.com link on our Homepage.

I have always been a fan of Chris Biffle and Whole Brain Teaching. Some great friends and I even traveled south to attend one of his first conferences. Unfortunately, I have not been the best at incorporating his strategies in my class over the past couple of years. I was quickly reminded of the effectiveness of his strategies when I was invited to observe several teachers throughout our county last month, and found all to be using various strategies that I recognized immediately as those taught through Whole Brain Teaching.  Since that time I have "attended" several of his Webinars, and viewed many of his past Webinars - all of which are found on the Whole Brain Teaching Website. There are so many resources, Webinars, downloads, and videos, all for free, that I am planning time this summer to fully immerse myself in the world of Whole Brain Teaching. My plan is to fully incorporate Whole Brain Teaching in my classroom next year. Check it out: www.wholebrainteaching.com - but I warn you - you will be just as addicted as I am.

Have a wonderful Spring.

Respectfully,
Lynda Griblin

Happy New Year

     Where did 2012 go to? I don't know about you, but I found myself somewhat overwhelmed with new tasks and new directions. I am hopeful that 2013 will have fewer "good idea fairies."
     My local council has been holding a series of workshops using the DVDs available through CRA. What a great resource! Our participants have come away with some great ideas that they were able to use right away in their classroom. Contact your local council to arrange workshops in your area.
    Speaking of ideas and resources, one resource that I use on a regular basis in my classroom - Task Cards. I love them and so do my students! You can find a gazillion task cards spanning multiple subjects and grade levels at www.proteacher.net.

Respectfully,
Lynda Griblin

September 2012

September finds me with the school year well underway. I am getting to know my students, their accomplishments, challenges, goals, and though I always feel that I begin the year prepared, I find that I am constantly on the hunt for new (or tried and true) resources that will be the "just right fit" for each of my students. I was so excited to find Pinterest. What a plethora of resources - not only for my classroom, but for my home as well. I especially love the anchor charts and have been busy every morning before school copying those that I have pinned. My students, I find, are also excited about the visual displays in the classroom as they hurry in to read each and every word on each new chart. So -  Check out Pinterest, and then try not to become addicted - I bet you can't pin just one!

Respectfully,
Lynda Griblin

             Welcome to our new Website! We are so excited with our new look and have so many plans to make this your “Go-To” place for literacy.

            To launch our Blog I would like to introduce you to a wonderful resource (maybe some of you have ventured there already). The Positive Engagement Project at www.pepnonprofit.org is not to be missed! I have found so many ideas that I use on a daily basis in my own classroom that I want to be sure all of you also know about this wonderful Website. In fact, if you were to walk into my classroom one of the first things that you would see are the “Learning Bricks” that I have posted on my classroom windows. My students and I continually refer to those posters throughout our day.

           And, we would love to hear from you. Share your ideas and your questions. We are here to help.

Lynda Griblin  

President, CRA