Conditions For Learning

12/18/2023

Last week’s Cross Age Tutoring session was very special – Our older buddies read and gifted each of their little buddies a book from you! Your generosity provided each child at Leataata Floyd Elementary a book of their own. We are so grateful.

Our Every Child A Reader and a Leader fundraiser was incredibly successful. Thank you for your kindness. May that same spirit of kindness find you during this holiday season and throughout the new year!

10/18/2022

Building community requires an unwavering commitment throughout the year.

If you’re looking for more activities that promote a sense of belonging, and an emphasis on community building, check out our blog post called Inclusive by Design: Activities for Building Community. This resource includes strategies and activities you can use to set the tone of respect and inclusion in your classroom this year. Click the link below for more information.

Making students feel included and building community requires an unwavering commitment throughout the year. This blog post includes activities that promote a sense of belonging, and an emphasis on community building. The following are strategies and activities you can use to set the tone of respect....

09/30/2022

Do what you were meant to do. Make a difference.

At Conditions for Learning, we work with teachers, administrators and educational stakeholders to improve achievement and create respectful climates for learning. We strive to build a space where students are engaged, love school, and believe that they can do anything.

Contact us if you would like to work together to empower the next generation of leaders and get students excited about education.

Get in touch about our services and trainings. Jason Knighton [email protected] 530.902.4627

09/23/2022

Project showcases are the culmination of a unit where students learn deeply and present their understanding in a variety of interesting and creative ways.

We all know public speaking is not easy. Using artifacts, rather than note cards, can boost student confidence and help them become more effective public speakers. Simple moves can engage the audience and improve the quality of students’ presentations.

Check out how students made a lasting impression on their families and community members.

Project Showcases are one of my favorite events in schools. The showcase is the culmination of a unit where students learn deeply and present their understanding in a variety of interesting and creative ways. Families and community members get to listen, ask questions, encourage, and learn. I’ve s...

09/12/2022

The new school year has officially begun which means it’s time for us to deliver the academic lessons we thoughtfully crafted over the summer. Successful lessons focus on specific goals and objectives, learning that is organized into manageable progressions, and require students to think critically and participate actively.

If you’re in need of educational concepts that support the combination of instruction and classroom management, download our Lesson Design and Delivery resource for guidance as you formulate this year’s lesson plans.

Below you will find free resources to help you develop your Engaging, Responsive, Inspiring classroom. back to top Engaging Instruction: Lesson Design & Delivery Lesson Design & Delivery Modeled Students at Leataata Floyd Elementary give advice to teachers about how to effectively design and deliver...

08/31/2022

Reading comprehension is an important skill that can be difficult for students. Leataata Floyd Elementary School students use a collaborative comprehension strategy called Talk Groups to help process the meaning of the text they are reading as a team.

Talk Groups allow students to understand text as they read together and take on specific roles to contribute to the group. This team-based approach allows students to help one another retain information by having conversations about what they are reading.

For more information, check out our YouTube video on Reciprocal Teaching Talk Groups to see how students can practice their reading comprehension skills in a collaborative way.

Students at Leataata Floyd Elementary demonstrate a collaborative comprehension strategy called Talk Groups.

08/19/2022

Everyone wants to belong. As educators, we not only have the task of educating students, but also the responsibility of creating an environment that is inclusive of young people with different ethnic backgrounds, languages, values, socio-economic and academic levels.

By establishing a process for addressing harm, students are more likely to fully invest themselves in the classroom community, take risks, support others, stand up for themselves, speak up and speak out.

Check out our recent blog post for tips on how to create an atmosphere for inclusion and problem solving through the implementation of Class Meetings.

Everyone wants to belong. As educators, we not only have the task of educating students, but also the responsibility of creating an environment that is inclusive of young people with different ethnic backgrounds, languages, values, socio-economic and academic levels.

08/10/2022

Learning about students’ backgrounds, languages, and goals gives us the tools we need to build a strong classroom community. It also allows us to connect with one another so we can establish a supportive learning environment for everyone.

Your math class can be the perfect time to dig deeper. Check out our recent blog post, “How Math Helped Me Build A Strong Classroom Community” for tips on how to jump start the school year!

When I moved to a new school in the late ‘90s, one of the first things my new principal told me was that there was a lot of racial tension at our school. Our school included African American, Hmong, Latino, Pacific Islander and White students. I was told that recent conflicts in the neighborhood c...

08/05/2022

How many times have you asked students a question only to see a few hands raised? The class discussion becomes a conversation between you and a few students. Students who are not participating look on, are disengaged and are allowed to become invisible.

As leaders of our classrooms we have a responsibility to engage our students – to facilitate and develop community and support students’ thinking about the content we are teaching.

If you’re looking for effective strategies to help every student feel connected and included in the classroom, click the link below for more information.

All I Heard Was Crickets I was excited about the lesson I designed for my classroom observation. Students were going to make predictions about a text we were going to read as a whole class. What could be more exciting? I projected a covered image and slowly revealed partial images of the picture. St...

07/27/2022

Workshop is a valuable time for students of all ages. They need time to practice all the content they’re explicitly taught. They also need opportunities to solve problems on their own. Kindergarten teacher Amber Michel shares her workshop process that promotes reading, writing, and a community of learning to foster a responsive learning environment for every student.

Kindergarten teacher Amber Michel shares her workshop process that promotes reading, writing, and a community of learning.

07/20/2022

If you are frustrated by student behavior, your students are probably frustrated too. When we are frustrated, it is very easy to focus on negative student behavior. Students need to hear what they are doing well. They need to be encouraged.

Using praise strengthens relationships quickly. Recognizing what students do well when you make requests of them helps communicate your behavioral expectations. Students will do what we ask them to do but need us to be clear, need encouragement, and need to know we care.

Check out our recent blog post, The Power Of Praise, to learn more about what you can do to better communicate with students to ensure your behavioral expectations are met in the classroom.

My mentor walked into my classroom in the middle of the school year and asked, "What happened?" She was referring to the classroom climate that had clearly eroded. I was frustrated and angry about student behavior. She pointed out that my class was not the upbeat, positive place she witnessed in Sep...

07/15/2022

Summer is the perfect time for reading – especially with a buddy!

Reading buddies provides an opportunity for older students to be mentors and leaders for younger students. At Conditions For Learning, we use a reading comprehension strategy called “Reciprocal Teaching.” This strategy employs the comprehension skills of questioning, clarifying, summarizing, and predicting.

Students at Leataata Floyd Elementary School learned how to be "Reading Buddies" and tutor younger students through Reciprocal Teaching Read Alouds. Encourage your students to grab a book and a buddy to practice these valuable reading comprehension skills.

Students at Leataata Floyd Elementary School learn how to be "Reading Buddies" and tutor younger students through Reciprocal Teaching Read Alouds.