Ms Ballard
iheart6ela.bsky.social
Ms Ballard
@iheart6ela.bsky.social
230 followers 650 following 21 posts
ELA Teacher GMJ ♡ @KCTE Lang. Arts TOY-Middle School ♡ Educational Racial Equity & Inclusive Classrooms Advocate, @goteachky ambassador
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Reposted by Ms Ballard
Reminder-to-self for the new school year:

Our answer to "why are we learning this?" has to be more/better than career-related skills.

So much more, so much better.
"It would be easy to be a princess if I were dressed in cloth of gold, but it is a great deal more of a triumph to be one all the time when no one knows it"

This is the space I am hoping my students can see themselves as we start this year off with our Fables, Folktales, Myths and Legends unit!
Reposted by Ms Ballard
What do birdwatchers and teachers with strong classroom management have in common?

They've both mastered the art of noticing.

Tips for early-career educators to improve via Teach Plus Senior Writing Fellow Ronak:
www.chalkbeat.org/indiana/2025...
What birdwatching taught me about classroom management
Birding reminds me of a few simple ways we can better prepare our early-career teachers.
www.chalkbeat.org
Reposted by Ms Ballard
Celebrating a true champion for Kentucky today!

Happy Birthday to our Democratic Caucus Floor Leader Rep. @colpamstevenson.bsky.social.

Your dedication to justice, equality, and opportunity for all Kentuckians makes our state stronger.
My public school teaches a Afrocentric curriculum and was a result of district action to address the critically low sense of belonging they were seeing amongst Brown & Black girls...our curriculum empowers students ...and that's now being dismantle
That's the kind of teacher I am where my relationships endure and continued long before and after that bell has rang
3 students texted me over spring break:one bc she broke her wrist during soccer but that she had managed to stop the ball,one to tell me she was at the Holocaust museum (we just finished our Black & Jewish voices of the Holocaust unit) &one who texted at 12 am to ask if I was okay during the storm
I want to get involved this looks very useful!
A8 Things are very tough now! You don't have to toughen up bc we all deserve grace, gentleness & peace ✌🏾 #T2Tchat
And that's good advice for both new AND veteran teachers!
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Q6. Shout out a favorite way to celebrate your students’ progress! #T2Tchat #EduSky
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Q4. Share one piece of advice about giving a student a fresh start in the new semester. #T2Tchat #EduSky
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Q5. What might you say to a student who needs some motivation as they work toward their goals? #T2Tchat #EduSky
A6. We love to gamify it and turn it into a competition where community and individual achievements earn jewels on our class crown (our schools mascot is a crown and our students are called gems) and so many jewels earns a class party that they plan and lead! #T2Tchat
A5. Don't say it! Write it! I will sometimes write notes of recognition or motivation & leave it on a SS desk when circulating around the classroom so that SS can have a little keepsake letting them know I see them and I am here for them! #T2Tchat
A4: Explicitly communicate that with that student!There's been multiple times in my career that I've had to reset a relationship w/ a SS & it all hinges upon the words we use. It's a concept similar to what Peter H Johnson talks about in Choice Words. #T2Tchat
Absolutely! We do Cornell notes in my classroom and I don't grade those...I do simple accountability checks but it's more about the habit of note taking
Reposted by Ms Ballard
Q3. What’s your top tip for making planning feel manageable during a busy time? #T2Tchat #EduSky
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Q2. Fill in the blank! When I’m feeling that late-winter slump, ________ always helps. #T2Tchat #EduSky
A3: Don't just make a regular To Do list...I make a tiered list 'Must Get Done Today', 'Must Get Done This Week" bc it helps me pace out the tasks I need to complete during planning #T2Tchat
A2. Going outside always help! Y'all I know it's cold but getting some fresh air and sunshine is so important to our thinking & emotional states (it's almost like recess should be for K-12 bc there's so many benefits to going outside👀) #T2Tchat