TL;DR: Relationships you build with your students go beyond the classroom. Research-based best practices are worth the extra effort. It is not enough to know your content, you have to know how to teach it. As I write this blog, it is mid July, and for me, that is the sweet spot during the summer. Enough time has passed to … Read More
Teach Better Ambassadors: Like Radio Shack, But Still Relevant
TL;DR: Alex Valencic shares his journey from substitute teacher to Professional Learning Coordinator. The Teach Better Ambassador program is here to help everyone be better. The Ambassadors bring a vast array of experiences to support the Teach Better community. New Role After three years as a substitute teacher and seven years as a fourth-grade teacher in East Central Illinois, I … Read More
Back to Basics
TL;DR: After teaching for many years, I’ve realized I need to get back to the basics. The basics are realizing the impact I have on the students in my classroom. My relationships and connections with students will be my first priority. The world feels so complicated at the moment. With a constant barrage of information coming at us at every … Read More
Can You Care Too Much?
TL;DR: Is teaching tougher because we need to adapt to our new generation of learners? Sometimes “not caring” about small things can lead to more impactful teaching. Focus on the connections and the things that matter! Teaching Is Tough If you’ve read any of my blogs over the last couple of years, then you would have noticed that there is … Read More
The Insights of a Writing Life
TL;DR: Many of us write for different reasons. Therefore, you are a writer! Think about your writing life by starting with a writing timeline. What was your experience as a writer throughout your life? There are steps to the writing process: generating, planning, drafting, revising, and editing. Each person may spend different amounts of time at different stages. Writers have … Read More