Name: Jeannine J. School: Walpole, MA Years Teaching: 10+ years Specialty: English/ Language Arts, Science, Mathematics, Social Sciences Congratulations to Jeannine J., our Stellar Educator of the Week! Jeannine is a Kindergarten Teacher. She was nominated by one of her peers, and we agree that Jeannine is an amazing educator! Here is what her […]
From the Front Lines
Posted inFrom the Front Lines, Instruction & Curriculum
Twitter Chat Tonight! 9PM EST #theedroom
Join us tonight at 9PM EST on Twitter (@theeducatorsroom) to discuss the teachers at Ballard High School and Garfield High School in Seattle, Washington who refuse to administer a standardized test to students! Share your thoughts with us. Is this a great act of civil disobedience or are the teachers just overacting? Use the hashtag […]
Posted inFine Arts, From the Front Lines, Instruction & Curriculum, Opinion
Based on a True Story: A Critical Look at Teachers in Movies
I remember having a romanticized view of teaching while I was in college. Though I can attribute some of this to a few overly idealistic professors, I mostly blame the movies. It was probably one week into student teaching when I came to the painful realization that I did not have the ability to magically […]
Posted inOpinion
Adopting a State Legislator for a Day: Teachers Get Political
Teachers don’t often consider themselves to be in a political profession. If they are active in their union, they may take interest when their contract is bargained with their district. Teachers are usually fairly well-informed when they decide to vote. But beyond this basic civic participation, educators’ focus usually remains steadfast on their student’s well-being […]
Posted inFrom the Front Lines, Opinion, Parents, Social Studies
The Lesson I Taught My Son About the Observance of Dr. King's Birthday
Being a teacher is both a curse and a blessing to my 12 year old son. On one hand I can help him with his homework, but on the other hand I tend to stress about things that other parents sometimes do not. Take for instance the observance of Dr. King ‘s birthday on today […]
Posted inFrom the Front Lines, Stellar Educator of the Week
Kathy B. – Our Stellar Educator of the Week!
Name: Kathy B. School: Baltimore County Public Schools (MD) Years Teaching: 9-10 years Specialty: English/ Language Arts Congratulations to Kathy B., our Stellar Educator of the Week! Kathy was nominated by one of her students, who could not seem to find enough wonderful things to say about her! We agree that Kathy is a […]
Posted inFeatured, From the Front Lines, Middle School, Opinion
In Education I Matter (And So Do You)
Second semester, I believe, is the worst semester for teachers. Second semester is the time when we reflect upon first semester and what we did and did not accomplish. We look at what we taught and have left to teach. Second semester is the time for high absenteeism due to illness and all high stakes […]
Posted inFrom the Front Lines, Literacy, Uncategorized
Whit's Tips on Mentoring to Provide Individual Learning Opportunities
How should schools provide individual learning opportunities and motivation to accelerate learning while following standardized curricula goals aligned with the Common Core? One on one mentoring might be an answer. Whether schools can put together teams of five or a hundred mentors, giving students a half hour of undivided attention makes all the difference in […]