School-Life Balance
Teaching Profession
Opinion
Combat Your Morning Commute and Ensure a Good Day
Having a productive and positive morning routine can help every day start off well. So making sure you get to bed early, pick out your clothes the night before and preset the coffee to brew in the house if you aren't stopping on the way. We deal in the business of people and that can be challenging to begin with, so we want to create the best possible scenario to for a great day, every day.
Teaching Profession
Opinion
Starting From Scratch After 15 Years, Sort of
Although old challenges may no longer be present, new ones will certainly arise, but the benefit of starting over with the prior experience I have is what will help me and others grow. Walking into a new opportunity can be scary but it is that fear that will either force me to improve or force me into submission of some kind. Since I'm not a quitter, it can only be up from here.
Professional Development
Opinion
Adjusting to My New School Culture
Aside from everything that is new, I'm really grateful to the few colleagues who have gone out of their way to really make me feel at home, answering my millions of questions and coming to my rescue when I have that "deer in headlights" kind of look on my face. What an exciting new adventure! I'm keeping my mind open.
For those of you starting new jobs or welcoming new people into your job, what advice can you share?
Teaching Profession
Opinion
Twitter Chats Can Build Collaboration for Systemic Change
Every year I go into the school year not really knowing what to expect. And since this year is so drastically different, not just in the specific perimeter of my job but also in the school community I will now be a part of.
Teaching Profession
Opinion
Reconnecting With Wisdom From 'the Little Prince'
Children's books often share major life lessons that morph into more complicated plot lines as fiction grows longer. Seeing things simply does have it's place. As the world grows more crazy, we can take solace in the wise words of children and continue to understand that our imaginations never stop working if we choose to continue to exercise them.
Professional Development
Opinion
When the School Dreams Start Earlier Than Usual
It's normal to feel nervous about change. There are many moving parts and the unknown is always, well, unknown until it isn't anymore. My subconscious understands this and allows me to work through the concerns while I sleep, so that I can wake up and be the best version of myself when the time comes.
Teaching Profession
Opinion
It's Not as Easy as It Looks and That's Okay
Many of us are able to do things well and make it all look easy. Whether it is maintaining a busy and productive life or being able to write a book or sing a song, just because it looks easy doesn't mean it actually is. We all have our quirks and insecurities and easy doesn't alway mean better. Anything worth doing well is going to take practice and time and the easier it looks, it's likely that amount of mastery took a ridiculous amount of time.
Professional Development
Opinion
Try a Voxer Book Group for Summer PD
If you're looking for a great way to push your learning and to collaborate with folks who may not be close by, Voxer is a great technology solution to bridge the gap and time. Folks can contribute from all over the world and the stories and sharing can really add depth the learning from the text. Plus there is something actionable about being accountable to a group that makes the reading happen.
Teaching Profession
Opinion
Worry Smart: Advice from an Entrepreneur
Too often, teachers worry like this... especially in the current climate of fear that many education reforms have created. It's time for educators to take back control of the system and worry smart, look ahead and problem solve so that our education system can do what it is meant to do.
Teaching Profession
Opinion
How Being a Mom Changed My Teaching
Being a parent has softened me in all of the right ways as far as my teaching is concerned. How has becoming a parent changed the way you teach?
Teaching
Opinion
Teachers vs Educators: Which Are You?
Teaching isn't just a job to an educator, it's a calling. It's passion and commitment and a desire to amplify the voices and dreams of the many children whose lives touch them as much as the educator touches theirs. Happy Teacher Appreciation Week
Teaching Profession
Opinion
Give Yourself Permission to Take a Break
If you're like me, there's always something to do and never enough time to get it all done. So the idea of taking a break is almost foreign.
Teaching Profession
Opinion
Declutter Your Classroom, Declutter Your Life
Although it may seem hard to let go of old lesson plan books or materials, in order to keep ourselves fresh, no matter how many years we have been teaching a subject, we should always take the time to rethink the way we teach for this year's students. As we improve our practice, so too should our ideas for classroom learning grow and our plans should be updated accordingly.
Families & the Community
Opinion
Help Students Understand the Emotional Impact of Change
Who do your students most align with, the positivity that joy espouses or the need to think deeply about the weight of the world that sadness reminds us exists? Perhaps it's disgust or fear or anger... whichever it is, be mindful that they need each other to be a whole.