I don’t blog as much as I would like these days, but in my first year of teaching, I kept an almost daily record of my experiences. My family and friends would read these posts, and for the most part feel very sad for me. But my uncle, a teacher, had a different reaction. I […]
elementary
Why I Create a Class Motto
Why do I spend several lessons during my first weeks of school creating a class motto? There’s so much to do. Students need to learn rules, routines, and procedures. There’s the beginning of the year assessments. And the curriculum isn’t waiting. Still, despite these many pressures, I find it worthwhile to take two or three […]
Elementary School Resources to Support #Dreamers
Last week Donald Trump made good on yet another one of his campaign threats, and effectively ended the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program. As you’ve probably already heard, this will end the ability for almost 800,000 young people in the United States to go to work, school, and live, out from the […]
A Talk To Teachers: This School Year, Let’s “Go for Broke”
“We are in a revolutionary situation, no matter how unpopular that word has become in this country. The society in which we live is desperately menaced, not by Khrushchev, but from within. So any citizen of this country who figures himself as responsible-and particularly those of you who deal with the minds and hearts of […]
Positive Reinforcement: When Do We Want It? NOW
While I realize that effective classroom management is essential to effective teaching and learning, I sometimes worry that we educators over-do it. Are we failing to inspire a basic desire to do the right thing? Do we really need to hand out prizes for making it to school every day and not acting like an […]
The Solar Eclipse-A Unique Teaching Opportunity
The Solar Eclipse-A Unique Teaching Opportunity On August 21st, 2017, we will see something amazing. For the first time in over 30 years, there will be a total solar eclipse. This is when the moon comes between the sun and the earth, blocking the sun. This year, the total eclipse will travel across North America. Other […]
The STEM Revolution in Higher Education
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 a STEM revolution in higher education; as a middle school teacher, it really didn’t occur to me that colleges would be reacting in a similar […]
A Day in the Heart of a Teacher
A recent Friday was my 1,379th day of teaching. And it was a day that reminded me what it means to be a teacher. On Friday I used my heart so fully, and this to me is the essence of being a teacher. Friday morning I went to City College for their annual Poetry Festival. […]