Students spend hours studying reading, math, science, and social studies. When they get to high school, they study geometry, physics, trigonometry. While I believe there's value in all subjects and disciplines, I do question our use of time in...
Mentoring a student teacher (often known as a teacher candidate) can be a truly rewarding experience. Helping someone enter the teaching profession and preparing them for that role is an incredibly important role.
If you are considering hosting a...
As a fledgling teacher, I recall my mentor telling me one day “as a teacher, you create the weather in your classroom.” While I didn’t fully comprehended the statement at the time,over the years, with more experience, I came to better appreciate...
The first year as a teacher can be extremely hard - brutal even.
Without proper training and guidance, new teachers can face what seems like insurmountable odds-academically struggling students, misbehaved students, angry parents, demanding...
As a supervisor of student teachers, I have the opportunity to help them find positions as they graduate. Part of this preparation involves bringing in principals and assistant principals to share insider knowledge about the job search and...
Depending on the school district and state, teachers are often evaluated for their performance in the classroom. These evaluations might include a formal observation by the principal or assistant principal and another observation, possibly a “pop in...
Distracted students. Technology addiction. Social media onslaught.
Fast-paced living. Increased anxiety. Sounds like a recipe for a breakdown. Welcome to the new classroom.
Societal changes have certainly brought new challenges for teachers. And...
When visiting classrooms, I often feel for introverts—those who prefer to work alone and gain strength from their own thoughts and ideas. Classrooms have been transformed into collaborative factories, full of teamwork, groupwork, small groups,...
Whenever I ask my daughters what they did in school, the answer is they generally took a test.
One day, they sighed and asked me if I had taken that many tests as a child, to which I replied “no.” They then ask me why they have to take so many...
As a teacher, do you know your state’s acceleration options for students? If you don’t, you’re not alone. In my experience, in the state of Florida, for instance, few parents and, even teachers, were aware that a law exists to provide acceleration...