It’s finally here. The end of Pre-k. The beginning of summer. Kindergarten is coming closer. You’ve waited on bated breath for this moment. Your sweet baby is about to enter ‘big kid’s school’! That rush of happiness is filled with a small ache of ‘what ifs’. What if they aren’t happy? What if they don’t […]
parents
Posted inFeatured, From the Front Lines, Instruction & Curriculum, Literacy, Opinion
Creative Writing Strategies For Elementary Students – Outside Of The Classroom
Writing is a huge component in my second and third grade classroom. Next to speaking properly, communicating through the written word is an important life skill that needs to be developed which will follow children throughout their lives. The sooner the basics of writing are introduced and honed, the easier this skill will become as […]
Posted inFeatured, Opinion
Dear Santa…
Dear Santa, Well, it’s that time of year again. The end of the first semester. And I am tired. Like, exhausted. Mentally, physically and emotionally. It’s been a long 83 days. And that doesn’t even include the days of school from last January to May or all the time I spent on ‘summer break’ preparing […]
Posted inFeatured, From the Front Lines, Opinion
Those Quaint Quirks of Kiddos
One of my favorite things about being a teacher is overhearing the things that kids say. Even better is hearing the things that parents say at drop off or pick up. I decided to compile a list of funnies from the past two weeks. Some of them leave me giggling randomly through the day, others, […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, From the Front Lines, High School, Uncategorized
Meet the Parents: A Young Teacher’s Back to School Night
When people find out I teach high school, they often reply with some surprise, “but you look like a high school student yourself!” I sigh, they tell me I’ll be thankful for my youthful appearance as I get older, and we move on – but through these interactions, I am constantly reminded of the additional […]
Posted inFeatured, Parents
Parent-Teacher Communications
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”] As I walked out of my classroom, I saw a wiry, first grader take a couple of hops then run full tilt down the hall towards the wall 50 feet away. […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured, Instruction & Curriculum, Instructional Strategies, Middle School, Opinion
Preparing For Success: Helping Students Prepare For What Comes Next
I have two college-aged children, with my third a sophomore in high school. My husband and I, both teachers, planted the seed of ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ in all three of them early on. I remember playing blocks with my oldest and constantly saying things like, “Architects build!” or […]
Posted inFeatured, Principals' Corner
8 Surveys For Your Stakeholders This Summer
I’ve failed to understand why teachers don’t survey students, parents, and community members more. Our line of work is one of the most interpersonal in the entire world, and yet we often leave our greatest resources untapped – the input from others. At the end of a secondary teacher’s year, they’ve spent what accumulates to […]