I have a room full of highly competitive students. Most of them are first born or only children and their natural wiring towards competition can drive a teacher crazy! Instead of trying to stifle their exemplary leadership skills, I use it for my advantage. Not to the point of pitting one against the other, but […]
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Posted inConfessions of a Teacher
Fridays: A Teacher Confessional
Rebecca Black took a student’s perspective with her song “Friday,” focusing on the last day of the work week, where she wrote after “gettin’ down on a Friday, everyone’s looking forward to the weekend.” So, what about teachers’ perspectives on Friday? We asked our writers and readers, and here’s how they claimed to end the week: […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Educate Yourself and Vote
I am praying for our nation. We have a circus going on being sensationalized by the media. While this is happening, in fourth grade, I teach my students about government. They are exploring a basic understanding of how democracy works. They are learning about the three branches of government. And we will explore rights and responsibilities of citizens. These […]
Posted inBack to School
Trying to Find a Balance
When you are a new teacher, there are so many small parts of teaching you have to figure out. And you get bombarded by advice on what to do. You’ve got feedback from your principal, tips from veteran teachers, and “best practices” from professional development consultants. You have to sift through it all and somehow […]
Posted inFrom the Front Lines
How “Big Ed” Could Ruin America
There’s been much-to-do with EpiPens in the news these past few weeks. As the company Mylan has raised the price of the life-saving, anti-allergen medicine from $100 to $600, there have been more than 1,700 articles claiming everything it costs $30 to manufacture to denouncing the teachers’ union for being complicit in the calamity. Seriously. This […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
The 600 Pound Gorilla in the Room: Dealing with Educator Sexual Misconduct
If there is one topic that educators don’t want to talk about, it is educator sexual misconduct. It is disturbing and disgusting to think that individuals who are hired to help, encourage, and teach students would think to do anything so profane. In fact, it makes me sick to my stomach just writing about this. […]
Posted inClassroom Management
Time to End Students’ Need for Instant Gratification
When you were in your educational psychology class a few years back, you probably learned about instant gratification. This behavior, at heart, is when we pursue what we want, when we want it. Often, that means now. The primal need couldn’t be more evident in our school children – and it’s up to us educators to redirect it. […]
Posted inFeatured
Proof of Civilization’s Decline? Teacher In-Services
“All that is human must retrograde if it does not advance.” –Edward Gibbon Audacious barbarians at the gate do not always foretell a civilization’s decline. No, sometimes the changes are small and unspoken in a culture, manifesting themselves in the most surprising of places. Bemoaning a hollow cult of celebrity or decrying the perpetual […]