I distinctively remember during in my first year of teaching; a colleague telling me: “Hey, your first year of teaching…just blend in and fly under the radar to get through it.” I also remember nodding my head and smiling as I thought, “WHY?” I made the decision, then and there, that I wasn’t going to take the well intentioned advice of … Read More
5 Ways To Waste Your Summer Break
Ok, I know it’s the end of the year and all you can think about is sleeping in, maybe getting your feet in the sand, and finally having a little time to relax and eat a meal without having to complete it in under 10 minutes as you grade stacks of papers or help a student in your classroom. As teachers … Read More
3 Ways a Mentor can Save Your Teaching Career
When I first started my teaching career, I thought I knew basically everything. I rarely asked questions, and I assumed that the new theories, practices, and techniques I had completed during my master’s degree would be more than enough to keep me on the path to pure awesomeness. I actually did know a few things, but I found out very quickly that … Read More
Why Student Success Isn’t A Competition
Teaching Should not be “Survival of The Fittest” As a teacher, it can be hard to escape the political aspects of the job. As a mentor of mine once cleverly stated: “Choosing a career in education is choosing a career in politics.” These politics are not making our profession any easier, and they tend to increase pressure on teachers to produce … Read More
3 Things Principals Should Know When They Are In Your Classroom.
That moment when… It’s last period, you’re fighting off a cold, and you had a late night dealing with who knows what, so your lesson isn’t as polished as you would like it to be. All of a sudden, you see your door creep open and your principal walks in. As you look around your room, you quickly assess the engagement … Read More