Whether you started school in August our you go back after Labor Day, teachers must make their own mental health a priority. Starting this month, we’ll be releasing our limited September Teacher Self-Care calendar for you to download for free. Email this out to your colleagues who need a little bit more love or post […]
Posted inOpinion
The SEVEN SECRETS to a Successful Senior Year
Dear Senior High School Students of America: Congratulations! You made it. You are finally at the top of the heap. Enjoy it because it won’t last long. You will blink and your fall finals will be upon you. You will blink again and you will be sitting in graduation gowns walking across the stage. Blink […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Opinion: Age-Grading is Stupid
Age-grading is, in a word, stupid. It is built on a cultural conception of development that precludes the ability of individuals of different ages to have healthy, appropriate interactions and learn from one another. Unless, of course, a clear power dynamic defines the relationship: teacher-student, babysitter-child, employer-worker, coach-player etc., then the interaction is sanctioned. Instead […]
Posted inTeacher Self Care
PTSD in Teachers: Yes, It’s Real!
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 […]
Posted inHow to Fix Education
Take One For the Team: The Need for Self-Care
In the wee hours of this morning, another of my 24-year-old son’s friends killed himself. I say another because the first one was about a year ago. Two close friends in two years. Here at The Educator’s Room, we constantly talk about self-care. We constantly are saying how important it is to take care of ourselves […]
Posted inAdult Learning
The New Teacher Smell
I love to see new teachers join our ranks. In a profession that is being left behind to make more money working at the local 7-11, it’s still good to see fresh faces believing in what we do. The teachers fresh from student teaching, wearing their classroom key around their neck like a badge of […]
Posted inOpinion
Yes, America: Civic Ignorance & Poisonous Politics Go Hand in Hand
As young Americans start back to school, it is a good time to note that most Americans are largely ignorant—ignorant of their heritage, ignorant of their Constitution, ignorant of what actually “unites” the United States of America. A variety of surveys from the past decade about Americans’ civic knowledge, or lack thereof, acts as a […]
Posted inTeacher Self Care, Teacher Self-Care Conference
More than a Warm Body: You Are Not Replaceable
There have been many, very important, conversations about teacher self-care lately. I am so glad this is happening, because I know I am one who suffers from spreading myself too thin while burning the candle at both ends! However, there is a constant refrain I hear from teachers who are trying to help people who […]