“Spilling the tea” is teenage slang that this history teacher can appreciate. Like those 342 rebels that protested taxation without representation on December 16, 1773, in Boston harbor, it is time for educators (teachers and administrators) to become revolutionaries. Although the slang of the terms is typically about gossip, the “T” in tea is also […]
Confessions of a Teacher
What are the confessions of a teacher? Read these articles and find out.
Posted inConfessions of a Teacher
Silent Compliance, not Honesty is Wanted in Education
I love to write, so I say more in written form than I tend to say in person. I acknowledge that I am an introvert, but I’m not shy. If I feel the need to verbalize an opinion, I will. Unfortunately, you don’t have to work in education for too to realize that honest feedback […]
Posted inHow to Fix Education
Self-Care Is Priority One for This Teacher
January is finally over. I swear this month had 974 days in it. After returning from Winter Break I felt as if I just could not keep up with myself. There is always so much to do and so very few hours in the day to balance everything. Normally this is when my really bad […]
Posted inAsk a Teacher
Preparing Students For Teacher Absences
I was gone two days this week because my fiancé had back surgery. Two. Whole. Days. This may not seem like much to most, but I teach special education with some very routine-oriented students and this was a huge whammy in their little lives. I know we want our classrooms to become autonomous and for […]
Posted inHow to Fix Education
Respect in the Classroom: Earned, Not Expected
There was a sub for one of my paras a couple of weeks ago and she set up shop in my classroom. We went through the day as usual, with her thoroughly enjoying her role after being out of the classroom for the past few years. At the end of the day, as I was […]
Posted inAsk a Teacher
Dissing the Family Crazies: A Christmas Story
Ahhhh… the two weeks teachers wait for that never seem to get here fast enough. I was so ready to be done with 2018 I had a collection of white flags hidden in my desk that I found myself waving ever so slightly throughout that last week of school. So as I got off of […]
Posted inConfessions of a Teacher
My Morning Routine As a Teacher
I recently read Benjamin Spall and Michael Xander’s book My Morning Routine, and I was relatively impressed with the content (and recommend reading it – it’s an easy read in a couple of hours). The premise is essentially based upon an interview with many magnates of industry, from General Stanley McChrystal to Arianna Huffington, discussing […]
Posted inAsk a Teacher
Band-Aiding The Mental Health of Our Children
I deal with the most difficult of kids. In all of my years of teaching, I have been called The Pied Piper for Children’s Behavior and a Child Whisperer. But one thing that has never gotten easier is seeing seven, eight and nine-year-old children on medications that can eventually cause more harm than good. [bctt […]