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 […]
students
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured, From the Front Lines, Opinion, Parents
"I'm Looking For…" On Mispronouncing Names, A Teacher's Guide
This week on Twitter, the hashtag #growingupwithmyname has release an outpouring catharsis from people all around the world whose name is a bit… different. Whether it’s a(n): -Spelling of a name – Justin Bieber jested that “he’d be a millionaire” if he had a $1 for every time someone spelled his name wrong. -Pronunciation of […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured, From the Front Lines, Instructional Strategies
The Learning Academy..What is it? Why Do We Need It?
As a teacher, I get my best ideas in the shower. I mean literally as I’m letting the steaming hot water hit my face, the lightbulb in my head goes off and (ding, ding, ding) I have to try this new idea. A couple of months ago this happened after repeatedly getting ten to fifteen […]
Posted inFeatured, Uncategorized
A Teacher’s Worth
How is a teacher’s worth measured? Is it based on how many years an educator has in the field? The state of Michigan decided the answer to that question was “no” when it prohibited schools from making cuts based on seniority. Personally, this was a relief to me. For the past ten years, our district […]
Posted inFeatured, From the Front Lines, Instructional Strategies, Literacy, Opinion, The International Teacher, The Traveling Teacher
Taiwan English Teaching Assistant: Things I Learned in My First Five Months of Teaching
from Kinmen, Taiwan It is almost time for us to go on our 2 ½ week vacation for Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) and I wanted to share some things I learned in my first few months of teaching English in Taiwan. Think inside the box– In my first month of teaching I felt pressured to […]
Posted inFeatured, Instruction & Curriculum, Instructional Strategies, Literacy
Ain’t No Party Like a Publishing Party
Celebrating Student Work with an Authentic Audience Last month my students finally finished their book reviews. It was our first full writing unit of the year, and at times it was difficult for them. It was a very different type of writing than anything they’d done before. When their confidence or interest flagged however, I […]
Posted inClassroom Management, Featured, Instruction & Curriculum
6 Solutions for Challenging Classes
We have all had that one class. You know the one. You pray before they arrive and you pray after they leave. You have cried and cried over them and even imagined throwing things at the expensive Promethean board that cannot capture their attention. These challenging classes are the ones that we learned the most […]
Posted inFeatured, From the Front Lines
What My Second Graders Have Taught Me- A First Semester Reflection
Well, I can officially say that I survived my first semester of teaching. I’m not sure that if I had climbed Mount Everest I’d feel much different. Averaging about five and a half hours of sleep a night, I have to thank Starbucks for helping me through the days where caffeine was my only hope […]