It’s been three years since I’ve started my second stint in the classroom and without a doubt my favorite new practice as a teacher is home visits. Home visits create an opportunity for home-school collaboration that is hard to find any other way. Home visits aren’t a new practice, but they’re gaining more attention, and […]
Classroom Management
Posted inClassroom Management, Featured, Opinion
10 Ways Disengaged Students are like Zombies
With all the zombie flicks out there today, I’ve started to become enthralled with the concept of zombies. I mean, how does a zombie epidemic start anyway? If you watch the movies and television shows out there, you’ll see that multiple theories exist for how zombies might come about, but there’s no research on it or how […]
Posted inClassroom Management, Featured, Instructional Strategies
Ask Three Before Me: Encouraging Student Voice and Independence
I’m lucky to be married to a brilliant early childhood educator. But I’m not just bragging. I share this, because her perspective on teaching really young students we have has given me a lot of insights to my own work with third graders. One thing that has stayed with me is the way my wife […]
Posted inClassroom Management, Current Events in Education, Featured, Opinion
Leaving Your Babies to Have Your Baby: Maternity Leave Readiness
Maternity leave as a teacher is different from any other profession. Six weeks of lesson plans are needed and as you already know, just leaving a plan for one day is a struggle. Leaving your students in the hands of another person for six-week is daunting and overwhelming. As a teacher, we have a need […]
Posted inClassroom Management, Featured, Opinion
Classroom Thief: How to Find Peace When Things Go Missing
So you have a “classroom thief.” Things come up missing–both classroom items and those belonging to other students. You believe you’ve found the culprit, but he or she will not admit to stealing anything. Before you pull your hair out, try out these strategies for finding peace when things go missing in your classroom. Create […]
Posted inClassroom Management, Common Core, Featured, Instruction & Curriculum, Middle School
No More Lectures – Try Back To School Stations Instead
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”] I’m not a direct instruction kind of teacher. I’ve learned after 25 years of teaching junior high that kids need to be moving, thinking, collaborating and switching activities frequently during a […]
Posted inClassroom Management, Featured, Opinion
Classroom Battle Tips: You Can Win the War
We all struggle with classroom management at some point in our careers. Some years are better than others for me. These are common problems I have gone through and these are the comebacks I use that seem to work for me. I cannot promise they will work every time, but I can promise that if […]
Posted inClassroom Management, Current Events in Education, Featured, Opinion, Principals' Corner
Principals, Here’s What Your Teachers Need From You
I’ve been pretty fortunate – in my 10 years in the classroom, I’ve had some stand up and stalwart principals. Beginning with my principal during student-teaching and all the way through my current principal, I’ve come to learn three important characteristics that are present in all great school leaders: Great principals have an open door […]