Essential Components In part 1 of my series on effective literacy, I discussed the Science of Reading, the role of the brain when learning to read, and the importance of explicit phonics instruction when teaching reading. Explicit phonics instruction is critical when learning to read, but word recognition is not the only component that creates […]
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Posted inOpinion
An Educator Mom’s Perspective On Mother’s Day
As teachers who are also mothers, our roles are often even more than the “dual roles” of teacher and parent. It is difficult for most teachers with kids to strike the right balance, but when we think about the many roles mothers play, it is even more of a struggle to maintain a work-life balance. […]
Posted inOpinion
What Trevor Noah Can Teach America About Teachers
Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! Like many teachers, I have had to take a long, hard look at whether or not I had the capacity to stay in education. The past few years have tested my dedication to education more than any in my […]
Posted inPedagogy
Why I Stopped Using Writing Rubrics
Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! In my English and writing courses, I always love to share the following Anne Lamott quote with students: “…writing needs to breathe and move.” To further expand on this quote, I explain that writing cannot be constricted in a […]
Posted inOpinion
5 Reasons to End Active Shooter Drills in Schools
As we head into warmer afternoons and the end-of-year traditions, it’s natural to reflect on the year that’s been. This year felt far from normal as we navigated the rollercoaster of schooling during the pandemic. But some things did return to normal, including mandated active shooter drills. Forty states require public schools to conduct these […]
Posted inOpinion
The Toxic Positivity Propaganda Machine
In order to change destructive patterns, we need to stop pretending they aren’t there. Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! For what feels like the thousandth time, I am laying in bed at 4:00 p.m. Exhausted from the teacher workday and too drained to be […]
Posted inPedagogy
6 Ways Teachers Can Support Students With Autism
Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! Thinking back on my experience as a teacher in a Texas charter school, I cringe at the lack of knowledge I had about autism. It wasn’t covered in my certification program, it was never brought up during our professional […]
Posted inAsk a Teacher
Organizing Ideas from the Queen of Organized Chaos
Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! Imagine a substitute teacher dumping your desk drawers out on the top of your desk because they wanted to “reorganize it.” That is what happened to my cooperating teacher during my student teaching days. My cooperating teacher’s organizing skills […]