This morning in church our pastor talked about the limited time we have from Thanksgiving to Christmas. As a society we have become this time driven people, always moving towards the next thing. You have seen the memes, thankful today for all that I have but Black Friday shopping tomorrow. We have somehow done away with time. […]
Posted inFeatured, Teacher Burnout
Surviving Burnout: A Teacher's Story
Burnout occurs often in the field of teaching. Rarely does it have anything to do with the children that we teach. Usually, it has to do with decisions made by non-teachers and the ever increasing paperwork that comes with those decisions. I went through two burnouts during my teaching career. I survived one and continue […]
Posted inFeatured, Opinion
A Teacher’s Thanks
Thanksgiving has come and gone. I wish we could have had a few more days, goodness knows we all could have used them, but I am happy to get back to my students. I have missed them. Life has been a tad quiet without them. We are coming to the end of the year and […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured, Opinion, Social Studies
Landmine Ahead! – How to Traverse Politics with Students
We have almost 11 more months of dealing with pollsters, pundits, politicians, and partisans who have opinions about the presidential race. Each of the presidential candidates will take the podium, attempting to address the ills of our nation, and often chief among them is the role of education. Additionally, students will harbor their own opinion for a […]
Posted inInstructional Strategies, Opinion
Surviving the Doldrums of Education
The dark days of November are upon my students and admittedly the enthusiasm for being back in school has worn off. The fervor, rigor and rapid pace of schooling usually takes its toll on me this time of year and I have to develop means of not only survival but of hope as I try […]
Posted inFeatured
Five Items For EVERY Teacher’s Christmas List
Now that the Christmas season is upon us, it isn’t too early to consider what presents we would like to request from our friends and family. My list is far from exhaustive and highly subjective, but as the New Year beckons, the average teacher desperately needs both inspiration and rest. To this end, I offer […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Why Reading Logs Have to Go
“Children should learn that reading is pleasure, not just something that teachers make you do in school.” ~Beverly Cleary Reading Logs: On the first day of school, I welcome my 8th graders to my English class with a survey about their reading life. I ask them to be extremely honest, so I can gauge where […]
Posted inFeatured
Why We Need Stubborn Teachers
Teacher burnout is a problem and we all know the statistics. Roughly half of teachers leave the profession within their first five years. The percentage of teachers who leave is especially high in schools with over 80% of students qualifying for Free or Reduced Lunch. You know there’s a morale problem in your profession when the […]