About Elizabeth Peterson

Elizabeth Peterson has devoted her life to education and to reaching out to other teachers who want to remain inspired. Mrs. Peterson teaches fourth grade in Amesbury, Massachusetts and is the host of www.theinspiredclassroom.com. She holds an M.Ed. in Education, “Arts and Learning” and is currently enrolled in a C.A.G.S. program through Plymouth State University with a focus in “Arts Leadership and Learning.” Elizabeth is author of Inspired by Listening, a teacher resource book that includes a method of music integration she has developed and implemented into her own teaching. She teaches workshops and courses on the integration of the arts into the curriculum, leads an arts integration PLC (PLaiC) and is adjunct faculty for PSU. Mrs. Peterson believes there is a love of active, integrated learning in all children and from their enthusiasm, teachers can shape great opportunities to learn.
Website: http://www.theinspiredclassroom.com
Elizabeth Peterson has written 288 articles so far, you can find them below.

Developing Learners

Filed under General Education Topics by Elizabeth Peterson on October 15, 2011 at 7:09 am {no comments}

Guest bloggers on The Inspired Classroom and I have often touched upon personal philosophies of education.  These philosophies have ranged from technology to special ed, to education and teaching in general.  My first written philosophy of ed (from about 13 years ago) compared teaching to gardening, and I was brought back to those images once [...]

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A note to our subscribers…

Filed under General, Uncategorized by Elizabeth Peterson on October 15, 2011 at 2:20 am {no comments}

First I would like to thank all the people who subscribe to The Inspired Classroom’s feed.  It brings me much joy to know that people are reading our content on a regular basis. You may have noticed that there was an interruption in our feed.  I believe it is now resolved, and I apologize for [...]

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Creating Common Formative Assessments

Filed under General Education Topics by Elizabeth Peterson on October 13, 2011 at 5:51 am {2 comments}

In my last post, “Common Formative Assessments Built by PLCs,” I talked about what common formative assessments are as a reflection of my reading Revisiting Professional Learning Communities at Work – New Insights for Improving Schools (DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, 2008).   But you may be wondering WHY you would do this.  I’d like to explore that [...]

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Common Formative Assessments Built by PLCs

Filed under General Education Topics by Elizabeth Peterson on October 11, 2011 at 5:03 am {one comment}

PLCs are Professional Learning Communities made up of teachers who work together in a professional environment to discuss student work and help student learning. This year, I joined a book club at my school that is reading Revisiting Professional Learning Communities at Work – New Insights for Improving Schools (DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, 2008).  Throught the [...]

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Vocabulary and the Arts

Filed under Arts Education and Integration by Elizabeth Peterson on October 8, 2011 at 9:49 am {2 comments}

Yesterday our district had a professional development day on the topic of vocabulary.  Some 4th grade colleagues presented to all the elementary and middle school teachers a method of introducing vocabulary that they had started last year.  What they were doing was centered around Robert Marzano’s teachings from his book Building Background Knowledge for Academic [...]

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Homework's Audience and Purpose

Filed under General Education Topics by Elizabeth Peterson on October 6, 2011 at 5:50 am {no comments}

It’s a necessary writing strategy: know your audience and purpose.  Well, in my latest educontemplation about homework, I’ve been thinking more and more about audience and purpose when it comes to homework. Purpose – Purpose is what drives a writer.  Are you entertaining, informing, persuading or expressing an idea?  (Your basic 4th grade lesson on [...]

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Revising Homework

Filed under General Education Topics, Technology in the Classroom by Elizabeth Peterson on October 4, 2011 at 4:42 am {7 comments}

Over the last few, well, years, I have been really contemplating homework: Why do we give it?  What good is it doing?  What level of quality are we getting back?  Who is taking it seriously? In short, I have come to this sad realization that homework seems to be a more of a hassle than [...]

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Reading and Drumming

Filed under Arts Education and Integration by Elizabeth Peterson on October 1, 2011 at 5:27 am {3 comments}

The school year is in full swing and reading is filling the air in my fourth grade classroom.  We read independently, in groups, with partners, as a whole class, as a read aloud, online and hopefully at home as well.   Let’s face it, reading is a very important part of an elementary school classroom.  But [...]

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Trust the Process – From Mourning to Light

Filed under General Education Topics by Elizabeth Peterson on September 29, 2011 at 6:37 am {6 comments}

I was first introduced to this phrase when I was getting my masters in Arts and Learning from Endicott College.  My inspiring professor, Stephanie Grenadier, put these words (from Shaun McNiff’s book) into motion for me.  She showed me what they meant by allowing me to follow my own creative process through my classes with [...]

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