Setting the Stage It’s Tuesday and I’ve just closed my classroom door so I can eat my lunch. I have pulled apart students in two separate fights already in the first part of the morning and I’ve heard rumors of others happening through the building. My first-period lesson didn’t happen because the technology wasn’t working. […]
Callie Goss
Callie is a high school Special Education Teacher in her 11th year of teaching. She is currently working on coursework to complete her TESOL certification and is an active member of her building's Cultural Committee and Building Committee.
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Setting Boundaries for Type A Personality Teachers
Think about the number of things you do each day. Now think about how many of those things you do that are actually things you enjoy doing. I hope that the number of things you enjoy doing outnumbers the things you don’t enjoy, but for many of us, I believe that’s untrue. We live in […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
A Letter to My Seniors: The Class That Conquered the Pandemic
It has been a challenging year to be a teacher. This is not a newsflash to anyone who is a teacher, has a teacher in their lives, or has been paying attention to life for the last year. As easy as it is to focus on the struggles and the negativity this year brought, I […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Mental Health Awareness for the Teacher’s Soul
As I begin typing this article, it is 11:00 a.m. on a Wednesday. In April. It’s a school day but I’m currently sitting at my table in my backyard before a thunderstorm arrives. I’m not at school on this school day in the middle of the week because of- ANXIETY. I’ve suffered from anxiety for […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
About Me, By Me Assignment: What Happened When My Students Spoke
Teachers: have you ever decided to do a lesson, and it just explodes into a different beast than you’re expecting? Have you ever steered away from the Common Core and done something to drag your students out of the everyday content sludge? As a Special Education teacher, my curriculum is written by me for my […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Always a Scapegoat, Never the G.O.A.T
I learned whose fault the pandemic is. And who’s responsible for the students and their well-being. It’s the teachers. It’s my fault. How do I know this? Because someone told me. Let me rewind a bit…. I’m to Blame During our mid-winter break, I had a scheduled annual EEG appointment for my migraines. This is […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Online Learning: Headaches and Heartbreaks and Whispers of “You’re Lagging”
You may have seen the meme on social media where it likens virtual learning to a séance: “Sally, can you hear me?”, “Bobby, are you there?”, “Knock if you can hear us”. I shared this meme with my students a few weeks ago after an incredibly frustrating week of teaching to a computer screen with […]
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 […]