It’s been a tough week. If you are a teacher, student or parent in an American public school, the mass shooting in Parkland, Florida that killed 17 people is just as upsetting as the mass shooting that came before it. Memories of the Las Vegas shooting, the Orlando Pulse shooting, San Bernardino, Virginia Tech, Aurora, […]
Technology
Posted inConfessions of a Teacher
The Financial Trials and Tribulations of Teaching
The contents of this article may seem obvious, but when I was a new teacher fresh out of college, no one went over the basics of living as an adult with me. My parents passed away shortly after I started my teaching career, and I had to learn these financial survival skills from the school […]
Posted inSchool Improvement
Students Need “Specials”
What is the practical purpose of those “specials” kids have in school- you know, P.E., Art, Music, Library? There is even another special to simply help kids keep up with the gadgets that find their way into schools: a Technology class! Do these specials interfere with the demands for academic proficiency? Do they make it […]
Posted inElectives & Special Areas
Black History Month and PBL: Ideas for Educators
As we enter February, 2018, schools across America will engage in activities celebrating Black History Month in the United States. There is a strong current in secondary education today where the goal is to move classroom activities away from teacher-centered activities toward “project-based learning” or PBL. This trend has specific criteria that ensure rigorous learning […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Don’t Be Tooled by Your Technology
Technology can be a tool, but also a trap The tools technology has brought to education can come with conveniences and learning opportunities. For example, many classrooms in my district, if not most, now have a SMART Board. I didn’t even know what a SMART Board was until just a few years ago. Now my district […]
Posted inTeacher Burnout
Dear Administrators: Let’s Not Make Meetings Suck
It’s 3:30 pm and all of the students have finally cleared campus. You start to gather your belongings to do some grading when the dreaded voice on the intercom comes on. “Faculty and staff our faculty meeting will start promptly at 3:45 pm. Please do not be late as we expect to go until 5:00 […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Keep That Smartphone Out: Teaching in the Age of Technology
Most educators in today’s world remember a time when access to technology was difficult to come by. For instance, my family didn’t have internet access until I was in junior high, and even then, those were the days of “dial-up”, where things took forever to load and where you couldn’t be on the phone and […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Making STEM Matter in Schools
I just got back from a fascinating conference about the state of STEM in U.S. schools, sponsored by U.S. News and World Report. I was compelled by the idea of making STEM matter in schools; as a middle school teacher, I know this is the prime time to hook kids into STEM. This is the […]