In Part I of this collaboration, some of the sources of teacher stress are described. The growing obligations, the expanding roles, the duties assigned to/taken on by/falling into the laps of teachers are growing. At the same time, respect for the profession and the people committed to it needs to be renewed and reinforced. Here […]
Teacher Burnout
Posted inTeacher Burnout
Ode to the Tired Teacher: Keep on Keeping On
Inevitably, as we get closer to the middle of the school year, all the hard work we put into teaching the future leaders of America begins to exhaust us. That said, it’s important not to give in. Our resolve, as tired as we may become, will determine the success or failure of the students we […]
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, Teacher Burnout
The End
You know the feeling you get when school is right around the corner? No, not the dreadful groaning of ‘no more summer.’ The other one. The feeling of excitement as you get your classroom decorated, put names on student desks, go to back to school lunches with your fellow teachers, see your newly painted classroom, […]
Posted inTeacher Burnout
Catty Communication- More Effective Peer to Peer Relations
My blood was boiling… my fists were balled up… my gut wanted to yell, “Let’s take this behind the barn!!!” She was in my face, screaming. We were standing in the front office with students, parents, and other teachers trying not to stare, without much success. I stood there because I wanted to hear her […]
Posted inHow to Fix Education
Know Your Teacher Worth
I have an absolutely amazing older son. When my ex-husband left, Eli was there to help pick up the pieces. When I had my emotional collapse, again Eli came to the hospital everyday and even now continues to keep a close eye on me. He and I are never far from one another, with healthy […]
Posted inConfessions of a Teacher
Race-Based Silence is Violence
Look around your school. Who would be the person to talk to your students about race and how it affects minorities? Who would start the conversation about Alton Sterling or Philando Castille? If you cannot think of anyone, there is an issue. If you don’t think children need to discuss racially charged incidents, there is an […]
Posted inHigh School
Graduations, Endorphins, and Persistence
It happens to me every year about this time the feel-good buzz of a school year’s end inevitably changes my outlook about the prior 35 weeks. Happy memories are expressed in end-of-school projects, field trips create great photo ops and lasting bonds, little gifts come from students, and the emotional high of graduation dominates any […]