I knew I wanted to be a teacher in my Junior year of high school. This goal drove every one of my academic moves. The strengths of Education programs rooted in my college search. I sought summer jobs and extra-curricular activities imitating teacher-like roles. My holiday breaks volunteering with teachers: grading, organizing, decorating, and planning. […]
mental health
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
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 […]
Posted inAsk a Teacher
Band-Aiding The Mental Health of Our Children
I deal with the most difficult of kids. In all of my years of teaching, I have been called The Pied Piper for Children’s Behavior and a Child Whisperer. But one thing that has never gotten easier is seeing seven, eight and nine-year-old children on medications that can eventually cause more harm than good. [bctt […]
Posted inTeacher Self Care
Amidst Declining Mental Health in Teachers, What Can Administrators Do?
In 2017, a survey conducted by the American Federation of Teachers and the Badass Teachers Association indicated that more than half of the teachers surveyed said their mental health was “not good” while a survey from 2015 showed that only 34% of teachers felt this way (USA Today, 2017). Unfortunately, amongst the many teachers I’ve […]
Posted inOpinion
In Defense of My Students…From a Teacher in Florida
Guest Writer: Chele Allan It’s taken me quite a while to psychologically and emotionally process the Parkland school shooting. As a teacher in Florida, this is very close to home. My own school had an active shooter less than one block from the campus earlier this school year. While the shooter wasn’t after students, he […]
Posted inAdult Learning, Child Development, Classroom Management, Confessions of a Teacher, Current Events in Education, Elementary School, Featured, From the Front Lines, High School, Instructional Strategies, Kindergarten, Middle School, Opinion, Parents, Professional Development, School Improvement, Special Education
The Mental State of Teaching
“The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.” – William James Is anyone else climbing into this boat and dropping anchor? I know I am. My life has been turned upside down since January with personal struggles, professional struggles and just day-to-day struggles that seem to be heavier than […]
Posted inSpecial Education
Our Dirty Secret: Teachers Have Feelings
I’m going to say something controversial. If you have children reading over your shoulder or a perhaps even a sensitive grandma looking on, I’m giving you fair warning. The content of this post might just rock someone’s world, because it’s akin to saying Santa Claus doesn’t exist. Did you clear the room yet? Okay. So, now […]
Posted inFrom the Front Lines, Uncategorized
4 Ways to Avoid Teacher Burnout
It’s in the air- summer time entertainment, cook-outs, family trips, long days playing in the yard well after the sun has went down and the best part of summer- school being out. During the last 8 weeks of school this is traditionally  the time were teacher burnout is alive and kicking. We not only feel […]