Dictionary.com defines a school as “an institution where instruction is given, especially to persons under college age.” But a school is so much more than that for a teacher. It isn’t just a structure housing our profession, it’s where we change students’ lives, root for the sports teams, and call a second home. It’s possibly a place […]
Opinion
Posted inFeatured
8 Reasons Why Gum Still Has No Place in the Classroom
Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! I like to debate the issues with my colleagues, and one debate I had with one of my best of friends was over his choice to allow his 8th-grade students to chew gum. I, on the other hand, am fervently opposed to […]
Posted inFeatured, Opinion
Teaching Expenses: Cutting Costs
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”] I have always spent a ton of out-of-pocket money on classroom expenses. Always. And I know a host of my teacher friends do the same. With the way budgets have been […]
Posted inFeatured, Opinion
Why I Say “Yes” to Santa
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”] The holiday season can be stressful for some children. When your students come from a background that isn’t as wealthy as other students, they can be left without hope. I’ve often […]
Posted inOpinion
R-E-S-P-E-C-T… Show Some
Yes, I totally get teenagers. Although they are not my favorite group to teach, I do understand what is going on in those bodies of theirs. I have two teens of my own, and one adult child, so for those of you who are just beginning the ‘tween’ journey into this rite of passage, many […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured, High School, Opinion
Qualities of the Ideal High School Teacher
One day, while waiting for the lunch bell to dismiss them, a few students gathered around my desk to converse with each other; they had just finished taking their notes. Their conversation turned toward their experiences with different teachers. As they were airing grievances or defending their favorite teachers (I was merely a bystander at […]
Posted inClassroom Management, Featured, Opinion
Don't Discount Trauma For Young Children
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”] I had my eyes really opened today by one of my students who lost his house in the 2012 Oklahoma tornado. We were talking about how the things we are thankful […]
Posted inAsk a Teacher, Current Events in Education, Featured, From the Front Lines, Opinion
What Am I Thankful For? A Damn Good Public Education
When people ask what one another are thankful for, there are a variety of great answers. Family, is notably and rightfully among the top answers. Many people are thankful for their friends who’ve helped give them guidance. Others are thankful for a home and a place to lie their head, or the food that’s on […]