Month: April 2026

By this time of year, it can start to feel like a push to the finish. There’s still so much to cover.So much you should be doing. But in my experience, this is actually the time to pause and ask:what do students really need right now? It’s Not More Work It’s easy to feel like we need to keep adding. More activities.More practice.More structure. But a lot of students aren’t struggling because they need more. They’re struggling because they’re tired. What I’m Seeing More of In my Student Services role, I’m seeing: More big emotions More difficulty with focus More students needing support with regulation And honestly, it makes sense. It’s been a long year. What Actually Helps What’s made the biggest difference isn’t adding more — it’s leaning into what already works. Things like: Predictable routines Simple, familiar activities Quick movement breaks Time to reset and reflect When students…

When I first started teaching Kindergarten, I made a mistake. I thought fine motor practice was something we really needed to focus on at the beginning of the year… and then we could move on. So as the year went on, I started to skip those opportunities. And I noticed it pretty quickly. What I Started to See Students were struggling with things like: Writing for longer periods of time Coloring with control Staying focused on table tasks Their stamina just wasn’t there. And honestly, I started to see more behaviours creeping in too. More frustration.More off-task moments. The Shift Once I brought fine motor activities back into our daily routine, things started to change. Students were: More focused More regulated More willing to engage in tasks like writing It was a good reminder that fine motor skills aren’t just a “September thing.” They’re something students need all year long.…

Earth Day is a great opportunity to bring something meaningful into your classroom but it doesn’t need to mean more planning or complicated lessons. I’ve always found that the best way to approach days like this is to keep things simple and hands-on, while naturally layering in language and learning. Keep It Hands-On When students are learning new vocabulary, especially in another language, they need to interact with it. That might look like: Sorting recyclable materials Exploring simple life cycles Going on a nature walk or scavenger hunt These kinds of activities keep students engaged, but they also help the learning stick because students are doing something with the language. You Don’t Need to Be Fluent Earth Day is a perfect example of how you can bring French into your classroom without it feeling overwhelming. You don’t need to know everything or say everything perfectly. You can: Introduce a few…

Teaching a French unit like Ma famille can feel like a lot, especially if French isn’t your strongest subject. I’ve found that this is one of those units where teachers feel pressure to “do it right”… but in reality, simple works best. You don’t need complicated grammar or perfectly structured lessons. You just need a way to help students see, hear, and use the language in a way that makes sense to them. Keep It Simple When I think about teaching family vocabulary, I always come back to a few key things: Keep the vocabulary clear and manageable Use visuals as much as possible Give students lots of chances to repeat and use the words That’s it. Students don’t need a long explanation of sentence structure right away. They need exposure and practice. What This Looks Like in the Classroom In a Basic or Core French classroom (especially Grades 4–6),…

Easter is a fun time to bring a little extra energy into your classroom but it doesn’t need to mean more work for you. I’ve always found that the easiest way to approach seasonal learning is to keep things simple and hands-on, while layering in a bit of vocabulary. Keep It Hands-On When students are learning a new language, they need to see it, hear it, and interact with it. Simple, hands-on activities make that possible. With Easter vocabulary, that might look like: Pompom activities Stamping Beading Matching or simple “find and write” tasks Students are moving, building, and interacting with the words — which helps them actually remember them. You Don’t Need to Be Fluent This is a mindset switch that I really had to work on –  you don’t need perfect French to teach it well. What matters is giving students opportunities to: Hear the words See them…