I’m happy to introduce to you, Michael Roderick, my guest blogger for today. He’s got some really practical ideas on how to manage your time – I think most of us could use a little help in that area. I know I can! Take it away, Michael! ~~~ As a former teacher, I spent a [...]

Just a quick post to share my newest “school supplies” buy! So sad that I can get excited over colorful supplies or organizational tools – this is BOTH!       I have been on the lookout to find some ways to tame the “paper monster” that lives in my classroom. In particular, I really [...]

Picture it. You’re at Staples (just fill in your favorite teacher store here). You can smell the Crayola…and you know that you’re home! Alright, I know that you all get excited about colorful post-its, new Sharpies and fancy bulletin board borders too. Well, I decided to share about some treasures that I purchased on my [...]

Okay. I admit it. I have committment issues. Well, not exactly. My husband and I have been together since we were 17. It’s not that type of committment that I’m talking about;) I can’t commit to just ONE book at a time. There. I said it. I read a bit, put it down, pick up [...]

Five years ago, I wrote a series of seven articles called “Questions That Will Save Your Career” that still remain among the most visited articles on this site. When I wrote those, I had successfully completed my 5th year in education. This summer, after 10 years, I am revisiting some of these older concepts. Today, I revisit How Do I Keep My ...

Last week, a webinar was held in the state of Washington about changes that must be made in school districts to develop a culture of learning. Kevin Carney from Vail Unified School District of Arizona promoted their concept of its Beyond Textbooks program. Focusing on teaching to the essential state standards through curriculum calendars, ...

A teacher in my school with 18 years of experience has an interesting technique to “enforce” discipline management in her class. Every incoming student has hand-outs on their desk which they must address immediately. No down time, no idle chitchatting before the lesson actually starts and transgressors of this rule are called to order without ...

After reading Angela Maier’s 12 Things Kids Want from Their Teachers, I thought about the things in my classroom that really make my kids happy. I mean, besides the normal stuff, like getting an education, becoming global learners, using technology, etc… I mean the simple things that help you remember that they are just kids [...]

Click on reflection page to download. I think if there is one thing that has made the most impact on my teaching - it would be my reflective practice.  At the end of the day I always take a moment to look at how the day went.  I do not linger on my answers.  Rather, I write down what immediately comes to mind.  It does not take long to quickly ...

Have you ever heard the saying, “He/She treats me like a stepchild?”  Of course, when it is used, it is not  meant to be a compliment.  It meant that the stepchild was ignored, while all the biological children were fawned over by the parents. I started thinking about this after I read an article in [...]