Do you happen to have 63 pipe cleaners (aka chenille sticks)? Or a bottle of ketchup? You never know what you may find yourself needing as a new teacher. We are masters of thinking on the fly, especially when it comes to putting together a bang-up lesson, which means a lot of unexpected supplies. As [...]
I spent the day today working with professional educators. This group of experienced teachers gathered to learn more about mentoring those just entering our profession. Technically, we’re there to participate in the California teacher credentialing program, which requires beginning teachers to partner with experienced support providers. But while I was sitting there, learning about learning-focused [...]
A little over a year ago I took over as the Director of the small, private school I taught at for six years and attended as a small child. Need it be said that I was thrilled? My staff taught by my side for several years and brainstormed with me for nearly a year. I [...]
There are few things that I enjoy more than getting students to question, analyze, write about, discuss, and, ultimately, clarify their own views on complicated questions. It reminds me of my own history teachers in high school and how they communicated their passions to us students. In one class, we were supposed to study American history [...]
For the first time in years, I'm experiencing the excitement that new teachers can relate to. I'm "nerve-cited," a term my daughter coined for our move to teach in the Dominican Republic after 20 years in one public school in northern Vermont. To shake my foundations, to ignite possibilities for change and to immerse in [...]