When you think about PTSD, what normally comes to mind? To most people, what comes to mind is war veterans because, of course, they go through some truly traumatic experiences that most of us can’t even imagine. Their experiences are real, and we should acknowledge them. At the same time, we also need to acknowledge […]
Teresa
Teresa Cooper is a 30-something divorced mom and teacher from North Carolina. She has a Masters of Science in Education for Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment from Walden University and a BA in Psychology with a minor in Creative from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Having struggled with anxiety and depression most of her life and later having birthed a child with autism, she is passionate about spreading awareness and acceptance of mental illness and autism. After 13 years in education, she has a wealth of knowledge to share on education and bonding with children.
Teacher Anxiety: How to Cope With Anxiety Under Stress
As teachers deal with an enormous amount of stress that grows every year, very little research has actually shown the impact of that stress on teachers emotionally. Recognizing this fact, a preliminary study completed in 2014 in order to investigate teacher working conditions showed that 11% of teachers suffered from anxiety (Borrelli, Benevene, Fiorilli, Damelio, […]
Depression Kills Teachers if Left Untreated: It Should Not Kill Their Careers
Recently, I learned that I have been blackballed from a school district from what was cited as “poor performance” after receiving summary evaluation marks that demonstrated performance far above “poor.” In talking to people I used to work for, the only conclusion I could come to (since the school district failed to provide me with […]
Amidst Declining Mental Health in Teachers, What Can Administrators Do?
In 2017, a survey conducted by the American Federation of Teachers and the Badass Teachers Association indicated that more than half of the teachers surveyed said their mental health was “not good” while a survey from 2015 showed that only 34% of teachers felt this way (USA Today, 2017). Unfortunately, amongst the many teachers I’ve […]
5 Things I’d Tell Myself in My Earlier Teaching Years
My first few years teaching were spent scrambling to assemble the perfect lesson plans that would engage my students and still be fun. I spent hours at work instead of with my family. I was completely dedicated and yet afraid of failure. I felt a little lost at times and sometimes wondered if I had […]
How Class Dojo Saves My Sanity Daily
In the words of Sheryl Crow, “every day is a winding road.” In the classroom, the road can wind back and forth like a rollercoaster sometimes. You’ve got students who won’t listen, parents who want to know everything, and administration watching your every move. How can you make everyone happy when everyone is ready to […]
Surviving the School Year: Game of Thrones Style
As a new school year approaches, it occurs to me that surviving the school year is similar to how the characters survive in the cult classic, Game of Thrones. So many similarities exist in the challenges we both face, but there are ways around these challenges. The School Year as The Game of Thrones So, […]
What to Change Behavior? Start With Class Meetings in Special Education
When thinking about classroom management, class meetings could be the answer to most of your problems. Just think about it. One of the biggest causes of classroom management issues is that students come in with things on their minds. What are class meetings? Read on to learn how to conduct class meetings and get some […]