I hate to do this, but… Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines culture as, “the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes an institution or organization.” Why would I commit this writing 101 travesty? Because it seems as if a lot of schools do not truly understand what culture is. Before I talk about what […]
Classroom Management
Posted inElectives & Special Areas
Integrating Trends in Education: Lesson Plan Development for the 21st Century
When school starts next year, I’ll be in my thirty-fifth year in education. I feel like the slogan of the Farmer’s Insurance ad, “I know a thing or two because I’ve seen a thing or two.” Group work is now “Cooperative Learning.” Homework and tests are now tagged as “formative” and “summative” assessments. “Bloom’s taxonomy […]
Posted inHow to Fix Education
Teachers In Action: From the Classroom to the Convention
It was a busy week. My student government kids teleconferenced with the Broward Education Foundation to award them $1,000 they had collected through the spare change in the cafeteria. The SCA students wanted to help the victims of the Parkland, Florida school shooting. The organization receiving the gift looks after the social, economic, and academic […]
Posted inHow to Fix Education
The Importance of the 2018 Mid-Term Elections: A Teacher’s Perspective
American democracy is at a crossroads. In November of this year, the American electorate will go to the polls to decide which party should control the Congress of the United States and set policy on the federal level. Majorities in many state legislatures and governorships across the nation will also be decided. As it stands […]
Posted inHow to Fix Education
And We Will Rise: Day 3 of the Oklahoma Walkout
We are on day three of the Oklahoma Walkout. Our governor made the comment yesterday that we [teachers] were acting like a bunch of spoiled “teenagers who want a better car.” One of our legislatures went Live on Facebook and said we were never going to be happy and that he “wasn’t supporting teachers anymore!” […]
Posted inClassroom Management, Confessions of a Teacher, Current Events in Education, Elementary School, Featured, High School, How to Fix Education, Instructional Strategies, New Teacher Bootcamp, Opinion, School Improvement, Special Education, Teacher Leaders, Teacher Self Care, The State of Education
Today We Walked-The Oklahoma Edition
Today we walked out in Oklahoma. Not out of selfishness or resentment. Not out of discourse for our jobs. Not out of spite. [bctt tweet=”We walked out – for our kids. ” username=””] We walked out because we do not have adequate supplies for our classrooms. We do not have a curriculum for our students. […]
Posted inConfessions of a Teacher
10 Thoughts During a Failed Lesson
Thought 1: “I like this lesson” It might not be my best, but I’m satisfied with it. It’s educational. It’s collaborative. There’s some entertainment value. It certainly is important to their lives and what we’ve been previously talking about. It’ll be successful. Thought 2: “What the h*#%! is going on here?!” It doesn’t seem like […]
Posted inTeacher Leaders
Three Simple Steps to Positive Classroom Culture
Many teachers know what it’s like to work in a toxic work environment. I had a brief stint as the director of an after-school program, so I’ve been on both sides of the situation. The year I managed those nine after-school educators was a disaster in many ways, but it taught me an unforgettable lesson […]