Physical Health & Education Affect Mental Health

Teach Better TeamBlog, Classroom Management, Self-Care

TL;DR: Playing and moving around have loads of benefits for physical and mental health. Are we sucking the fun out of sport when we focus on competing? How can we use physical education to address the social-emotional wellbeing of students? Exercise and the Outdoors Exercise and time outdoors in nature are shown over and over again to be beneficial for … Read More

Reaching the True Purpose of Education

Teach Better TeamBlog, Classroom Management, Edtech, Innovation, Leadership, Reflect Better

TL;DR: It’s time to reach the true purpose of education. There are many challenges our society is currently facing, and COVID is an added complication. The solution starts with kindness, empathy, and collaboration. Moving towards a more collaborative world can help us reach our highest achievement as humans. Reaching the True Purpose of Education: The Problem Let’s face it. The … Read More

Before You Throw in the Towel: REASSESS

Latrese YoungerBlog, Classroom Management, Reflect Better, Self-Care, Student Engagement, Teach Happier

TL;DR: Being a teacher is not for the faint of heart. Teaching is a calling. If you ever feel helpless, unappreciated, or want to leave the profession, don’t. Instead, REASSESS: remember, evaluate, affirm, seek, study, eliminate, survey, and shift. By nature, I am highly reflective. As a teacher, I often looked forward to ways to redo a poorly executed lesson … Read More

Expect the Unexpected

Alex T. ValencicBlog, Classroom Management, Lesson Planning

TL;DR: Substitute teachers need access to materials and detailed plans. Every teacher should have emergency plans prepared. Administrators can best help by being visible throughout the day. On February 3, 2011, I experienced a substitute teacher’s worst nightmare. I had accepted a two-day assignment at a new-to-me school. At first, things seemed to go well. I was greeted by the … Read More

5 Tips for Building Classroom Community

Teach Better TeamBlog, Classroom Management, Student Engagement

TL;DR: Challenging classroom behavior is often why teachers feel burned out. Building a strong classroom community is a proactive strategy to support positive behavior. Some strategies to build community include morning meetings, closing circles, mindfulness, and more! I was a special education teacher for 10 years and have been in the field for 12. The classroom community is my bread … Read More