We’re just a few weeks into the new school year, and already communities are mourning the tragic deaths of students by suicide. From the public outcry of Daniel Fitzpatrick’s parents to the private grief of classmates, teen suicide plagues the school community. How do we talk to our students about the devastating realities of depression […]
Opinion
Posted inBack to School, Opinion
Why You Should Take a Sick Day
I had a great mentor teacher in my first year teaching. We shared the same room, and as someone who had zero experience in student teaching, I really needed the guidance. One of the most important things she taught me that year was that I should stay home when I am sick. Taking a sick […]
Posted inBack to School
Why I’m Quitting After Only Two Weeks of a New School Year
This year would have been my fourteenth year in the secondary classroom, but it won’t be after this week. With a brand new crop of freshly oriented students ready for the year ahead, I will be leaving them for a full-time professorship at the college level. On one hand, it’s a great opportunity – I’ve […]
Posted inFeatured
Letting Students Have a Say In What They Learn
We started our school year this week, and I have a small class of very eager kids. They love to learn, want to participate in everything and have some great ideas of their own. As I stood in class moving from one activity to another, I was preparing to ask my students what THEY hoped […]
Posted inOpinion
Faith in Transition
Being in public school education for 25 years, it was made apparent, as teachers, we were not allowed to share our Christian beliefs with our students. Every so often, it might come up with a colleague but talking about God with students would be enough to get you in some serious trouble. And I can […]
Posted inFeatured
A Teacher’s Gratitude… for Her Teachers
Tomorrow is my 23rd first day of school. Unlike the past five years, I will not be in front of the classroom; instead, I will be behind the scenes as a building administrator at a university. Even though the setting has changed, the feelings remain the same. The night before the first day of school […]
Posted inChild Development, Featured, Instruction & Curriculum, Opinion
Group Work and the Introverted Student
“As children, our classroom desks are increasingly arranged in pods, the better to foster group learning, and research suggests that the vast majority of teachers believe that the ideal students is an extrovert.” -Susan Cain Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking (pg. 6) How often do we as teachers assign group projects and […]
Posted inHow to Fix Education
Teaching Class (With Class)
In the past, we’ve explored the “10 Ways to Fix Education” mini-series. We’re resurrecting this topic, and one way I’d like to fix education is teaching class (with class). This homophone highlights two items that should be at the forefront of our working memory and, well, our work. The first association – class, a noun […]