When most of us think of a classroom, we think of the traditional setup: several rows of desks all facing a blackboard, projector, or whiteboard. If we’re really being daring, those desks might be in pods, or in stadium-style rows. Sometimes, we have…tables! But there is a new trend that has come back around recently, […]
Middle 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 […]
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 […]
Preparing Students For Teacher Absences
I was gone two days this week because my fiancé had back surgery. Two. Whole. Days. This may not seem like much to most, but I teach special education with some very routine-oriented students and this was a huge whammy in their little lives. I know we want our classrooms to become autonomous and for […]
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 […]
Why is The Positivity Project Making My Kids So Negative?
Have you heard about the Positivity Project, sometimes referred to as “P2?” Maybe you have seen the hashtag: #OtherPeopleMatter? Or possibly you have seen an adult or child wearing a green shirt or hat with the positivity project logo? The Positivity Project, started by two West Point-trained military veterans, was not initially about schools, but […]
“Teacher’s Kid Gets Suspended!”
“Teacher’s kid gets suspended.” Headline news in a small town. I drove down that country road fast. The principal informed me that I needed to get to school immediately. It was the end of a good teaching day, and I was happy to be returning home in time to get my kids to practice on […]
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 […]