Teaching is a blending of science and art. Colleges across the nation prepare teachers to write lesson plans, understand discipline and teach content. Interwoven in a great classroom, however, is experience and heart. If you are a new teacher, find veteran teachers in your building who have strengths and ask questions. If you are a […]
Posted inSpecial Education
Before the Storm: Behavior Strategies for Prevention Purposes
Think of that kid in the room that just can’t seem to make it through the class period. Things just seem to set that student off for some reason, and you don’t know what to do. Up until now, you’ve probably used strategies for handling the behavior after it’s already happened. But before you batten […]
Posted inFeatured, Literacy, Opinion
Have you Read a Banned Book Yet This Week?
National Banned Books Week is upon us, and the American Library Association once again reminds us that the Freedom to Read is a right everyone deserves. Most school libraries, especially in high schools, used to celebrate Banned Books Week by making commonly banned books available or displaying them as a reminder. But nowadays, with massive […]
Posted inClassroom Management, Featured, Parents
Teachers' Kryptonite
“Can I take him to the bathroom and wash his ears?” I turned to stare at the practicum student teacher who had just asked the question. Maybe it was my ears that needed to be washed. “I beg your pardon?” “His ears are filthy. Just filthy! Actually, he’s filthy in general, but his ears…” She […]
Posted inNew Teacher Bootcamp
September Madness: 5 Thoughts For Young Teachers
Every March I fill out my bracket with hopes that the beloved Tom Izzo will take my Alma Mater’s Spartan hoop-squad to the final four for a shot at the NCAA Championship. Some part of me is hoping for the reincarnation of Mateen Cleaves to appear on the floor and usher the Spartans to the […]
Posted inLiteracy, Opinion
A Reading Affair to Remember
My love affair with reading began underneath the dining room table. It was something I passionately desired to do, and my first glimmer of this new realm was in Kindergarten. There was some kind of power behind the flashcards Ms. Crowning was holding up and I had to have it. I attended Kindergarten in 1985 […]
Posted inFeatured, Instruction & Curriculum, Literacy
The Basics of Writing
It’s no secret that writers are readers. Anne Lamott, American novelist and non-fiction writer, said “What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet or excite you. Books help us understand who we are and […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Middle School, Principals' Corner, Uncategorized
Urban Education, Stereotyping and Michael Brown
When Michael Brown was killed in Ferguson Missouri, I was struck by the fact that he could have been any one of the young men I taught in my 30 years in an urban middle school. This got me to thinking about how low performing schools and stereotypes of poor children and children of color […]