Lessons4Now

Welcome to Lessons4Now!

Whether you’ve been a teacher for a few months or a few decades,
you know what a challenge teaching is!

► You’re working harder than ever, but you never have enough time. You lug home unfinished work, only to haul it back to school the next day, untouched.
► You find the fast-paced changes overwhelming as the pendulum of educational reform swings faster and faster. Constant changes in curriculum, reporting formats, and evaluation protocols make it difficult to keep up.
► You try hard to stay current on your students’ individual learning needs, but there are always more students with even more complex needs. No sooner do you become an expert on differentiation or dysgraphia, then you encounter something completely new.
► You’re proud of your profession, but you’re tired of defending it. Public criticism is eroding your enthusiasm and confidence.
► You’re busy juggling the needs and expectations of others and put yourself last. Too tired to take a walk and too stressed to get a good night’s sleep, you wonder if teaching is the right job for you.

I believe that wherever you are in your career, you can make your job more manageable and reclaim time for what matters most.

You can…
► Stop taking work home, and stop feeling guilty about it.
► Ride out educational reform without burning out.
► Meet the needs of a diverse student population without becoming an expert in every area.
► Take pride in what you do and be recognized for your hard work.
► Make time to take care of yourself and all that is important to you.

Imagine being more organized and feeling more competent at work.

Imagine finally having more time for all
the important activities and people in your life.

When you become a member of the Lessons4Now community you’ll be a calmer, more confident teacher, and you’ll have more time for what matters most to you.
You’ll also receive a free download, 10 Time-Saving Tips for Teachers That You Can Use Immediately!
Enter your email below to join the community.

Early in my career there was nothing more rewarding than those ah-ha moments when students learned something new. Over time, as the paperwork, duties, and meetings increased, my energy, time, and enthusiasm decreased. I felt the joy of teaching slipping away. I was so stressed and exhausted, it started to take a toll on my health. If I wanted to keep teaching, I knew I had to balance the needs of my family with my demanding career. Something had to change.

Eventually I found easier, more efficient ways to perform daily tasks. I developed compassion for myself and tolerance for the limitations of my profession. I became more fearless, weaving new ideas into routine lessons. Best of all, I stopped taking my school work home. Slowly, everything started to fall into place. I rekindled my love of teaching. I was happier and more confident. And, I finally had enough time for the important people in my life– and for myself.

Looking for easy, no-prep tips for whole-group instruction of challenging reading content? Check out Easy Tips for Teaching Challenging Reading Content Across the Curriculum.

Need a fun way to teach paragraph writing to students with wide range of skills? This top-rated resource will quick-start student learning, Paragraph Writing Introduction: PowerPoint.

Want quick, no-prep tips to save you time and make writing more fun for students? Check out 3 Easy Tips to Make Writing Instruction More Fun.

This blog and all the resources you’ll find in the Lessons4Now store at TeachersPayTeachers, are designed for busy teachers– like you! If you’d like to share your ideas, suggestions, or comments I’d love to hear from you. We’re all in this together!

You can leave comments for me here,
or email me at Lessons4Now@gmail.com.

Thank you!

Frustrated with lost pencils, messy desks, and missing assignments?

Useful Classroom Management Tools > FREE Academic Progress and Behavior Plan: Student Report < This editable form can simplify your classroom management program. Use this form to help students reflect on the circumstances surrounding inappropriate behaviors. The completed form provides details for further investigation as well as a record of the behavior. Forms can be filed or a copy can be sent home for a parent signature. > Classroom Passes …

Easy Tips for Teaching Challenging Reading Content Across the Curriculum: PART THREE

This is the third and final in a series of three posts providing tips for successfully teaching challenging reading content to a class of students with mixed reading abilities. Pairs or Small Group Work: ► BUILDING ORAL FLUENCY Students' reading comprehension improves with repeated exposure to challenging content. One way to make time for every student to read aloud is to have them work in small groups or pairs. By assigning each student a role, the teacher can be sure that …

Easy Tips for Teaching Challenging Reading Content Across the Curriculum: PART TWO

This is the second in a series of three posts providing tips for successfully teaching challenging reading content to a class of students with mixed reading abilities. With a little help and motivation, students can learn to independently tackle even the most information-dense material! SUMMARIZING Summarizing is a great strategy that teachers can use to help students remember important vocabulary and content. At the beginning of the lesson, the teacher recaps the key …

Easy Tips for Teaching Challenging Reading Content Across the Curriculum: PART ONE

How can content-area teachers successfully teach a class of students with mixed reading abilities? In areas such as social studies or science, students are often asked to read content written at, or above, grade level. Even good readers may struggle with the text. Teachers have less planning time, and there's even less time to help struggling students. How can teachers help their students succeed when there's so much at stake, and so few resources? Here are some helpful strategies …

Back-to-School Pencil Topper: Free Printable

Want something quick and easy to welcome students back at the beginning of a new school year? Check out the free download of these colorful pencil toppers. One side has a cute poem, and the other side says, "WELCOME BACK!" These toppers can be printed on 1" X 4" labels and wrapped around the pencil. Or, do what I did. Use plain paper, cut out the rectangles, and then use clear tape to keep the pencil topper in place. I found this versatile idea on Pinterest. This same design could be …

Students Who Don’t Celebrate Holidays

Meeting the needs of students who don't celebrate holidays may seem challenging, at first. With a simple plan , it's easy to respect the family's beliefs and avoid making the student feel singled out. Each year, children enter our classrooms with learning disabilities or cognitive delays. Other students deal with challenges that are less obvious. Some are socially awkward, have food allergies, or are dealing with the recent loss of a loved one. As teachers, we've learned to accommodate a …

Chalkboard Quotes: Free Printables

It's good to be surrounded by words that inspire, encourage, and motivate. These are a few of my favorite chalkboard quotes. Check out the two free downloads, below. Just click the link after each one. Print this chalkboard quote out for your own classroom. Or, frame it as a gift for a friend's desk or the wall of a home office. Download your own copy here! This chalkboard quote posted in the Teachers' Lounge will help colleagues remember the value of their contribution, even during …

3 Easy Tips to Make Writing Instruction More Fun… with a FREE Assessment ‘Cheat Sheet’

Some kids love to write. Some kids hate it. How do you keep everyone engaged in the writing process? Use these three easy tips to streamline the revision process, provide opportunities for students to share their work, and quickly assess progress-- and make writing fun! 1. Editing Table: Establish a table or area of the room that has at least two chairs. During composition time, students who are ready to have their writing peer-edited may go and sit at the editing table. As …

DIY Posters

Looking for a quick and easy way to get your message across? Check out Recite, a fun way to "turn a quote into a masterpiece." It's pretty easy to make a poster or other display! 1. Click "create" on the main screen. 2. Type in your quote. 3. Scroll through the different formats at the bottom of the screen. 4. Select a format, and then post your quote to Pinterest, Tumblr, Stumbleupon, Facebook, or Twitter... or, simply download it to your computer. Here are a few …

Tackling Tattling

For most teachers at the elementary level, tattling is a constant issue. With our school's focus on anti-bullying, it's sometimes difficult to know how much attention to give to students' complaints about their peers. It helps to make sure that the children understand the difference between tattling and telling, and to set clear expectations about how each will be handled. Children tattle for many different reasons. Some want to test limits and figure out whether or not the teacher will …