In April of 2015, Colorado teacher Kyle Schwartz facilitated a writing activity in her third-grade classroom she called “I Wish My Teacher Knew.” Schwartz prompted students to complete the sentence “I wish my teacher knew…” with their own truths, hoping to understand her students on a deeper level. The activity yielded heart-wrenching responses from “I […]
relationships
Posted inConfessions of a Teacher
If That’s What it Takes, Students Should Be Outspoken, Feisty, and Rebellious
I’m mad. I’m furious. And I feel alone. According to EveryTown for Gun Safety Support Fund, “Since 2013, there have been nearly 300 school shootings.” How did we get here? How did we get to a society which broadcasts more violence and hatred than kindness and generosity? A society where people are more likely to turn […]
Posted inInstructional Strategies
Relationships Matter: How Building Trust Boosts Classroom Performance
No significant learning can occur without a significant relationship. — James Comer Take a moment to think about this James Comer quote. No significant learning can occur without a significant relationship. In other words, learning is about relationships. But if that’s the case, we’d better get to work on that, right? Or does that relationship begin to build from day […]
Posted inProfessional Development
Travel for the Teacher: Better than Professional Development
As I write this, my family and I are preparing for a long voyage overseas. A few months ago, I learned that I had been accepted to the Disquiet International Literary Program in Lisbon, Portugal. This series of workshops with famous writers is held in one of Europe’s most historic and beautiful cities. Perhaps even […]
Posted inFeatured, From the Front Lines, High School, Opinion
CONVERSATIONS WITH CRAIG: How Teaching With a Friend Makes Me A Better Teacher
Almost every morning of my life, I have a conversation with one of my best friends in the world. His name is Craig. Our conversations wander. I never really know what our serpentine dialectics will yield. But there is one thing I know for sure: these conversations over the past five years have made me […]
Posted inFeatured, Opinion
A Teacher’s Thanks
Thanksgiving has come and gone. I wish we could have had a few more days, goodness knows we all could have used them, but I am happy to get back to my students. I have missed them. Life has been a tad quiet without them. We are coming to the end of the year and […]
Posted inFeatured
Why We Need Stubborn Teachers
Teacher burnout is a problem and we all know the statistics. Roughly half of teachers leave the profession within their first five years. The percentage of teachers who leave is especially high in schools with over 80% of students qualifying for Free or Reduced Lunch. You know there’s a morale problem in your profession when the […]
Posted inClassroom Management, Featured, Opinion
Don't Discount Trauma For Young Children
[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”] I had my eyes really opened today by one of my students who lost his house in the 2012 Oklahoma tornado. We were talking about how the things we are thankful […]