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 […]
How to Fix Education
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 inHow to Fix Education
I Was Running Myself Into the Ground: My Self-Care Story
Guest Writer: Alexis Shepard I experienced major burn out my 4th year teaching. Tears and rants about how much I hated teaching were regular occurrences for my, then, boyfriend. Â Emotionally, I was a wreck most days—almost always angry and annoyed. The only things that kept me composed each day were the kindest grade level partner, […]
Posted inHow to Fix Education
We Must Love Them
Wow. What a week. As a special education teacher, I love the challenges that come with my job. I deal mainly with children who have behavior struggles. My resource room is their, and their regular education teacher’s, safe haven. However, that doesn’t mean it’s MY safe haven. I spend the majority of my days trying […]
Posted inHow to Fix Education
911: How to Douse the Flames of Teacher Burnout with Self-care
By Colleen Schmit from Crisscrossapplesaucebook There were many igniters that fanned my flames of burnout while I was a classroom teacher, but if I were to pick the greatest source of fuel to my fire it would be my lack of self-care while I was teaching. Taking care of everyone else’s needs before my own […]
Posted inHow to Fix Education
[Opinion] Ending School Terrorism
Guest Writer: Doug Carroll, Ed. D. In a free society, there is an expectation in the exchange for protection by the government a certain amount of personal liberty will be voluntarily sacrificed. Since the terror attacks on 9/11, U.S. citizens have invested trillions of dollars to protect the homeland from terror attacks diverting scarce financial […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Opinion: Age-Grading is Stupid
Age-grading is, in a word, stupid. It is built on a cultural conception of development that precludes the ability of individuals of different ages to have healthy, appropriate interactions and learn from one another. Unless, of course, a clear power dynamic defines the relationship: teacher-student, babysitter-child, employer-worker, coach-player etc., then the interaction is sanctioned. Instead […]
Posted inHow to Fix Education
Take One For the Team: The Need for Self-Care
In the wee hours of this morning, another of my 24-year-old son’s friends killed himself. I say another because the first one was about a year ago. Two close friends in two years. Here at The Educator’s Room, we constantly talk about self-care. We constantly are saying how important it is to take care of ourselves […]