School-Life Balance
Professional Development
Opinion
An Ode to Empty Spaces
As another school year officially comes to a close, I soak in the stillness of the empty space and all of the learning it holds within its once text-rich walls. Saying goodbye is always bittersweet, but when you know you aren't returning, there is a finality to it that lingers closer to sad.
Teaching
Opinion
Minding the Middle Years of My Education Career
If you would have asked me at the beginning of my career where I saw myself in the future, I'm not sure I could have imagined being where I am now.
Teaching Profession
Opinion
Reflections on a Year of Change
I have so much gratitude for the amazing educators in my life who help to inform my decisions. The people who listen when I call, who answer my tweets. Thank you. Your experience matters and it makes me better.
What have you learned this year that you weren't expecting to learn? Please share
Teaching Profession
Happy Teachers Practice Self-Care
Teachers must develop their own social-emotional competencies, before they can effectively model these skills to students.
Teaching Profession
Video
To Introduce Yoga and Mindfulness in the Classroom, This District Starts With Its Teachers
Yoga and mindfulness in the classroom has demonstrated benefits for students, but it can also help ease teachers’ stress. Some school districts, like Cambridge Public Schools in Massachusetts, are training their teachers to create a calmer and balanced classroom environment through yoga exercises. District officials also hope that the benefits will transfer to the teachers’ own sense of emotional resilience and will lower the burnout rate in the field.
Teaching
Opinion
#FinishStrong or Go Down Trying
Since school is really about relationships, finishing strong is as much about the content as it is about the personal growth. Let's focus on the positive and try to move forward in our learning experiences from each opportunity presented. Read on to learn about different ways you can help students connect their classroom experiences to summer learning experiences to help end strong or at least go out trying.
Teaching Profession
Opinion
Teachers, Forgive Thyself or Burn Out Quickly
As this year winds down, if you have a bad day or you find your patience growing short, give yourself permission to take a time out and if you don't make it there, don't beat yourself up about. Tomorrow is a new day and it's amazing what a little distance can and perspective can heal.
Teaching Profession
Video
In This School District, Health and Wellness Start With Teachers
The North Allegheny School District in Pittsburgh has long focused on the health and wellness of its students. But district leaders noticed some alarming trends in the health of its staff. The revelation set off an initiative to support educators in adopting healthy lifestyles, including a challenge to participate on relay teams in a local marathon. This year dozens of educators put on their running shoes and began training for the event, and saw a range of benefits as a result.
Teaching Profession
Opinion
When Life Gets Tough, Wear a Tutu
When life gets tough, wear a tutu or whatever your tutu, box or dance is and don't care who's watching when you wear it, jump out it, or dance it. Life's too short to take it all seriously, I hope this makes you smile.
Teaching
Opinion
Reflecting Back on My Early Journey During Teaching Appreciation Week
During this Teacher Appreciation Week (and really every day), we must take the opportunity to say thank you to the folks who have impacted us as teachers and people and continue to inspire us even through the toughest teaching and personal times.
Teaching Profession
Opinion
The Fine Art of Powering Down and Staying Present
In this ever-connected world we live in, each of us has to make a concerted effort to balance how we spend our time to not miss out on valuable life experiences that happen in real time, face to face.
Teaching Profession
Opinion
Model What It Means to Be a Digital Citizen
It's okay to disagree with what you read online but we still need to respect the opinions and beliefs of those around us. Trolls exist and there will always be people who want to make others feel badly about whatever matters to them, but we must rise above that behavior and demonstrate the expectations we have for our kids.
Teaching Profession
Opinion
Teachers, This Is Your Permission Slip to Relax
Give yourself permission to take a break and if you can't give it to yourself, take a permission slip from me.