Posted inNew Teacher Bootcamp, Parents

From The Classroom to Home– Effective Strategies for Communicating With Parents

My children are the center of my world…my personal children. The three amazing and challenging creatures I gave birth to and live in my home. Often when talking with my mom and sharing stories she will say, “Oh, you were talking about your classroom, weren’t you?” There is a fine line. Our classroom kids are like our […]

Posted inAsk a Teacher, Elementary School

{Ask a Teacher} I'm an Assistant Principal But I Want to be Promoted!

Question #2- I’ve worked as an Assistant Principal for the past 10 years. I’ve worked in middle, high and elementary schools. I’ve gotten glowing evaluations, parents love me and my students adore me. The only problem is that I can’t get promoted to Principal. I think it’s because I’m not in the “clique” in the district that […]

Posted inStellar Educator of the Week

Graham G.-Stellar Educator of the Week

Name : Graham G. School District: Chicago Public Schools Years Teaching : 7-8 years  Certification Areas: English/ Language Arts, Science, Social Studies Recommendation: “Graham has put his heart and soul into teaching since his first day teaching inner city students in Chicago, fresh out of college. He consistently finds new and interesting ways to engage his students, from […]

Posted inInstruction & Curriculum, Middle School, Social Studies

Social Studies Facts American Students Should Know: The American Government and Geography Edition

As a 6th-12th grade social studies teacher for the past 6 years, I have seen my fair share of students. I taught high school during a time of many standards changes were taking place here in Georgia. I would get a group of high school students who always claimed that they didn’t remember (or they weren’t  taught the […]

Posted inElementary School, From the Front Lines, How to Fix Education, Opinion, Uncategorized

The "No Excuses" Parent

By writing an article entitled “The Exhaustion of the American Teacher” recently, I unwittingly unleashed a torrent of competing emotions. With 81,000 Facebook “likes” and scores of supportive comments from teachers and their loved ones, the text and tenor of the piece found a receptive audience. At the same time, several of the comments—from both […]

Posted inFeatured, From the Front Lines, Instruction & Curriculum, New Teacher Bootcamp, Uncategorized

Pulling Back the Curtain: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of the World’s Most Noble Profession

By Eric Pederson Teaching. A special blend of dedication, innovation, and passion with a healthy dose of thick skin is needed to succeed in what many consider to be the noblest profession of all. With the fate of so many young children hanging in the balance, it would seem an obvious decision to prepare our […]

Posted inOpinion

Consistency is Key: 4 Tips to Ensure a Successful Learning Environment

I clearly recall being paddled in front of my entire 3rd grade class. I was an excellent student who always followed the rules, so [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”] Why/how could such a punishment be inflicted […]