Hello!
My name is Steve Reifman, and I am a National Board Certified elementary school teacher, author, and speaker in Santa Monica, CA.
SteveReifman.com is a resource for elementary school teachers and parents. My mission is to teach the whole child—empowering students to succeed academically, build strong character, learn valuable work habits and social skills, and take charge of their health and wellness.
Blog
Discover over 100 posts filled with teaching tips, links to YouTube videos, and other useful ideas and strategies for teaching the whole child.
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Teaching Resources
Explore these print books, e-books, courses, and other resources that offer effective, proven ideas and strategies that improve student learning.
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Chase Manning Mystery Series
Each book in this award-winning mystery series for kids 8-12 features a single-day, real-time thriller that takes place on an elementary school campus.
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Workshops
Looking for a presenter for your next conference or workshop? Check out these engaging, innovative sessions that address a wide variety of topics.
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Welcome to a brand new year of Teaching Tips. Last year the first seven Teaching Tips I shared on this website comprised a series that focused on four important priorities that we need to emphasize in our classrooms at the start of every school year. I wanted to begin this new year of Teaching Tips by sharing these priorities with you again. Next week I will move on to a different topic. Should you wish to read the Teaching Tips from last year, you can find them on this site. Have a great year!
In this final Teaching Tip of the 2010-2011 school year, I would like to focus on one of the foundational components of a quality classroom: an emphasis on continuous improvement. As teachers, we spend countless hours helping our students get a little bit better at everything they do. Helping students improve involves various strategies and techniques, but more than anything else, continuous improvement is an attitude, a mindset.
With the school year winding down in areas operating under the traditional calendar, it’s critical that we take full advantage of the time we have left with our students. As professional educators, we are not simply people who teach content standards to help children score well on standardized tests; we are passionate individuals who work hard to promote valuable character traits, social skills, and attitudes. All year we have emphasized these priorities, and the end of the year is our last opportunity to convey powerful messages, review what we have learned together, and achieve a sense of positive closure. Rather than count down the days until summer vacation, we savor each of our remaining days and strive to maximize their value.
My school will be hosting its annual Open House soon, and I thought I would share some ideas this week about this important annual event.
I have mixed feelings about Open House. On one hand, I believe it can be a valuable opportunity for teachers and students to display with pride the work they’ve done during the preceding months. On the other hand, Open House often becomes a big show, a form of end-of-the-line inspection where visitors walk through your room to evaluate you and your students.
I have mixed feelings about Open House. On one hand, I believe it can be a valuable opportunity for teachers and students to display with pride the work they’ve done during the preceding months. On the other hand, Open House often becomes a big show, a form of end-of-the-line inspection where visitors walk through your room to evaluate you and your students.
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