Mindfulness in schools (an opinion)
Mindfulness lessons are warranted and needed This response was inspired by a social media post about mindfulness in schools. Said post was not a viral rant by an extremist, but rather a Facebook update...
WannabeTeacher Blog
Using Google Forms to get to know your students (with screenshots)
We’ve heard it over and over again: “You must know your students.” It is a tenement of most education programs as well as the National Board Certification Program and for good reason. It is...
Those who can, teach
As teachers, we often hear the old adage: “Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach.” I say screw that! I teach writing AND I can write. I truly believe that most teachers “can...
5 people to thank at school today
So often, we go through our days so focused on the students that we forget to notice each other. Here are 5 people to thank at school today. 1. A custodian Custodians, especially the...
Teacher fashion staples
If you read Monday’s post you know that with everyone around me creating clear the list pages on Amazon I decided to make lists of top education splurge items. My last post was office...
How I use Mentimeter in my classroom (with screenshots)
I discovered Mentimeter a few years ago through a conference. Since then I’ve used it every year in my classroom. I love it because it’s interactive and it’s free! My favorite tool is the...
Classroom supplies splurges
With all the hype around the “clear the list” Amazon movement just a few weeks ago I started to think about what my dream classroom would look like. I didn’t generate a list and...
Preparing for Open House
Open house is different from parent/teacher conferences. During open house, a high school usually runs through the entire schedule allotting about ten minutes per class. Schools that run on an A/B schedule usually have...
Year Round School
The idea of year-round school is growing in popularity among politicians who believe it will help save our “failing schools.” Many districts have experimented with the year-round school model, which actually still maintains the...
How the school’s schedule will influence your planning
Schools all over the country and the world conduct business on various different schedules. The most popular are the seven period schedule, the block schedule, and the four-by-four schedule. Let’s take a look at...
