Over my time both as a teacher and a student, I’ve often shared my preference for nonfiction. I hated reading until high school when my 11th grade teacher gave my class the opportunity to read the first page from a
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As a teacher, I tend to take my work with me wherever I go. Over the years, I’ve built in better boundaries around writing lessons or doing paperwork at home, but the ideas and brainstorming about learning and education tend
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Every so often I think back to my year in grad school at Syracuse University. Up until that point, I had finished my undergraduate degrees in tv/film and philosophy, worked in tv production for two years, and moved back to
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The first few days of school may sometimes feel overwhelming both for teachers and for students. Time flies and before you know it, it’s snack, recess, lunch and dismissal and you’re left in an empty classroom wondering if the day
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There’s a word sometimes used in education that needs to be replaced. This word doesn’t describe students’ effort, their creativity, their curiosity or their determination. It doesn’t acknowledge a child’s perseverance, bravery or growth. Instead, the word cute describes how
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With the end of the school year approaching, we often have some flexibility in our schedule that allows us to revisit material from earlier in the year, as well as take some risks with new content of choice. With about
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As an elementary school teacher, my day consists of teaching lessons in every content area, sometimes integrated into a larger study, and sometimes sorted off into their own distinct learning times. Writing is one of those content areas and one
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The foundational belief of this blog is to encourage educators to teach their students in spaces in their own communities, outside of the classroom walls. Learning in real life circumstances has countless benefits, ranging from connecting students to content in
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The pandemic has created a challenge for teachers worldwide. Some schools returned in-person quickly, possibly because restrictions in their area allowed and some because they were able to afford resources and space that helped facilitate safer returns. Other classes have
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The last two years have been trying. Both personally and globally, there’s been a lack of consistency and dependability that’s made it difficult to anticipate the events of the next few days, let alone the upcoming school year as a
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