Imagine you have a student who every time they get upset they decide to engage in some negative behavior that totally disrupts your class? Whether the behavior is yelling or banging their head on the desk, there’s an obvious need for a different approach to working with students who come to school with a myriad […]
Posted inConfessions of a Teacher
I Left The Classroom for A Central Office Job…This is My Letter to My Former Students
Dear Students, I didn’t leave because of you. I don’t love you any less. I won’t stop thinking about you or missing you or hoping you are well. You know how much I love you. I won’t stop wondering about how you are doing or forget your sweet faces or devious antics. I can’t imagine life […]
Posted inBack to School
From Book Tastings to Blind Dates: How to Encourage a Love of Reading in Secondary Classrooms
As a first-year English teacher, there were lots of questions that I hadn’t expected to have to answer in my classroom. The most surprising question, however, was this one: [bctt tweet=”“Do I have to read in this class?” ” username=””] Now, in my head, there are many sarcastic and snarky comments that I could think […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
10 Ways to Be a More Productive Teacher in the New School Year
Being a productive teacher felt like the impossible goal. I had a million to-dos and only so many hours to do it in. Anyone out there feel my pain? Usually, my preparation time turned into me doing the things I liked the most first. Then, I’d chat with a coworker for a bit and scramble […]
Posted inInterviews
Moving From Teacher to Private Employee:Tips on How to Start the Process
Last week, over 300 Chicago teachers lost their jobs. Every year, teachers leave the profession for a myriad of reasons, but then come back because the private sector doesn’t seem to recognize our skills outside the classroom. Doesn’t matter the reason for not being in the classroom anymore, being jobless with a background in teaching […]
Posted inLiteracy
Word Sorts: A Pre-Reading Strategy for Frustrated Students and Teachers
If I were to ask my middle schoolers what the hardest subject is for them, I can tell you right now, a majority (especially sixth graders), would say science. Even though my kids typically love science labs, they despise all of the reading that accompanies them. When I talk to students about what makes reading […]
Posted inClassroom Management
Positive Reinforcement: When Do We Want It? NOW
While I realize that effective classroom management is essential to effective teaching and learning, I sometimes worry that we educators over-do it. Are we failing to inspire a basic desire to do the right thing? Do we really need to hand out prizes for making it to school every day and not acting like an […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Keep That Smartphone Out: Teaching in the Age of Technology
Most educators in today’s world remember a time when access to technology was difficult to come by. For instance, my family didn’t have internet access until I was in junior high, and even then, those were the days of “dial-up”, where things took forever to load and where you couldn’t be on the phone and […]