TL;DR: Never Forget: Teaching 9/11 twenty years later. This post shares ideas on how to include September 11th in your classroom through a trauma-informed lens. Remembering September 11, 2001 Almost everyone I grew up with has a story related to the attacks of September 11th. Some of the kids I went to school with or grew up with lost relatives, … Read More
Learning Environments That Exude Joy
TL;DR: Create a positive learning environment with JOY. Listing things that bring you joy. This is one way to model for students that joy doesn’t have to come from big or expensive things. Intentionally place joy throughout your day. I recently had the chance to join Rae Hughart on the Daily Drop In show where we were chatting about the … Read More
The Evolving Nature of Professional Development
TL;DR: There is a need for specialized educational professional development. PD that gives choice to the participants helps them draw on their strengths and weaknesses, as well as build meaningful relationships with other educators. Educational Professional Development: A Transformation Virtual learning has altered the fundamental nature of the way we teach. The last year and a half have embraced huge … Read More
Welcome Forward! Creating an Engaging First Day of School
TL;DR: Plan your first day of school so that students (and staff) are excited for day two. Increase engagement and excitement on the first day of school with chalk the walk, photo ops, pep rallies, and music & competition. Although some of you may have already returned to school, we’re gearing up for the 2021-2022 school year on the East … Read More
Engage and Elevate Better – Professional Development
TL;DR: This is the first post of a new blog series about how we engage and how we elevate that engagement. Beginning of the school year PD likely was one size fits all but did not fully reach all. Engage our audience by considering what we do as effective teachers who plan for diverse learners in the classroom. Learn what … Read More