TL;DR: Training your mind to find gratitude can be challenging. It is especially valuable to seek out those grateful moments during difficult times. Using the app Happyfeed can help set you up for gratitude success. Sometimes I think it is ironic that I wrote a book. I say that for the reason that I loathed writing as a young boy. … Read More
Edu Speak 101
TL;DR: Substitute teachers selected that job for all different reasons. Sometimes educational language is hard to understand when you first enter a classroom and read the sub plans. Try to complete sub plans that make sense even for those who aren’t familiar with educational jargon. If you are an administrator, please check in with subs at the start of each … Read More
Valuing Your Staff
TL;DR: Teachers need to feel valued and appreciated to thrive. Administrators should find ways to connect with their staff and make them feel valued. Teachers need to the opportunity to be heard and understood. This year when many educators are evaluating whether or not they want to stay in education, the bottom line is that leaders need to place more … Read More
Building Connections with EL Students
TL;DR: Build an “EL Family Wall” in your classroom. Build connections between your students. Create a bond and feeling of belonging in the classroom. Building Connections with EL Students Each day, I meet with 10 groups of EL students from grades 1-8. One of their favorite weekly activities occurs every Tuesday: Voting Day! We have three whiteboard “zones”: Zone 1, … Read More
Productive Struggle
TL;DR: What does a healthy or productive struggle look like in a classroom? Design classroom instruction with the end in mind and support students through a struggle. The opportunity to struggle through something offers so many benefits to kids! Student understanding requires productive struggle. Do students enter a risk-free classroom or do they engage in productive struggle on a regular … Read More