Have the teacher dreams started? Does your heart pound when you see the school supply section at Target? While you’re relaxing on the beach, have you defaulted to lesson planning over novels? To help calm your nerves, I’ve compiled notes about five top things every teacher should do before school starts – and guarantee you’ll […]
new teachers
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Those Dreaded Words-“I’m Already Done!”
No matter how precisely I plan I always end up with a couple of students who finish some activities early. I used to say what most teachers say, for them to read silently, but I’ve never liked for students to read silently for very long since I don’t really know if they are truly reading […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Education Consultation: Passing on Your Expertise
I get emails all the time asking questions about how I started my own school, emails that I gladly answer, but usually end up going no further than an initial contact, for whatever reason. This weekend, however, I had the pleasure of doing my first full on-site consultation, face to face, across state lines, which […]
Posted inUncategorized
Nine Tips for Education Majors and New Teachers
Dear new teacher, first-year teacher, education major, and everyone in between, Welcome to the world of teaching. We are excited you have chosen our profession. You must have had an amazing or several amazing teachers that inspired you to join our world. Make sure you tell them. We all need to hear that we made […]
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 inUncategorized
Why I Stay in the Teaching World
Written Anonymously for TER I didn’t go into teaching to change the world. In fact, I gravitated toward teaching because I wanted to read and talk about books for my job. I chose the profession simply because, as I sat in my English class senior year, I wanted to talk about 1984 and novels like it forever. […]
Posted inClassroom Management, Featured, Instructional Strategies
Teaching the Basics in Education
My  classroom is a non-traditional  environment in education. Knowing that children are,  children, my environment  is designed to promote the way they learn best; through being able to wiggle around, get up and move if needed, make choices and decisions. and develop crucial social skills through working in small groups. For so many years early […]
Posted inFrom the Front Lines, Opinion, Uncategorized
There's More To a Student than Just A Number
I was so angry. How could anyone just give up on a child because of a number! Let me back up. Way back to this past summer. Bear with me. I tutor during the summer. I had a family contact me about tutoring their foster children, a soon-to-be first grader and a fifth grader. They […]