TL;DR: Teachers can press pause to develop a lesson, collect factual sources, and determine how to teach the lesson in an age-appropriate manner. Determine if you are ‘preaching’ or ‘teaching.’ Provide a balanced perspective and seek resources from multiple perspectives. What is the best approach to teaching about current events and controversial issues? Americans are divided on issues related to … Read More
Climate & Culture in the Elementary Classroom: Kindness Matters
TL;DR: Creating a positive climate and culture in the classroom should happen all year long. Kindness jars are a great way for students to practice SEL alongside other skills. It is important to take the time for kids to learn and experience kindness. Climate & Culture: A Year-Long Process Climate and culture are two words that you hear more and … Read More
The Reluctant Leader
TL;DR: We often don’t expect to become leaders. Sometimes we may even avoid it. There are moments when you see the need for your leadership, and you step up to help create change. Pssst…I am going to share a secret about myself. I didn’t want to be a leader. Never have, and I never thought I would be calling myself … Read More
Embrace Differences in Teaching Styles
TL;DR: Different teaching styles work for both teachers and students. Spiraling concepts helps students build knowledge. Take time for students to build relationships. Check in with parents for additional feedback. Embracing Differences in Teaching Styles I recently got the opportunity to reflect as a mentor in a guest panel at the Mentoree Podcast through Voice Ed Canada. Authentic questions were … Read More
Time Management 101 for the New Year
TL;DR: Managing your time better leads to enjoying teaching and life more. Setting goals can help you be productive and avoid burnout. This New Year, I wanted to encourage you to manage your time. Your busy time, your spare time, and your alone time. I can’t think of a better time to blog about this topic than now as we … Read More