TL;DR: A teacher faced parental anger over a plagiarism incident and initially responded by writing it out feeling bitter and sarcastic. A colleague suggested rewriting the piece to focus on understanding parents’ frustrations and the education system’s challenges. Lesson learned: Channel bitterness into productive reflection, seek accountability from trusted colleagues, and aim for thoughtful, compassionate communication. Feeling Bitter? About midway … Read More
Sometimes Your Impact Isn’t What You Intended
TL;DR: Jeff ran workshops at an Arkansas conference on podcasting and social media. He emphasized the value of educators sharing their stories and impact. He unexpectedly influenced a teacher to change her teaching approach by encouraging students to share their value and stories with each other. Sometimes Your Impact Isn’t What You Intended A while back, I had the pleasure … Read More
Kids Do Better When Teachers Relax and Rejuvenate
TL;DR: Teachers deserve their summer break to rest and recharge, as their profession demands immense dedication and effort throughout the year. Using summer vacation to unwind, disconnect from work, engage in professional development, and reflect on teaching practices can improve teacher well-being and effectiveness. Prioritizing self-care and personal growth not only benefits teachers but also sets a positive example for … Read More
Think Better: Supporting Students in Times of Stress
TL;DR: Supporting students during times of stress requires a mindful and empathetic approach. Four steps to help students through stressful situations: self-reflection and emotional awareness, understanding the student’s needs and desires, evaluating the environment, and crafting an empathetic response. By practicing these steps, educators can foster emotional well-being, resilience, and growth in students while creating a nurturing and supportive environment. … Read More
10 Ways to Wrap Up Your Lesson
TL;DR: Teachers should gather students for reflection and check understanding in the last few minutes of class to ensure everyone met the objective and address any confusion. Ten favorite ways to wrap up a lesson include exit tickets, 3-2-1 summaries, sentence-phrase-word reflections, stop and jot activities, captioning visuals, AEIOU reflections, rock-paper-scissors reflections, What’s In the Cards reflection protocol, quiz games, … Read More