This past week marked the thirteenth anniversary of 9/11. My first and second graders haven’t a clue about what this terrorist attack on the United States meant. Some adults still don’t realize it either, for that matter. Sometimes it’s difficult for me to remember that these kids are only six and seven. I liken it to […]
Posted inSpecial Education
How To Teach Students with Intellectual Disabilities
As a result of I.D.E.A. (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act), teachers will continue to see more and more students with various disabilities in the regular education classroom, including students with intellectual disabilities (ID). As controversial as it is for some to believe, individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) benefit from the same teaching tactics used to teach […]
Posted inFeatured, From the Front Lines, High School, Literacy, Uncategorized
Teacher Professionalism (With a Twist of Occasional Humor)
I once read a quote that said, “People think I’m crazy, but I like to think of myself as normal with a twist of awesome!” Because I have an outgoing, flowery personality, I honestly feel that some people DO think I’m crazy, but the way I look at it is that someday I’ll be six feet under […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured, From the Front Lines, Opinion, Parents, Principals' Corner
Dealing With Death
My husband has been a high school teacher for twelve years. During his fifth year, several of his students from the soccer team were killed in a car accident. The driver lost control of his car, went through a barrier, flipped the jeep and landed in a ravine full of water. A few years later, […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured
All Professions Deserve Summers Off
It’s amazing how many non-teacher Americans get angry, frustrated, and even downright rude about a teacher’s summer. When June comes around, so follows resentment. The vitriol is then repeated in late August when students report back to school. But here’s the thing – these people need to channel their criticisms towards producing a greater cultural shift. […]
Posted inAsk a Teacher, Confessions of a Teacher, Opinion, Technology, Uncategorized
Are you a leader or a follower?…On Twitter.
Are you a leader or a follower? Me? I’m a follower, and my students and I are very happy about that. When I say I am a follower, I mean on Twitter. I love Twitter. I would not have said this a few years ago, because I thought Twitter was just a constant Facebook status. […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, How to Fix Education, Uncategorized
CA Bill Addresses Suspensions and Expulsions
Millions of students get suspended from school every year – and it is mostly students of color. According to the US Dept. of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, 16% of black students are suspended every year, compared to 5% of white students. When a student is suspended, he or she falls further behind in school, […]
Posted inClassroom Management, How to Fix Education, Instruction & Curriculum
Simple Student Hacks for Elementary Teachers
Education is personal and teachers work with an ever-moving target of standards and expectations. Throw children into the mix and there is not a one-size-fits-all answer. Each student comes into the classroom with their own history, experiences, needs and circumstances. We have students who “fit the mold” of a learner. These students learn in many situations, […]