When I was pursuing my master’s in education, I spent a great deal of time examining the philosophies of various critical theorists. Vygotsky, Piaget, Freire, Montessori, Gardner, Pestalozzi and a whole host of other big educational names became part of my courses of study. Knowing these philosophers and their perspectives even helped me pass Florida’s […]
Posted inFeatured
6 Ways for Teachers to Earn Some Extra Money From Home
It’s the summer and many teachers are thankful for a short break to recalibrate and refocus for the upcoming school year. We are no longer confined to using the restroom in under 30 seconds or eating lunch in 20 minutes. We have actual time to plan and execute our plans for the upcoming year. Despite […]
Posted inConfessions of a Teacher
Tales from the Dark Side… of Parent Teacher Conferences
I have a friend who retired after many years as a Superintendent of Schools with many accolades and awards, a highly respected professional. When interviewed by her local paper, she was asked if, given the chance, would she make the same career choice? Her answer wasn’t completely clear to the reporter, but it struck home […]
Posted inHigh School
Don’t Forget Us: A Letter to Principals
I have taught under four principals in my short career, and unfortunately, none of them has inspired me to be a better educator. Tragically, all but one have contributed to my loss of faith in our current education system. When I pursued this career, I imagined my administrators to be like the Hall Directors at […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Math Disorders – How to Help
Last week I wrote about recognizing math disorders from Pre-K through high school. This article will explain what other skills may be affected and how to help those with a math disorder achieve success. Every Day Skills A math disorder may affect any of the following areas. 1. A child who repeatedly fails in math […]
Posted inAdult Learning
Should You Adjunct Teach? A Checklist for Potential Part-time Professors
Let’s not kid ourselves: The college classroom is a very different world than secondary teaching, as it should be. The material taught there is more rigorous, the students are more independent, and there is far less supervision of teaching practice, among other contrasts. The assumption at good colleges is this: If you’re proficient enough to […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Mollie’s Story: Not a Disability But an Ability
Mollie’s Story I met Anna, Mollie’s mom through politics. She and I began having small Facebook conversations about state-wide issues, despite her living in California and me living in Wisconsin. When she found out I was special education teacher, we bonded in yet another way. Her daughter was diagnosed with learning disabilities in reading so […]
Posted inOpinion
10 Things You Can Do Now that It’s Summer Break
Man, being a teacher is such a sweet gig. I mean, we get out of school at three o’clock every day, have our weekends free, have super-long vacations, and we get the summer off? Okay, so maybe all of that’s not true (most of that’s not true), but unless you’re at a year-round school, you still […]