Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! “Thank you for helping me feel seen.” As educators who advocate for equity in education, some of us might expect this statement from a student. So would it surprise you that this was from a teacher? I recently returned […]
Professional Development
Posted inOpinion
Where’s the System of Support for Educators of Color?
Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! We often discuss multi-tiered systems of support for students but rarely discuss multi-tiered systems of support for educators. Currently, we have significant teaching vacancies throughout the nation. The need is even greater with regard to teachers of color – […]
Posted inOpinion
No, Teaching Cannot Be Your Only Passion
Why Every Great Teacher Needs a Hobby Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! Nothing makes me feel like I have accomplished less in my 40+ years than giving my high school students a brief biography of Mark Twain’s life. When I realize just how much […]
Posted inPedagogy
How to Support Parents and Educators of Autistic Students
I remember the first student I taught who had been diagnosed with autism very well. “Ms. Lamons, you need to fix the date on the board.” “Ms. Lamons, I need to know what we are doing today.” “Ms. Lamons, I finished my work. Now, what do I do?” John had what some described as a […]
Posted inTeacher Self Care
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teachers: Habit 3 – First Things First
My friend and former student-teacher called me the other week: “I need to vent to you for 10 minutes.” “We were supposed to get the vaccine once our meetings finished today. I received a text at 12:50p telling me the window for the vaccine was 1p-4p. As I was heading out the door, I received […]
Posted inTeacher Self Care
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teachers: Habit 2 – Begin with the End in Mind
When I studied for my M.Ed. in Leadership, the lasting lesson that I pulled from my coursework was from a program called Understanding By Design (now called “Backward Design”). It essentially advocates effective teaching is to lesson plan by beginning with the outcome – whether for the year, unit, week, or lesson. Why? The most […]
Posted inTeacher Self Care
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teachers: Habit 1 – Be Proactive
In the children’s book Alexander and the Terrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, author Judith Viorst’s protagonist Alexander continually falls victim to an awful 24-hour period, saying things like: “I fell asleep with gum in my mouth and now there’s gum in my hair,” “All the other kids had cupcakes, Hershey bars, and other desserts, […]
Posted inBack to School
Teamwork Makes the “COVID-Dream” Work
Welcome to the 2020-2021 school year. Here you will find: rules that change on an hourly basis, not enough PPE for staff and students, continued interrupted internet connection, and limited time to use the restroom. The first two months of our hybrid model have been a whirlwind. When asked how school is this year, I […]