Author: Karen Hester

I'm Karen, and I teach 5th grade science in the great state of TEXAS! I have been teaching for thirty years (grades 2-6 all subjects) and have an M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in science education. In my classroom, we implement lots of hands-on activities that reach a variety of learners, and I'm always looking for new ways to implement new knowledge and strategies in my lessons. My years of experience have given me knowledge in practical applications for helping students achieve, but I'm always learning. I hope to use my little space here to share easy-to-implement ideas that you can use to elevate your classroom instruction!
Hands-On Learning, school garden

Gardening with kids

Karen Hester

I grew up with parents that were raised in the country. My father's family absolutely depended on their garden in order to eat. I, on the other hand, was raised on military bases in different parts of the world, but whenever we were stateside, my parents gardened. As the youngest, I often didn't have to… Continue reading Gardening with kids

Classroom Management, Pedagogy

Think – Pair – Share… How to hold your students accountable!

Karen Hester

If you have ever tried the Think Pair Share strategy in your class, then you know it can be either great... or not so great. Been there, done that. I first started using Think Pair Share with second graders a few years back, and the first few times were chaotic to say the least. As… Continue reading Think – Pair – Share… How to hold your students accountable!