Painless Poetry “Gross! I hate this stuff!” “This is too hard, I don’t wanna do it!” “It never makes sense to me, it’s all so weird.” Then the calm voice of reason speaks- “Ladies, we have to teach it, it’s part of the curriculum.” What is this dreaded standard? Poetry. That single word would often […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
What Do We Make of All This? 10 Must-Read Research Articles on COVID & Schools
As we wade in the waters of COVID-19 and reopening our schools, here are some articles that give us evidence on what works and what doesn’t. Trauma: Trauma-Informed School Strategies During COVID-19 We all know schools are on the front lines of dealing with our collective trauma. This thorough guide from the National Child Traumatic […]
Posted inConfessions of a Teacher
You Don’t Hate Teaching, You Hate Your School
Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! In other industries, when someone hates their job they think “it’s time to move on from my company.” The first thought at that point is not “I need to get out of [this career].” But for teachers, when they […]
Posted inPrincipals' Corner
Principals are Hanging on by a Thread
Principals and assistant principals are hanging by a thread. A thread that keeps getting pulled and pulled until it eventually snaps. Not many people ask the school administrators, “How are you?” Many will tell you they are not doing well mentally or emotionally. The toll of trying to navigate the continually changing world during COVID19 […]
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 inCOVID
A Student in my Class Has COVID, Now What?
Like most teachers, I had been managing to keep a level head regardless of the immense pressure I am under in today’s classroom climate. Doing my best to provide quality virtual, hybrid instruction; remain positive and upbeat for my students; and having an overall optimistic demeanor in the face of a deadly pandemic. So naturally, […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Compassionate Teaching is Key Especially During This Pandemic
Over the past few months, I’ve been noticing tweets from users about their teachers and their online class experiences. These two stood out to me in particular: teachers be like "i know these are troubling times" then be the trouble during the times — Jeffery Perkins (@JefferyxBball) November 29, 2020 A student just wrote “My […]
Posted inCOVID-19
How Reverse Halloween Helped My Students Feel Connected to Me As Their Teacher
If I’m being honest, not everyone understood the concept of reversing Halloween at first. But I was convinced the theory was sound. And perhaps because I’ve known how disconnected my own daughter feels, I’ve tried to find creative ways to connect with families. I’ve formed friendships with dogs, left a lot of things on doorsteps. […]