TL;DR: A teacher can easily have either a positive or negative influence on learners. Choose your words and actions wisely. As an educator, our superpower is to shape and mold today’s learners so they can be valuable members of society. When I was in grade school, I had some amazing teachers. I remember one time where one teacher, Ms. Inman, … Read More
Social (Justice) Studies as Experiential Learning
TL;DR: It is critical that we realign the lens of experiential learning to include the domains of social (justice) studies. This will help to truly engage students in their worlds. Experiential learning in the classroom needs to make space for areas in social studies and the world in which we live. It takes those issues on from a lens of … Read More
What IS Engagement?
TL;DR: When we engage students in the curriculum, we need to consider whether we are creating excitement, curiosity, and interest to want to learn more. Behavioral, physical, social, emotional, and cognitive are all types of engagement to consider in an educational setting. Engagement is another word that became overused in 2020. As schools transitioned to remote learning this spring, districts … Read More
My Educational Heroes: Our School Counselors
TL;DR: The role of the school counselor has changed from in the past. They manage college essays and counsel students. They also create and monitor programs, including social-emotional learning, new student programs, suicide prevention, career development, intervention, and family issues. This post honors National School Counseling Week from February 1-5. A few years ago, I had the privilege of co-presenting … Read More
You the Person, You the Teacher
TL;DR: Discover who you are as a person, then discover who you are as a teacher. To determine what kind of teacher you are, first determine what your passion is. Offer up the gift of being likable. And be vulnerable with your students. I’d like to take a moment or two of your time to reflect on some things that … Read More