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Setting Goals as a Teacher
I am always trying to grow as a teacher and as a person. Because of this, I am always setting goals for myself to help guide myself to betterment. Also, in the state I teach in, the teacher evaluator tool requires us to set goals to meet over the evaluation cycle. (The cycle is either one year or two years) Here are some tips for setting goals for yourself whether you are required to by your district or you just want to be your best. Setting Professional Goals A professional goal is something that you want to change about yourself as a teacher. Whether it has to do with the…
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Repair a Strained Co-Teaching Relationship
Co-Teaching has proven to be a great tool for reaching all students. It allows students with disabilities to be taught in the general education classroom giving them opportunities for social interactions with their typical peers. It also allows for students without disabilities who may be struggling to receive the support of having two teachers in the room. These are only two of the many benefits of the inclusion model. But, for the co-teaching model to work in your classroom, the teachers need to be able to work well together. Good co-teaching requires multiple teachers to be on the same page; for them to co-plan, co-assess, and co-teach. When two co-teachers…
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Be the Teacher Your Students Need!
Teaching can take a lot out of you. This Friday I came home from school and I was so drained that I think I was beginning to make myself sick. Every day at school, you have to give so much of yourself to others that it can be depleting. This is why we all need to be careful that we are taking care of ourselves. I find when I am not taking care of myself, I have less energy, I have a shorter temper, and I am not living up to my full potential. To be the best teacher you can be, you need to make sure that you’re putting…
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Books that Every Teacher Needs to Read
Am I a teacher because I love to read or do I love to read because I am a teacher? Reading is something that I thoroughly enjoy. I love reading fiction books that take me to another world, and I love reading nonfiction books that help me grow and develop personally and professionally. I have put together a list of my favorite books for teachers. Teach Like a Champion by Doug Lemov This book is a collection of tips and tools on how to teach like a champion. Doug Lemov shares his teaching strategies that will make you a champion in student engagement, classroom management, and every other aspect of…
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Get Your First 1000 Email Subscribers!
Are you trying to make money blogging? Are you new to blogging and looking to get your self off the ground? Do you want help with building your email list? Bloggers who use email marketing on average make 447% more revenue than those who don’t! So it sounds like a no-brainer, right? No! Email marketing is scary! Putting yourself out there and into stranger’s inboxes can be terrifying. I know I was scared and nervous to start emailing my subscribers. ConvertKit is here with a FREE WEBINAR to try and ease your mind. Whether you use ConvertKit for your list building or you prefer another platform, this webinar gives you…
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10 Ideas for Whole Class Rewards for Your Secondary Students
Teaching in a middle school creates interesting challenges. I always struggle with finding rewards and incentives that are age-appropriate for them. Middle schoolers are stuck in an awkward place where they are still young at heart, but most of them are trying to look and act like high school students. In a time where research shows that PBIS is the best method for classroom management and to create a positive whole-school community, it is imperative to find whole class rewards that motivate your class. Flexible Seating Options We would all love to implement flexible seating options into our secondary classrooms. But, often our biggest fear is the classroom management complications…
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Benefits of Social Emotional Learning (SEL)
Social Emotional Learning (SEL) seems like the new buzz word in education. I have sat through staff meetings focused on it, professional development seminars and I have taken courses on it. But SEL isn’t a new concept, it just existed in the past under different names. I’m sure you’re saying, when will I find the time to teach another new idea in my classroom. I am already crunched trying to cover my grade level standards! SEL Can Improve Schoolwork and Academics Students who feel safe and supported can focus on their academics. When students are in an environment that promotes SEL tend to be more comfortable asking for help. They…
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Back to School Checklist!
Well, it’s that time of year. Us teachers in Mass are gearing up to go back to school. Some of you teachers down south are probably back already, but we’re all in the back to school season! Going back to school can be stressful, especially if you are starting a new position or at a new school. I am going to share with you my back to school priorities. Get your caseload In previous years I was able to get a rough draft of my caseload in the spring. This year was different as my position was getting shuffled around through the summer. And now, it is the eve of…
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Differentiated Worksheets
Being able to meet the needs of all of the learners in your classroom can be a challenge. You have students who are struggling with the work in the same class as students who are excelling. You don’t want to leave the struggling students behind but you also want to be challenging the advanced students. When you leave advanced students unattended, they get bored and can become behavior problems. Because of this, I created differentiated worksheets. These worksheets cover all of the topics of solving equations but do it at varying levels of difficulty. Level A Worksheets The worksheets that are in the Level A group have all problems that…
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My July 2019 Book Reviews
This month I finally got some great reading time and put a dent into my goal for the year. Part of that is because I went on vacation this month and spent a good chunk of time, sitting on the beach on Martha’s Vineyard absorbing a novel. The First Conspiracy by Brad Meltzer I am a big fan of Brad Meltzer’s writing. He has written some great historical fiction/political thrillers that have kept me enthralled from the first page to the last. But, this book was not quite up to my expectations. I like reading about presidents and I did learn a lot about George Washington in this book. But,…
