Recent Blog Posts
Parental Involvement in Elementary Schools
post a comment | posted Mar 31
Originally posted at 42: Mr. Balcom's Blog: Conversations on Teaching and Technology
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Spelling Lists: An Antiquated Waste of Instructional Time.
1 comment | posted Feb 20
I must begin this conversation by saying of course DON'T PANIC. I do believe that spelling should be addressed in schools. I must also disclose that in my first year of teaching (admittedly a short time ago) I too thought the students must memorize spelling words each week. What I discovered that year and through subsequent research was that I was only teaching what was taught to me. I asked myself if memorizing spelling words, one week at a time, was actually working. The answer was no.
Not-So-Recent Blog Posts
Welcome to 42: Mr. Balcom's Blog: Conversations on Teaching and Technology
post a comment | posted Feb 16
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Parent Teacher Conferences
post a comment | posted Sep 29
Parent Teacher Conferences
I would like to begin by thanking all the parents in the class for attending conferences this year. Our classroom had a 100% turn out! I appreciated the time and conversation we had regarding your student....
Topic-less but Searching
post a comment | posted Sep 15
I cannot believe school has been going for a month already. The time has certainly flown.
A Wond-zoo-ful Trip
post a comment | posted Aug 2
This past Monday a group of twenty-five students traveled to Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo. The students earned the special field trip by reading books this summer. Kindergarten through second grade students read forty books, while third grade through fifth read twenty books. This culmination of the summer reading experience was amazing for the students, staff, and parents who participated.....
Summer Winds Down
post a comment | posted Jul 27
Let's face it, summer vacation is nearly over. We are now three weeks out from school beginning and I couldn't be happier. As I have spent my summer teaching Summer School and attending Library Checkout on Wednesdays I have been able to reconnect with some students. The good news is many of them have spent time (as I have) reading this summer. If you haven't finished a book this summer, there is still time (around 480 hours) so get at least one read, please. Many of you may be wondering if I have read the new Harry Potter book, and the answer is yes. I will not however discuss any of it with a "non-read" individual. Just finish the book and then we can talk. I had better cut this post short now. Look for more frequent updates as we move closer to the first day.
I would like to thank the University of Calgary website for helping me to get this blog feed embedded in my classroom webpage. Have a wonderful rest of the summer!
The walls are falling, the walls are falling
post a comment | posted May 17
The walls are falling, the walls are falling. Well, not really but it seems like they are about to. Well actually I'm just taking things down off the walls of my classroom. Used posters, old artwork, yards of butcher paper. It's all coming down. My least favorite part of taking things off the walls is removing the staples. There is also the challenge of deciding what can stay up and what needs to be taken down (for trashing, laminating, or reuse). What stays? What goes?