The United States is growing ever more diverse in languages, religions and ethnicity and school districts are working (with varying levels of success) to adjust to their changing communities. ESOL teachers are often in the position of go-between for their students and the larger culture, which can be a little awkward when the holidays come […]
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Posted inClassroom Management, Featured
The Reigning Terror of Indoor Recess
Oklahoma has been hammered this spring with thunderstorms, flash flooding and, the song of my people, tornadoes. This type of weather creates what some teachers cringe at-INSIDE RECESS. Giving kids a little too much free time when they are already cooped up is usually a catastrophic combination for those schools that still get recess time. […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured
A True Testing Reminder
We are in the middle of testing madness. End of Year tests, AP exams, ACT & SAT results, LEAP, iLEAP, and PARCC, whatever you are going through- know that you are not alone. No one can understand the pressure of a high stakes test unless you are personally involved. The weight that is tied to […]
Posted inFeatured, From the Front Lines
Time To Clean The Filter…Surviving the End of the Year
Years ago as part of my pastor’s doctoral thesis I had the opportunity to take part in a ‘Spiritual Gifts’ inventory. This was an in depth group about what spiritual gifts were, which was the primary spiritual gift and how to use the gifts. It was no surprise to me that my primary gift was […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured, High School, Instructional Strategies, Middle School, Uncategorized
The Baltimore – Education Reform Connection
The Baltimore neighborhood that was the focus of protests after Freddie Gray’s death exists in every major city in this country. Too often such neighborhoods were once places where families could graduate from high school and get decent jobs. Schools had decent funding and could find ways to help struggling students like Freddie Gray. […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured
Take Time to Reflect: Say Thank You!
My kids have had wonderful teachers, mediocre teachers, and teachers I did not agree with. Teacher Appreciation week transcends this, however, and is a time to thank all teachers for their work in one of the most important profession we have in our society today. Everyday teachers make their way into classrooms around the United […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Turning Reluctant Readers into Life-Long Readers
Reading should not be presented to a child as a chore, a duty. It should be offered as a gift. ~Katie DiCamillo One of my biggest challenges for the past thirteen years as an English teacher has been getting my students to read, and I know I am not alone in this frustration. Getting teenagers […]
Posted inFeatured
Teacher Appreciation Week—Valuable Gifts
Something of value is something of great worth. Each day, you send your most valuable gifts off to school. You entrust them to the educational system and the teachers there. Teaching is a unique profession. Teachers give of themselves, their time, and their money to do what is best for their children. This act is […]