Teacher Branding: Summer vacation is a critical time for teachers. It is time to decompress from all of the stress of the school year and realign your teaching for the new school year. Many teachers use this time to travel and “catch up” with their families, while others use the time to earn money to […]
Instruction & Curriculum
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
God Must Have Forgot About Me: Book Reflection from a Veteran Teacher
Once you get past googling the multifaceted Jason Lee, author of God Must Have Forgot About Me, and finished clutching your imaginary pearls, take a few deep breaths, push past your pre-judgments, and ask yourself why a veteran teacher would choose this particular book to reflect on this summer. The answer is very simple: Lee’s […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
20 End of the School Year Memes That Only Teachers Will Understand
It’s the day that many of us teachers look forward to all year long- the last day of school. We’re tired from spending 180+ school days encouraging, disciplining, working with our students. So just like any great year, we have some end-of-the-year memes just for teachers.
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Teachers Beware: Curse of the Cellphone Screen Zombie Stance
For years, I watched in horror as the curse of the cellphone screen zombie took hold of every student I had, worsening with every update. If having to keep them off their phones all day wasn’t bad enough, most of their time spent in class was on a school-issued device, zombifying them by the hour. […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
From the Classroom to the Recovery Room: How the Stress of Teaching Led Me to Alcoholics Anonymous’ Supportive Space
Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) is a supportive community where you can share your experiences, find understanding, and gain the tools necessary for recovery In my second year of teaching, the unexpected arrival of Covid-19 brought immense challenges. The already demanding workload nearly doubled as I grappled with preparing work packets, transitioning to virtual learning platforms, reaching […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
From STEM, Let’s Pivot to the BRANCHES of the Humanities
There is no doubt that the neglect of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics – better known as STEM in educational circles – has come at our own peril. Our students’ achievement in mathematics is surely not where other Americans expect it to be, and the comfort of anyone saying “I hate math” is embarrassing. As […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Bridging Cultural Gaps: A Global Perspective from a TEFL Classroom
TEFL Classroom: With 15 years of experience as an English teacher under my belt, I’ve had the privilege of exploring a myriad of classrooms, each with its own unique dynamics. Starting with traditional offline classrooms, I took my teaching practice online, reaching eager minds in China and Japan, before finally setting down roots in the […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Cultural Resident or Cultural Visitor – How do you identify?
Cultural Resident: Determining cultural impact through residential and intellectual mindset Merriam-Webster defines a resident as “. . . serving in a regular or full-time capacity”. Meaning. Moreover, visitor is defined as, “One who makes formal visits of inspection.” As an instructional leader and teacher in the GREAT city-state of Newark, I’ve had the privilege to […]