Ahhhhhh….. Christmas break. I’ve been waiting for this vacation since October when the honeymoon phase of a new school year began wearing off and the realization of ‘normality’ set in. This break allows me time to reflect, piece my weary self back together and recall some of the craziest things that parents have said this […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured, Opinion, Parents
Winning Back Public Opinion, One Conversation at a Time
For teachers, Christmas and holiday break is probably getting old – if only because of the discussions had with others. Typically these things go negative pretty quickly, since the general public has delved into a disregard for educators through simplified generalizations as lazy (“must be nice to have the summers off”), union-thug (“must be nice to […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum, Literacy, Opinion
Making the Best Persuasive Argument Does Not Mean Writing an Essay
The Best Persuasive Argument of 2015 was not presented in the form of the standard five paragraph essay. Instead, the best persuasive argument made this year featured 1000 musicians playing the song “Learn to Fly” in a field in order to persuade the rock band Foo Fighters to play a concert in a small town in Italy. The entire project was […]
Posted inElementary School, Featured, Instruction & Curriculum, Instructional Strategies, Mathematics
Dear Elementary Math Teacher: I Need You to Know…..
Dear Elementary Math Teacher, Teaching math can be a rewarding experience because elementary teachers mold students’attitudes towards math that will last well beyond the elementary school years. Trust me when I say, I know sometimes it can be difficult to teach math to students who do not have the number sense or the prerequisite skills […]
Posted inESOL, Featured, Instruction & Curriculum, Instructional Strategies
The Four Benefits of Bilingual Education
Language is a subject matter of much controversy in our country. Are you “American” if you speak another language? Well, many of our students come from homes where the parents do not speak English, so regardless of whether or not you think all Americans should speak English, the fact remains that we are a country […]
Posted inElementary School, English Language Learners, Featured, Instruction & Curriculum, Languages, The International Teacher
Diaries of an English Teaching Assistant in Taiwan: Christmas is Love in Action
During the writing workshop that I facilitated last Friday, a participant shared with me that she’d almost committed suicide, but that one of her best friends had helped her out of depression to find happiness. To this day, Macy (name given to protect her identity) is determined to become a social worker, so that […]
Posted inFeatured, Instruction & Curriculum, Instructional Strategies, Mathematics
Integers: Adding and Subtracting the Easy Way
Teaching integers can be very frustrating to students. Early in my teaching career I found that many of my students found adding and subtracting integers to be very difficult. I tried teaching the rules and learned that everyone (including me) was frustrated. I began to realize that one problem was that for most children, negative […]
Posted inClassroom Management, Instruction & Curriculum
New Year's Goals as an Educator
Remember the excitement you felt at the beginning of the school year? Round two starts this month and you have an amazing opportunity as an educator. You get to make a difference in a child’s life. Just as you set goals and made plans in August, pause and help your students start the year right […]