Do you happen to have 63 pipe cleaners (aka chenille sticks)? Or a bottle of ketchup?  You never know what you may find yourself needing as a new teacher.  We are masters of thinking on the fly, especially when it comes to putting together a bang-up lesson, which means a lot of unexpected supplies. As […]
Back to School
Posted inBack to School
5 Ways to Ensure Your Survival After Winter Break
People say that teachers have it easy because of all the breaks we get, but the truth is that we often spend at least part of our breaks catching up on grading, lesson plans, and paperwork. Before you know it, after some time with the family or with friends, drinking egg nog, and eating pie, […]
Posted inAsk a Teacher, Back to School, How to Fix Education, New Teacher Bootcamp, Parents, Technology, The New Teacher Chronicles
8 Ways For Teachers To Communicate With Parents in the 21st Century
In the 21st century, there is a multitude of ways to communicate with parents. I know a large part of the education workforce is comprised of ‘digital immigrants’, but with a little time and motivation, all teachers can (and should) utilize technology to increase communication with parents and students. Here are my eight favorite ways […]
Posted inBack to School
10 Terrific Team-Building Activities for Secondary Students
Once students reach Middle School and beyond, teachers often believe that students must know each other already. As a result, team-building often gets skipped. Last year, I realized that some of my students didn’t know each other after all. This moment came two-thirds of the way through the year, when I asked a student to get “Charlie” […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Why I Like to Start the Year with a Poetry Unit
Figuring out how to begin the school year can be intimidating. You’ll be setting the tone for the rest of the year, and you will never quite get the same amount of energy or hard work from your students as you do while the year is still fresh. (Ever notice that every single kid does […]
Posted inBack to School
First, We Must Educate The Heart
“Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all” – Aristotle Teachers, have you thought about this challenge? How will you educate the heart this year? Childhood – especially the middle school years – can seem like a crazy-making manic time for kids. One minute they’re sweet young and innocent, most interested […]
Posted inBack to School
The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy: Believing in ALL Students
Tell me if these statements sound familiar to you: “Johnny will never understand how to divide with fractions.” “Andre scored a Level 1 on his test last year…we really need to focus on the students we can move to proficiency.” “Victoria doesn’t even know how to write a sentence. There’s no way she’ll ever write a […]
Posted inAsk a Teacher
The Middle School Mind: How To Find Out What They’re Thinking
Summer is finally over. Parents are secretly smiling as they shoo their kids out the door, snap a few first day of school photos and sigh. Yes, some of them might shed a few tears over the passage of time and the impending high school graduation – even if it’s still five years away. And some […]