Sometimes, I feel like I need a little perspective. Some days, I come home from work exhausted. Especially this week, the week before Thanksgiving Break. This is not something that is unique to me. All week, I have seen posts on social media from other teachers that are feeling the same way. With daylight savings […]
Posted inTeacher Leaders
15 Things My 2-Year-Old Taught Me This Year
A few weeks after my son was born in November 2015, I started thinking differently as a teacher. While I don’t think this applies to everyone, I feel like it did – and continues to – make me a better teacher. For the past two years I’ve shared lessons I’ve learned from him as a […]
Posted inTeacher Self Care
A Teacher’s Gratitude
I am a teacher. I give thanks for dry erase markers that work and pre-sharpened pencils, for chocolate and caffeine. I meet canceled meetings, bathroom breaks and snow days with gratitude and I am thankful for forgotten fidget spinners and silly bands that’ve come and gone, thankful for completed paperwork, planned fire drills, and a […]
Posted inTeacher Self Care
Teachers who Practice Self-Care: Selfish or Sustainable?
Teacher burnout is a phrase that we hear all too often in the field of education, and it’s no wonder with all that teachers must juggle day in and day out. Most teachers take their work home: planning, grading and brainstorming well into the evening and on the weekend. Add those tasks to extra-curricular activities […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
The Civics Teacher Conundrum: Teaching Trump
By George Cassutto Donald J. Trump was elected president of the United States in 2016 and inaugurated on January 20, 2017. He holds the highest office in the land, and for most scholars, he is the “leader of the free world” as long as the United States holds the status of the last remaining superpower. […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
The Case of the Shrinking Education Department
This year has been challenging for teachers for a myriad of reasons. Research shows stress, PTSD, and mental/emotional health issues are running rampant for teachers around the country. Faced with the Trump Effect, many teachers are not only faced with the stresses and fears of students, but with their own fears about the future of […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Interview Tips from the Other Side of the Table
Whenever my school has interviews for an open position, I do my best to be able to be a part of the process. Our candidates are always really impressive, and there are just a few things, for me, that set certain candidates apart. I’ve come up with four areas that could make or break a […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
5 Strategies to Help Shy Students Succeed in Classroom Discussions
In my early years of teaching, I spent much of my time and energy focused on classroom management. Included in this was teaching students how to have a productive classroom discussion. I would plan mini-lessons about appropriate interjections, how to respond to someone who disagrees with your viewpoint (without being aggressively loud and using profanity), […]