How I Ended Up Here

I didn't always love CKLA.

I was introduced to the skills strand as a virtual teacher teaching 1st grade (we were still doing Wonders as well). A new curriculum, a new way of teaching, back down to 1st grade again (I had just come from 2nd grade), back to full time (My youngest was now 2, and I'd been part time for 2 years). To be completely honest, I didn't teach CKLA with enthusiasm or fidelity.

And although I wasn't doing those things, I noticed so much growth in my kids. Their spelling ability blew me away, and I was impressed how the phonics we were learning was in their readers.

Fast forward to the next school year. I was moved up to 3rd grade as a virtual teacher, and given the whole CKLA curriculum to implement...virtually. Now I love a challenge, and this was a huge one. CKLA is a lot of listening, direct teaching, above my students' ability level. But I knew I needed to be more positive and teach it to a T this time. Enter slides. We had been using them the first year of virtual school, but this time I had my secret weapons: experience and Pear Deck.

In the classroom, it can be hard to keep their attention, but throw in siblings, pets, parents, televisions, ipads, toys. My virtual kids were amazing, but they're kids and there were distractions. My goal was to have my slides interactive and engaging, and that's where my slides were created. Over that year, I spiced them up, added more, fixed them, and people started asking for them.

Now we're at 2022, and I headed back on site, still in 3rd grade (phew!). I had my slides, but how would that translate into the classroom? I changed slides, added slides, made them more geared for on site teaching, and I have never had a more engaged class....during a 120 minute block mind you! Everyone was participating! And I mean everyone . . . Pear Deck (on slides) is a lifesaver! You can see who has responded and who hasn't, and my kids knew that. The expectation was that everyone participated, everyone discussed, everyone read, everyone learned. And the icing on the cake was my test scores shot way up. (For example, I had 4 above grade level at the beginning of the year and 11 at the end. BOY I had 8 on reading plans, EOY I had 2.)

So here we are in 2023. I have a great attitude about CKLA. I actually enjoy teaching it and learning history/science along with the kids. I think some parts could be better, but that's what I use What I Need (WIN) time for. I have found ways to get one lesson taught in 120 minutes or less. I have learned how to discern what my kids need or don't need. I have added activities to spice it up and make it fun. I have also seen so many teachers share amazing resources and ideas, but it's easy to lose or forget those ideas when it comes time to teach that unit. At first, I created this as a place to keep it all organized for myself but figured other teachers might find value in it. I hope this can be a beneficial place for you!