Jay Asher’s 13 Reason Why was the first young adult novel I read during my student teaching. When the librarian spoke to my freshmen about novels for a choice project, I was drawn to the premise of the story: Before completing suicide, a sixteen-year-old girl (Hannah) records the reasons for her choice on audiotapes and […]
Posted inChild Development
Using Games In the Classroom To Teach Life Principles
We are experiencing a lot of spring thunderstorms here in Oklahoma, which means inside recess. Oh my. Those two words used to swirl me into a completely bad mood, knowing that the kids would want to get caught up in some digital device, which I can’t stand. Or worse yet, would complain that they were […]
Posted inTeacher Leaders
Sunday Night Blues: Coping with Teacher Anxiety as the New Week Begins
Between the joy and relaxation of the weekend, and the crushing anxiety of a new work week, lies Sunday night. No matter how fulfilled one feels with their work, or how much they “love their job,” nearly everyone feels that tinge of tension and apprehension as 8:00 pm rolls around and you begin thinking about […]
Posted inBook Review
[S3E1] Why Every Teacher Should Get a Career Counselor
Statistics show that during the first five years of teaching, the majority of new teachers will leave the profession. What’s even more staggering is trying to figure out what do these teachers end up doing after they leave the field of education? In the opening of Season 3 of our podcast, we interview Andrea Holyfield […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Mathematical Conversations Aid Problem Solving
Mathematical conversations are among the most important connections that make math about solving problems instead of just calculating answers. They include discussions of how a problem was solved and whether or not the answer makes sense. Often teachers shy away from mathematical conversations thinking they will lead to students talking instead of working. In this second […]
Posted inFeatured
Teaching English with Technology
As a 17-year veteran English teacher, I have seen many improvements and changes in the way that technology is incorporated into the classroom. Gone are the days of using the overhead projector, of rolling an outdated television set into the classroom, and of feverishly rewinding an old video cassette. Surprisingly, the days of grading papers […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Teachers, National History Day Needs Your Help
This past week, the National History Day program announced that it lost one of its biggest benefactors. Though National History Day (NHD) doesn’t announce the benefactor’s name, it does reveal how much it’s going to hurt the program — a total net loss of $800,000, annually. If you don’t know what the National History Day […]
Posted inOpinion
Why are we Doing this Thing Called Public Education?
A close friend of mine was confused. He wondered why teachers “post 1000 memes that make it seem like our job is stressful, underpaid, and makes us into alcoholics.” But when he talks to teachers, we say that we love teaching. He was right. We complain… a lot! But sometimes we need the outlet because while […]