Over the past few weeks the phrase “#me too,” has appeared countless times on different social media platforms. This movement, spurred by the sexual misconduct allegations against Harvey Weinstein, a powerful producer in Hollywood, spurred millions of women to share their own stories of sexual harassment and abuse by men throughout their personal and professional […]
From the Front Lines
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Secondary Trauma and The Teachers That It Affects
It is 30 days into the school year. So far I have listened to or read stories about my students experiencing homelessness, bullying, deaths of family members, suicidal thoughts, and sexual abuse. These traumatic events weigh down on our students. Unfortunately, as we know, our schools do not have enough mental health supports. If we […]
Posted inAsk a Teacher
Response To Intervention: One Teacher’s Story
A decade ago, I was the first classroom teacher at my elementary school to complete a round of RTI. The counselor, principal and I went into the process with confusion, determined to get a struggling third-grade student the help she needed. Since those early RTI days, I’ve provided tier II and III interventions and watched […]
Posted inFrom the Front Lines
Teachers Talk about RTI: The Educator’s Room Survey Results
RTI – Response to Intervention – has made its way to the top of the list of most commonly used education acronyms. Since changes to policy language in the 2004 Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), the Response to Intervention framework has emerged as the favored way to identify students with learning disabilities. After a decade […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Looking for Joy? Find It In Your Classroom
I don’t blog as much as I would like these days, but in my first year of teaching, I kept an almost daily record of my experiences. My family and friends would read these posts, and for the most part feel very sad for me. But my uncle, a teacher, had a different reaction. I […]
Posted inSpecial Education
Making Special Education Work For Everyone
I teach in a mild/moderate special education classroom, meaning that all of my kids are on IEPs and have been placed in my room because they meet disability criteria that my school district recognizes. They are able to attend a regular education classroom for all other subjects besides reading, language arts, math and adaptive behavior. […]
Posted inFrom the Front Lines
5 Things I’d Tell Myself in My Earlier Teaching Years
My first few years of teaching were spent scrambling to assemble the perfect lesson plans that would engage my students and still be fun. I spent hours at work instead of with my family. I was completely dedicated and yet afraid of failure. Sometimes, I felt a little lost and sometimes wondered if I had […]
Posted inTeacher Burnout
A Teacher’s Power of Positivity
I’ve spent enough times surrounded by negativity. I’ve gone the other way when the “negative teacher” walks down the hallway. I’ve watched people publicly belittle my profession and union over and again. I’ve led that union and had to open far too many negative emails of plea / help / disdain. I’ve hoped for that […]