“Well, I’m okay with struggling financially, I teach because I love my kids not to get rich.” “Well…I’d like to move to that job in Central Office, but I don’t know if I’m qualified.” “I don’t know if I could ask for what I wanted. They may not let me do that.” As educators, we’ve […]
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Posted inAsk a Teacher, Featured, Opinion, Parents, Principals' Corner
20 Simple and Free Gifts for Any Teacher
What do I give to my child’s teacher? As people of all walks of life traipse the store aisles this December looking for the perfect holiday gift, the teachers that give so much to your children occasionally enter your mind. Should you feel obligated to give a gift? By no means, no. But if you […]
Posted inFeatured
The Joy of Student Teachers
[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”] Most years, I had at least one student teacher in my second grade classroom.  One of the joys of teaching in a large school system that student teachers come  abound if […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured, Opinion, School Improvement
Despite What You Have Heard: American Students are Not 'Falling Behind'
[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”] This week saw the publication of the  PISA scores – the Programme for International Student Assessment, conducted every three years by the OECD (the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development) – which […]
Posted inCommon Core, Current Events in Education, Featured, Opinion
The Common Core – Finding a New, Common Path
Embattled Secretary of State Arne Duncan recently dealt with renewed policy blowback after he made a backhand comment about parents who were opposed to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). He told a gathering of state superintendents that white suburban mothers are complaining suddenly because “their child isn’t as brilliant as they thought they were, […]
Posted inUncategorized
4+ Jobs for Teachers Who Leave the Profession
No teacher enters the profession thinking that there will be a day when they can no longer be in front of children. Many new teachers hope to teach into retirement while others hope to last at least twenty years changing children’s lives. However, the grim reality is that in 2022 very few teachers last in […]
Posted inBook Review, Featured, Opinion
"Reign of Error" – A Book Review
I’ve been hearing teachers rave about Diane Ravitch for a couple years now. As usual, I was a little late getting on the bus. Then I heard an interview with her about the Chicago Teachers Union’s strike last year and I was intrigued. I picked up her new book, Reign of Error: The Hoax of […]
Posted inFeatured, From the Front Lines, Teacher Branding
Stand out from the crowd: How to Secure Your Dream Teaching Job
[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”] Landing a great teaching job is difficult. It really is. And especially in today’s economic climate of pink slips and education budget reductions, getting the job is a significantly more frustrating […]