When the 2020 Summer Olympics were postponed, I knew there would be a new event that would test the mettle of educators, students, parents, and other stakeholders in education. It’s trivia-based, and it has only one question. It’s called “What the hell happens in the fall?” COLLEGE What happens in college is as varied as […]
Professional Development
Posted inProfessional Development
Obstinance Has No Place in Teaching and Learning
For teachers, it is a fact of life that they teach lessons. One of those lessons is to help students grapple with new, difficult, and controversial ideas. To help students make sense and place those ideas within their own experiences is part of the job; I enjoy it. So, this week, as my frustrations in […]
Posted inFrom the Front Lines
Battling Teacher Exhaustion: 5 Do Now Tips!
Every teacher comes into the profession ready to change the world one life at a time. Every teacher also learns quickly that changing the world is exhausting. 10 years ago, my buddy gave me a ride home from work. As I stumbled out of his car holding what looked like a metric ton of stuff, […]
Posted inAsk a Teacher
The Formal Observation: When Teachers and Administrators Dance
Every school year, teachers across the country play a sort of game. It is mostly an activity we play alone, like solitaire. We plan lessons in units to cover roughly 180 instructional days, with the intent that learning occurs. Most tenured teachers get one to two chances to demonstrate how we play this game and […]
Posted inClassroom Management
Three Changes to Make to Your Teacher Language This School Year
The way we speak to our students holds more power than we think. Our tone and word choice can either motivate our students or make them recoil in anger and frustration. The language we use can also be ineffective and won’t get us the desired results in our classroom. I realized I needed to work […]
Posted inProfessional Development
Veteran Teachers Need Choice & Customized Professional Development
I completed 13 years as an educator when I wrapped up last school year. I don’t know exactly what year this took place, but at some point, I crossed over to being labeled a veteran educator. When you are considered a veteran educator, colleagues begin to view you as an expert in your craft and […]
Posted inProfessional Development
New Tricks for Old Dogs: What Novice Teachers Offer
With 44% of teachers quitting within the first five years of entering the profession, it is statistically likely you know a teacher like me: one who has yet to cross the five-year threshold. I am almost there, approaching my fifth year, but have yet to earn esteem as a “veteran teacher” among my colleagues. Rightfully […]
Posted inConfessions of a Teacher
How to Use This Year’s Reflections for Next School Year
The end of the year for a teacher is especially difficult: everyone is tired, the kids are off the rails, there are a plethora of special events going on, and grades are due. Many of us are holding onto our sanity like a life raft. The last thing many people want to think about is […]