Over spring break, I read an amazing book called Readicide by Kelly Gallagher. We’ve talked about the book on the site before in this excellent article, so I won’t go too in depth here. We do not have reading goals in my classroom, mostly for the reasons that Gallagher outlines. I want my students to read […]
Instruction & Curriculum
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Teaching Abroad: The Pros and Cons
I’ll never forget the moment I had the idea to teach abroad. I was a stay-at-home mom with my brand new twins, and I wasn’t feeling like my fun, adventurous, extroverted self. As I was scrolling through Facebook, I came across an article about a single mom of three who was living her best life […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Teacher Self-Care Calendar: May 2019
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Posted inMiddle School
Four Minutes: Putting the Passing Period in the Past
To me, the number “four” has always carried special significance. I am the oldest of four siblings and was born in the fourth month of the year. In middle school, two different versions of “4 Minutes,” one a pop song by Madonna feat. Justin Timberlake, the other an R&B song by Avant, earned their positions […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Empathy: The Key to Better Behavior in the Classroom
Empathy, for me, was always one of the best ways to handle classroom behavior. It came to me naturally because of the teachers I had in elementary school. I grew up in a housing project. This living situation was due to the death of my father just before my third birthday. In a time before […]
Posted inParents
Your Children Are Not Your Students
Your Children Are Not Your Students Parent guilt is a beast all by itself. Whenever it can show up, it does. When I want some “me time” after I’ve raised my voice, or when I’ve given them something I know they shouldn’t have, it’s right there waiting. But for me, it’s been showing […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
The Power of the School Visit as PD
Featuring guest writer Chris Horne Typical schools spend thousands of dollars each year on professional development. This could involve bringing in guest speakers to facilitate workshops or doing internal data reviews, but each school’s PD plan looks a little bit different. In all cases, these plans tend to have a focused goal: To help teachers […]
Posted inMiddle School
An Experiment In Gratitude
I had the most positive student teaching experience I could have ever imagined. I was mentored by phenomenal, passionate, effective, caring educators who graciously answered my questions and modeled by their example what it meant to do what’s in the best interest of students as not just learners of academics but learners of life. I […]