Welcome!

 Welcome to my blog! My name is Kari Calhoun and I am middle school ELA teacher in a tiny private school. Even though I only have 30 students in that span from grades 5th to 8th, we have a wonderfully diverse group of kiddos in our bunch. Our group has both gifted and special needs students all together, which makes teaching a challenge at times. I believe strongly in hands on learning and allowing students to take the lead in their education. This means we have a loud classroom that is always popping full of academic (and sometimes not so academic) conversations. When students are able to collaborate and also work hands-on, they are able to retain more, use higher order thinking, improve student-teacher rapport, and many other bonuses (Center for Teaching Innovation, n.d.). The best part of it, though, is the excitement both my students and I have in the classroom. 

I hope that everyday is a day full of excitement for my students!

Center for Teaching Innovation. (no date). Collaborative Learning. Retrieved 20 March 2021 from https://teaching.cornell.edu/teaching-resources/engaging-students/collaborative-learning#:~:text=Why%20Use%20Collaborative%20Learning%3F,%2Dmanagement%2C%20and%20leadership%20skills.