TL;DR: There are a lot of radical changes occurring in education these days. Remember your “why” for going into teaching. Connect with a network of teachers to find support and grow. Globally, many teachers face radical changes to education laws and rules in their state. Educators can feel like chess pieces with salary schedule changes, book bans, and bathroom bills. … Read More
The Reluctant Leader: First Things First
TL;DR: Being a leader, even a reluctant one, provides you with opportunities to make a difference. You can achieve great things when you have a true partnership with your administration. If you are passionate about something and know it is best for the students, go for it. The Reluctant Leader: First Things First When I first joined Plano High School, … Read More
You Have Two Seconds
TL;DR: You have two seconds to grab and hold your students’ attention. They have conditioned their brains to consume content they wish to consume for short periods of time. Students lacking attention, focus, and respect for elders is not something new so how do we become better teachers tomorrow than we are today? Three principles that help us be better … Read More
But They Won’t Do It if I Don’t Grade It
TL;DR: Change is hard. Assignment completion is a concern for some if there are no grades. Numerous factors affect student motivation. Not all students are motivated by grades. The carrot-and-stick motivational technique worked for the industrial revolution. Previously, I had discussed my reasons for breaking free from grades. While there are many benefits to going gradeless, there are also some … Read More
Spice Up Your Writing Block
TL;DR: Here is an inspirational, engaging writing activity to spice up your literacy program. Provide images for students to write creative captions. Provide an image for students to craft a news story or article for the newspaper. Compose captions for short stories with photos for students to match. Provide a photo and ask your learners to compose a conversation that … Read More
