We’re mixing pen and paper with digital in our blended classrooms, and everything’s going great. At first (for me) it was just about throwing in some digital resources. The kids love it. It’s easy for me. But now that I’m getting a little more comfortable with it, I’m starting to experiment with different ways to
I don’t know about you, but the new school year is in full swing, and things are crazy around here (stacks of papers to grade, keeping my son on track with his new homework load, planning for a new course, and cooking dinner, oh, my). But something has been at the forefront of my mind
If you think I have the answers here, I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed. I’m far from having any answers. I’m not superhuman–none of us are (although it seems at times that everybody expects us to be). I’ve been in the classroom for 14 years, and I still have students I have no idea how to
My great-great-great grandfather fought in the Civil War, for a cause that I’m not particularly proud of. My great-great Uncle Fred fought in WWI. That one was a game changer, and apparently, he was never the same after. One of my grandfathers fought in WWII, and the other, “4 F on account of his ear”
This is officially the last Monday of the 2014-2015 school year for me. Four more days, a week of post planning, and then summer break–glorious summer break. But what do you do with that last week? The students have checked out, and the administration has sent a “friendly reminder” warning us away from movies. Sure,
I’m (thankfully) almost through counting down to summer break with my Spring Survival Tips. If you’re just finding this, be sure to go back and check out my other Spring Survival tips–9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, and 3. These last two weeks drag on forever and ever. And ever. And today, I did something
I’ve linked up with some great secondary teachers to discuss how we “calm the chaos” here at the end of the school year. Thanks to 2 Peas and a Dog for hosting! The end of any school year (whether it’s elementary, middle, or high school) can be characterized by one word–CHAOS. The weather is
Three more Mondays and nineteen more days to go until eight weeks of summer bliss. My students are counting down, I’m counting down, and I’m sure you’re counting down. I started my Spring Survival tips series with nine weeks to go. You can catch up on them here–#9, #8, #7, #6, and #5.Today was particularly
These last few weeks of school are brutal–for us and the students. They don’t want to be there, and we don’t want to fight for their attention. If you’ve been following my blog for the past few weeks, you know I’ve been counting down to summer break with spring survival tips. If you haven’t,
I currently teach 10th -12th grade but I’ve also taught 9th graders and middle school, and really, there is very little difference between a 10th grader and an 8th grader. Let me set the scene. It’s a warm spring afternoon 30 minutes before the bell. The flowers are in bloom, the windows are open, and
I was, oh, so young 13 years ago when I first started teaching–I didn’t realize how young. My parents would be quick to say that I still don’t realize how young I am. But my son–he thinks I’m old. So do my students. So, when I first started teaching, I was going to change to
Welcome! Stay a while and browse classroom-tested tips, strategies, and resources that will take your teaching to the next level!
An occasional email from me to you about what’s new in secondary education…
