Every year, I get to the part in my high school curriculum where I start to introduce Shakespeare’s Macbeth. And every year, the students complain. “Why do we have to read this?” “What’s even the point of Shakespeare?” “I don’t understand anything that’s happening right now.” “What is this?!” And every year, I tell them […]
teaching
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Are You A Double-Minded Teacher?
Hello. My name is Allyson, and I’m a Double-Minded Teacher. Double Minded: 1: wavering in mind: UNDECIDED, VACILLATING Since I’ve made the commitment to become a teacher, I’ve been double-minded about teaching. I start off excited about the upcoming year. I create the layout for my classroom and pick the theme. Then, I’m cutting, taping, […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Keeping Your Head Down?
Today, a listicle came across my Facebook feed, asking people what the worst piece of career advice they had ever received was. They ranged from the well-intentioned and seemingly sensible, to the outright insane. It made me think, What would mine be? “Keep your head down.” In all careers, I’m sure, but especially in teaching, […]
Posted inNew Teacher Bootcamp
A Letter to Myself as a First Year Teacher
Dear First Year Teacher…Me, Remember when you said you would NEVER step foot into a classroom and teach? Jokes on you! Your life is going to be forever changed from this moment on. From the moment you step into that classroom, you are a teacher. You’ll wake up every morning, tired from lesson planning and […]
Posted inFrom the Front Lines
Teaching Through the Grief: Holding it All Together When a Parent Dies
by Alison English It was a Thursday morning, two days before my week-long Thanksgiving break. I was so excited to spend quality time with my family, drink hot cider and eat turkey until I fell asleep, consume comfort carbs, and cap off the weekend by pulling out my Christmas decorations. Instead, I spent the Sunday […]
Posted inInstructional Strategies
The New Teacher Chronicles: The Benefits of Cross-Curricular Education
With the school year beginning to wind down, I’ve been thinking of new ways to improve and update my curriculum for next year. What are some things that worked really well, and what are some things that I want to update? This got me thinking of ways to make my lessons even more hands-on and […]
Posted inAsk a Teacher
Using Current Events in Teaching the Executive Branch
As an eighth-grade civics teacher, I am about to start my unit of study on the Executive Branch. To be honest, I’m a little scared. Strike that. I am very scared. “Why are you scared, George?” you may ask. “If you stick to the facts, you’ll have nothing to worry about,” In normal times, I’d […]
Posted inAsk a Teacher
The State of Our Union, The State of Our Schools
Year One. Friday, January 20, 2017, saw the inauguration of the 45th president of the United States of America. On January 25, 2017, I hesitantly pushed the publish button — sharing my thoughts with the internet with my first piece: “I am a Feminist, but I didn’t vote for Hillary Clinton.” Therefore, Trump’s ascendency and […]