Everyday seems to bring with it a new candidate for the Presidential election of 2016. The oratory is familiar. The uttering of the redundant cliché that, “This is the most important election of our lifetimes” is almost as mandatory as the voting itself. It does not matter if you are a passionate Hillary Clinton aficionado, […]
Opinion
Posted inFeatured, Opinion, Professional Development
Break The No Summer Break Cycle
I have been out of school for four weeks. If I take my normal work day, which is from 7 am-5 pm, Monday through Friday, I have a total of 50 hours a week that I usually spend working. That totals to 200 hours that I’ve supposedly had off thus far. This is supposed to […]
Posted inEducational Apps, Elementary School, Featured, From the Front Lines, Kindergarten, Opinion
Summer Planning and Pinterest
Pinterest. Love, love, love this site! And who doesn’t? Especially those of us who began teaching with toilet paper rolls and baby food jars or those teachers who need to supplement their current curriculum without spending a fortune doing so. But just like with any great resource, being able to benefit from using it is […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Turning Reluctant Readers into Life-Long Readers
Reading should not be presented to a child as a chore, a duty. It should be offered as a gift. ~Katie DiCamillo One of my biggest challenges for the past thirteen years as an English teacher has been getting my students to read, and I know I am not alone in this frustration. Getting teenagers […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured, High School, Opinion
Why Teachers Speak Out
On every article I have seen about what teachers do there are always many comments, mostly from other teachers. Those are the ones I love, they are uplifting and keep me going. And there are always people that feel the need to undermine what we do. There are tons of comments that go on and on […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Elementary School, Featured, High School, Kindergarten, Opinion, Uncategorized
An Alien Civilization Will Destroy America If We Do Not Become The Best Education System Within a Decade: What Would We Do?
Let’s pretend an alien civilization sends a message to the people of America. Maybe they interrupt the Super Bowl or insert themselves onto our Twitter or Facebook feeds to ensure our awareness of their message. PEOPLE OF AMERICA: YOU HAVE ONE DECADE FROM TODAY TO BECOME THE BEST EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM ON THE PLANET EARTH. FAILURE […]
Posted inChild Development, Common Core, Current Events in Education, Elementary School, Featured, From the Front Lines, Instruction & Curriculum, Instructional Strategies, Kindergarten, Literacy, Mathematics, New Teacher Bootcamp, Opinion, Parents, Science, Social Studies
Engaging Parents From School To Home
The school to home link is very important to me. Many people view today’s education as starting and stopping in the classroom. Learning is an ongoing process and needs to continue from the classroom to home and back again. But parents tell me all the time that they don’t know how to ‘teach’ their children, […]
Posted inElementary School, Featured, Instruction & Curriculum, Kindergarten, Literacy, Mathematics, Opinion, Parents, Science, Social Studies
Bridging the Summer Gap
I am always looking for ways to make the school-to-home link. I think all too often we expect our parents to follow through, but forget that they are not always equipped with the necessary tools needed to do so. A lot of times parents don’t know where to look or even what to look for […]