Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Teaching is Difficult When Administrative Support is Lacking
When teachers have administrative support that’s an ideal teaching situation, but the reality is that too often administrative support is not available. Thus, new teachers have the biggest problems and often leave the profession because of support of this. Whether you are a veteran teacher or just starting your career you will deal with administrators […]
Posted inTeacher Self Care
Why Teachers Need A Summer Break
We hear it all the time. “Teaching is easy. You get the whole summer off! What are you complaining about?” Did you roll your eyes too? At this point, it should be obvious as to why teachers need a summer break. This summer, I began to see my summer vacation in a whole new light. […]
Posted inTeacher Self Care
Teachers Modeling Friendship
I teach in the same building as my cooperating teacher from my student teaching placement in college. Mrs. Burcham taught me everything I know and apply today working as a Special Education teacher. Since I graduated, Mrs. Burcham and I have become colleagues by chance, friends by choice. We check in on each other during […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Five Ways to Brighten the School Day
School is hard. The demands are higher than the demands teachers had on them when they were students. The school day can become overly rigorous and robotic, draining the fun for students, but educators are resilient. Despite letting high stakes testing and other demands completely dampen their classes, many educators have fun ways to add […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Are We Setting Unrealistic Behavioral Expectations?
I don’t remember the moment it dawned on me that I had unrealistic behavioral expectations. Maybe it was the second week of school when I realized the honeymoon phase was over. It might’ve been the moment my administration looked at my students in their “lines” and said, “You should be on Level 0 at all […]
Posted inOpinion
It’s Time to Replace the Fourth of July (Kind Of)
In my two decades of teaching civics to high school and college students, I can count on one hand the number of students who have ever been able to correctly identify September 17th as Constitution Day. I don’t blame them. I get it. After all, the Fourth of July is my favorite holiday of the year. […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Are You A Double-Minded Teacher?
Hello. My name is Allyson, and I’m a Double-Minded Teacher. Double Minded: 1: wavering in mind: UNDECIDED, VACILLATING Since I’ve made the commitment to become a teacher, I’ve been double-minded about teaching. I start off excited about the upcoming year. I create the layout for my classroom and pick the theme. Then, I’m cutting, taping, […]