In the beginning … On this particular day in my classroom, you would have found a service dog standing faithfully by their owner as she explained how her dog detected her insulin levels. Or you might notice a laptop flashing intricate patterns of code while a robot zoomed up to you carrying a piece of […]
Literacy
Posted inEnglish Language Learners
Return to Panem:Teaching Possibilities with The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
When the original Hunger Games series was released, with its conclusion published in 2010, I was busy teaching 8th grade English at a suburban/rural middle school in Tennessee. I immediately saw possibilities in the book and was encouraged by a colleague’s work with the first novel at another middle school. I began using the first […]
Posted inDo The Work
Is it Time to Kill Mockingbird and Embrace Mercy?
Is it Time to Kill Mockingbird? Until recently, To Kill A Mockingbird was one of few classics I actually liked. I’ve usually pushed back against the canon, but I could get behind a story about a precocious young tomboy who helps her father fight against racial injustice. But, as I read it once again with […]
Posted inLiteracy
When the Fire is Gone: Real Stories for Survival, Resilience, and Heartbreak When Dealing with Teacher Burnout
When the Fire is Gone: Real Stories for Survival, Resilience, and Heartbreak When Dealing with Teacher Burnout To read a sample chapter, click here. (Atlanta, GA – March 11, 2020) When the Fire is Gone: Real Stories for Survival, Resilience, and Heartbreak When Dealing With Teacher Burnout, is the first follow-up book from the 2012 […]
Posted inHigh School
The Importance of Addressing “I’m so bored” Comments
This past semester I was in the midst of teaching one of my favorite units that I’ve ever taught in my career thus far. My students read a play about characters who are a part of a First Nations community in British Columbia, Canada. The play, titled Where the Blood Mixes, deals with tragedy and […]
Posted inHigh School
Reading Groups, A Valuable Tool
As teachers, we are always trying to get our students to read more. Reading is important in helping our students grow as critical thinkers and expanding their view of the world around them. However, at times, it can be difficult for students to choose their own books. Some students struggle to get into any book […]
Posted inAsk a Teacher
Opinion: Why Teachers Shouldn’t Write Curriculum
The word “curriculum,” as it pertains to education, can include everything from the materials used to teach our students to the planned learning experiences. If we think of the Common Core standards as the academic destination for our students (the “what” we want them to know and be able to do), our curriculum is the […]
Posted inBack to School
Digging Into Learning: Using Archaeology in the Classroom
There are some subjects that fascinate us. Archaeology is one such subject. Archaeology can take us to Egypt and the tombs of the Pharaohs, or unravel the mysteries in our own backyards. Many people go through an archaeology phase, though few become archaeologists. Plus, everyone likes digging in the dirt. The Society for American Archaeology […]