The third annual Teacher Self-Care Conference was held in Atlanta on Friday, June 21-Saturday, June 22. Educators from across the United States and Canada were present. Although I was one of the presenters at the conference, I learned much from other presenters and educators in attendance. Below, I have included five gems I learned during […]
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Are We Setting Unrealistic Expectations for Administrators?
This week, I was personally dealing with having to acknowledge the unrealistic expectations for someone in my life. While addressing them, I also revealed that I had been trying to live up to unrealistic expectations that someone else set for me…or that I felt were being set without the person ever telling me. It caused […]
Summer Break: #TERSchoolFreeSummer Challenge
As we enter into a well-deserved summer, I applaud you. Thank you for a great school year of educating and caring for children that belong to someone else. We appreciate your sleepless nights and early mornings, your 30 min -1 hr commute every morning. Thank you for not calling in sick when you rightfully could […]
Columbine Shooting 20 Years Later – Our Children Are Still Dying
Columbine occurred when I was still in the classroom. My heart broke for those who lost their lives as well as those who survived and had to live with the trauma. I remember being asked by friends if I was going to school the next day. I didn’t hesitate to say yes. Most of them […]
Bullying: Did the School System Fail This Mother?
Before I dive into this article, I want to share a few statistics on bullying. Bullying According to the National Education Association’s article, “Nation’s educators continue to push for safe, bully-free environments” “Over 160,000 kids refuse to go to school each day for fear of being bullied.” Andrea Cohn and Andrea Canter, Ph.D. pointed out […]
Teachers Matter: Attributes of an Effective Secretary of Education
Recently, Elizabeth Warren made headlines with what seems to be a surprising announcement to many. Warren, who is among many other contenders for the 2020 presidential election, announced that if elected president, she will ensure her Education Secretary is “a former public school teacher who is committed to education.” This comment comes after her (one […]
Out with Lesson Plans…In with Lesson Design!
Surprise! Lesson design is not a new phrase or concept. However, in the midst of ever-changing educational demands, lesson design has taken a back seat to “lesson plans.” From 5 E to Madeline Hunter, there is a myriad of ways to plan for students. One commonality between these various lesson templates is the idea that […]
Copyright Violations in the Classroom: When Beg, Borrow, and Steal Turns into a Crime
When you are a newbie teacher entering the profession, a veteran will pull you to the side and say, “It is okay to beg, borrow, and steal.” It is a teacher right of passage to be told this knowledge and to implement it. Because many schools across the United States are lacking the appropriate resources […]