Hey there! I’m Heather Renz and I’m sharing the teaching strategies, ideas, hints, and tips that worked for me with upper elementary students so you can make your lessons fun and exciting.
Teaching 4/5 and 5/6 blended classes caused me to think differently about how to meet the needs of both grade levels plus meet the individual needs of all my students. I needed to get my students actively involved working on projects so I could meet with the student groups without being interrupted by the other group. That’s when I began creating projects that fostered independence.
Lessons have to be fun and scaffolded for success. You’ll get behavior problems when students don’t understand the task, or when it’s too difficult. Your struggling learners also need to be successful while you’re meeting with groups of students. Using projects and activities was the key to my success with students!
I am giving back by sharing what worked for me with you.
Just for Fun ~ Me by the Numbers:
Grades Taught: 1, 4, 5, 6, 7-8 math, 9-12 computers, District Academic Achievement Specialist
Number of Years Taught: 34 in public schools
Favorite Grades to Teach: 4th and 5th
Approx. Number of Students Taught: 1, 800 students
School Districts Taught In: 3
Schools Taught In: 7
Number of Principals Worked For: 10
Number of Educational Degrees: 2 (B.A. and M.A.T)
Here’s a few of the honors and recognitions I’ve received as a teacher:
Disney Teacher Award Honoree
Microsoft’s First Worldwide Innovative USA Teacher
Intel Innovative Teacher
JASON Project Teacher Argonaut, Panama Expedition
Mount Vernon Teachers Institute Recipient from Oregon
Mount Vernon Lesson Plan of the Year
OnPoint Credit Union Excellence in Education Award
Featured in the book, One-On-One with America’s Most Inspiring Teachers
Featured in the book, Teaching with the Internet K-12: New Literacies for New Times
Redmond Wal-Mart Teacher of the Year
So that’s a bit about me! I’d love to get to know a bit about you!
Visit me at my NEW BLOG → www.mrsrenz.com ←
