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
5 Tech Tools to Start Using Today
TL;DR: Calendly, a Bitmoji classroom, the Notes app, Google Voice, and Math Learning Center are tech tools to start using today! This post shares a link to each tech tool and an explanation of how it can be used in your classroom. As many teachers head back to school in new ways, technology is more important than ever. Here are … Read More
School Communication: Posting a Clear Message
TL;DR: Crafting a clear message is key when communicating with stakeholders. Be inclusive with your message and consider families of all backgrounds. Post your message on multiple platforms to ensure it is being received. Host live sessions to engage with stakeholders and be available to answer questions. You may have started the year in remote learning, in-person learning, in a … Read More
Building Classroom Community in a Virtual World
TL;DR: Strategies for building classroom community in a virtual world include using a user-friendly online platform, teaching expectations, utilizing breakout groups, assigning roles, creating goals, having a plan for students to seek assistance, providing opportunities for communication, and celebrating successes. Learning environments are crucial for providing students with opportunities to exercise their strengths and to overcome their weaknesses. A school … Read More
4 Ways To Rebuild Your Students’ Emotional Health
TL;DR: Rebuild your students’ emotional health by modeling behaviors, understanding emotions, addressing social skills, and sharing strategies for emotional regulation. Checking in with students and incorporating passion projects, mindful moments, and dialogue journals into your classroom are just some of the other strategies shared to address your students’ emotional health. We are experiencing the hardest year of teaching in modern … Read More