You have felt it: that specific dread when a lesson flops. Not the kind where kids just groan, but the kind where they check out completely, shuffling papers with dead eyes while you talk yourself hoarse, wondering why you spent four hours on that slideshow. I know that feeling because I lived it. It was 2007, my … Read more

I have read a lot of bad resumes. When I was hiring for my own business, I learned something painful. The most qualified candidates often wrote the most forgettable applications. They listed duties like they were filling out a tax form. They buried their wins under passive language. They lost opportunities to less experienced people … Read more

After teachers learn about the benefits of hands-on learning, they almost immediately start searching for experiential learning lesson plans. While there are a lot of them out there, sometimes it seems as though the same few get recycled over and over again. Why not use this list to shake up a tired routine? What is experiential … Read more

Before we talk about how to use classroom management hand signals, we need to talk about why so many teachers try them and then give up within two weeks. The reason isn’t that the strategy fails. It’s that most advice you find online treats hand signals like a simple hack: pick some signs, post a poster, and boom, silence. That might … Read more

Searching for student engagement tips that will actually transform your classroom into what you have always envisioned can be daunting. You see strategies that make sense in theory, others that would “never” work with your kids, and honestly? It is scary to try something new when you are already exhausted, and the rest of the … Read more

I’ve spent a lot of nights lying awake thinking about consequences, as I’m sure you have as well. Not the kind you read about in classroom management books…the tidy hierarchies that look great on a free poster but fall apart the first time a 2nd grader throws scissors or a high school student refuses to take out … Read more

We all have our favorite ways to engage students in the classroom, but there is always room to find more in classroom activities that will get your students excited about learning. Whether you are a new or experienced teacher, there is no replacement for finding activities that your students will actually want to participate in. … Read more

It’s no secret that there is a direct correlation between student engagement and academic performance, but many teachers are unsure how to consistently make that connection so it sticks. After teaching over 1,700 students, first at a nationally ranked academic high school, then at a Title I CTE school, and now training K-12 teachers on … Read more

We know peer pressure often carries a negative connotation in our classrooms, but can it actually be used for good? I regularly bring up the concept of positive peer pressure, and it consistently earns me a few sideways glances. “How can peer pressure be positive…and can you give examples?” they ask. As always, I’m happy … Read more

Gamifying education is a huge buzz right now in schools. This doesn’t mean that students spend their time gaming during school, as many would believe. Instead, gamifying education allows students to actively engage with content in ways that worksheets and lectures simply can’t replicate. One way that many teachers are doing this is by creating … Read more

There’s a moment that happens somewhere around the sixth week of the school year. You’re not thinking about it when it occurs. It just happens. A student drops their pencil case, and without a word, three others are on the floor helping. Another child shares something personal during morning meeting, and the room sits in … Read more

Finding the right classroom management observation tool can feel like searching for a working pencil sharpener…everyone claims to have one, but most leave you frustrated.  I learned this the hard way when I walked into my first high school classroom as a fresh history teacher. I had my lesson plans ready, my instructional materials organized, … Read more