My Go-To Lesson If I were to ask you what is your “go-to” lesson, I bet a dozen donuts you could tell me all about it! Well, one of my favorite ones involves several different variations of Van Gogh’s Starry Night. Small side story – while visiting my son and daughter-in-law in Dallas, we took […]
Instruction & Curriculum
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
My Students Are Getting Me Through This Pandemic
I walk up the stairs trying to find the new weight room, the location of our school’s “rapid” Covid-19 testing area. My nose swabbed by a woman donned in full personal protection equipment makes me think of a scene from a dystopian movie. As I exit, I see one of my students arrive with what […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
A Message from the Year 2040: How a Year of COVID Learning Forever Changed My Life
Twenty years ago, I spent my senior year of high school at home. Tens of millions of students shared this situation, and for good reason—a global pandemic raged across the globe for fifteen months, ultimately killing over two million human beings. I remember the recovery wasn’t at all what my classmates and I had hoped […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Genius Hour: A Perfect Way to Make Virtual Learning BURST!
In the beginning … On this particular day in my classroom, you would have found a service dog standing faithfully by their owner as she explained how her dog detected her insulin levels. Or you might notice a laptop flashing intricate patterns of code while a robot zoomed up to you carrying a piece of […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
The ABCs of Online Learning
The ABCs of Online Learning Assignments; lovingly and painstakingly created, yet woefully untouched. Bitmoji explosion; as if our bubbly, animated selves can cheerily force our students to really feel how much we care. Chatbox; little glimpses of classroom joy when students type, unprompted, Hi! How is everyone today? I just ate Cheetos! […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Check on your Immigrant Teacher Friends, We’re Not Ok!
A question that I’m asked every morning by colleagues almost instinctively is “how you doing?” and without giving the question much thought, I always respond with “I’m good!” I know this is a superficial response but that question is a loaded one, and as teachers, we know that we’re all struggling right now. It is […]
Posted inBook Review
How to Think Like Shakespeare: A Fun Educational Tool
As an English teacher, there are few things more contentious than teaching Shakespeare in high school classrooms. The idea that he is outdated, pointless, and just plain boring has plagued many of us. I disagree with all of those things. Because of my positive Shakespeare feelings, I am always looking for new ways to teach […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
SPLC’s “Credit Overdue”: Why it Matters for Youth Offenders
The Southern Poverty Law Center recently released a report about the education challenges incarcerated youth face, called Credit Overdue. After exploring legislation, policies, and real-life experiences of youth in multiple states, the SPLC uncovered a troubling trend: many students who serve time in juvenile detention are not awarded credit for the coursework they complete at […]