TL;DR: Both veteran and novice teachers have things they can learn from one another. All teachers should feel confident in sharing with others, as all voices at the table bring value. “So tell me what you want, what you really, really want I wanna, (ha) I wanna, (ha) I wanna, (ha) I wanna, (ha) I wanna really, really, really wanna … Read More
They Don’t Want Your Answers; They Want Your Support
TL;DR: As a school leader, those you serve don’t just want your answers, they want your support. Show your support by being a part of the school, delegating to empower, and celebrating risks. “They” don’t really need you to tell them what to do. “They” don’t even really need your permission. Who is “they”? They are the people you are … Read More
Tech Tips to Teach Smarter
TL;DR: Teach smarter by using tech tips such as forcing copies of electronic documents, planning office hours, and pre-recording direct instruction. Use Google Calendar to create a student sign-up for office hours and Google Meet for screen recording! This is the first post in a monthly series specifically aimed at supporting new teachers. Congratulations! You’ve made it through two months … Read More
Toxic Positivity at School
TL;DR: Toxic positivity does more harm than good. Having a purely positive mindset is a privilege, and does not reflect everyone’s realities. It is important to be realistic about the situations and emotions that are present. Telling students to see the glass as half full will not wash away their anxieties. Welcome to Teach Beyond! A few weeks ago, I … Read More
Team Building through Play
TL;DR: Incorporate team building into your classroom through the game of cup stacking. You can vary the level of difficulty by giving different challenges like having students use their non-dominant hand, stand on one leg, incorporate exercise if a cup is dropped, or use only non-verbal communication. In this time of need for mental health education, I had an urge to … Read More