TL;DR: Forming connections with students can be difficult but is valuable. Be patient. Not all students, especially at the high school level, open up easily. Share a little bit about yourself throughout the year to form those connections. Take interest in your students’ lives. Ever hear of the saying, “Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach”? George Bernard Shaw’s … Read More
New Teachers: Never Give Up on Your Passion
TL;DR: Never give up. This post shares a story of what can happen when you believe in yourself. There are days that we laugh and days that we cry. There are days that we challenge ourselves and days that we let it all slip away. This is the point where failure begins to take over. Once we choose to let … Read More
One Size Does Not Fit All
TL;DR: Just like it’s impossible for one size of pants to fit all students, one way of teaching will not reach all students. In addition, teachers come from a variety of backgrounds themselves and naturally have different styles. Learn how to differentiate instruction to meet the needs of each student. The Perfect Pants The movie Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants … Read More
Summer Self-Care
TL;DR: After an unprecedented year, the time for self-care is now here! Though it may be difficult, don’t let summer determine how and when we have time for self-care. Summer Self-Care May 29, 2021 marked the end of my twentieth year in education. I first started in education as a substitute teacher, then became a part-time teacher, and then went … Read More
Reflecting at the End of the Year
TL;DR: Teaching from home has been challenging to not be able to “see” our students. There were frustrations from the perspectives of a teacher, student, and parent in the past 180 days. It is important to reflect on the past year and a half: in-class instruction cannot be replaced by virtual, students preferred to be in class, students had diverse … Read More