I remember my first year of teaching like it was yesterday, but the truth is, I walked into that classroom in 2007 with a history degree, a stack of lesson plans I’d spent all summer perfecting, and absolutely no idea how to actually manage a room full of teenagers. I taught at a nationally ranked academic school … Read more
Drafting a philosophy for classroom management can feel overwhelming because it asks you to answer a deceptively simple question: What kind of teacher do you want to be? The answer isn’t found in a single set of classroom rules or a pre-packaged behavior chart. It’s a living document, shaped by your core beliefs about how … Read more
Click above to listen to podcast episode 58: “Classroom Management Skills Necessary for Success“ A simple Google search for “classroom management skills” reveals a landscape that is not only plentiful but overwhelmingly complex. For educators at any grade level, from high school to the purview of university teachers, the quest to find a system that … Read more
If we can agree on anything, it’s that COVID-19 made its mark on education. Good, bad, and indifferent, our classrooms were thrown for a loop and are still settling into what the “new normal” actually means. I’ve spent the past several years training K-12 teachers across the country, and the question I hear more than … Read more
Let me start with something that might sound strange: Teacher motivation is not a feeling. It’s a skill. You can learn it, lose it, and rebuild it…if you know what drains it in the first place. Over the last few years, I’ve watched too many good people leave teaching. The teacher shortage is real, and … Read more
As another vacation slips away from us, it is hard to realize that we are already at the point to welcome to back to school all our students for another year of learning and fun. I hope all of you had a good, safe summer with plenty of time to relax, enjoy friends and loved … Read more
DonorsChoose is the most trusted crowdfunding platform dedicated to supporting public school teachers across the United States. Founded in 2000, this nonprofit organization connects educators with individual donors, corporate partners, and citizen donors who want to fund classroom projects that enhance students’ learning. Unlike other fundraising platforms, DonorsChoose vets every teacher request to ensure legitimacy, … Read more
Building a positive classroom environment is essential for fostering relationships and boosting morale among students. Classroom DIY projects are a great way to achieve this while adding a personal touch to your classroom decor. These activities not only encourage creativity but also help students feel more connected to their learning space. Below, we’ve organized easy projects for elementary, middle, and high … Read more
Learned helplessness is a psychological condition where individuals, after repeated exposure to uncontrollable events, develop a sense of helplessness and stop trying to change their circumstances, even when opportunities arise. This concept was first introduced by Martin Seligman and Steven Maier in the late 1960s at the University of Pennsylvania through experiments with dogs in a shuttle box. The dogs subjected to inescapable shocks eventually stopped trying to escape, even … Read more
From our earliest years, we’ve been taught the importance of being thankful, yet as educators, we often overlook integrating this powerful practice systematically into our teaching practices. The field of education increasingly recognizes gratitude not as a seasonal sentiment but as a foundational element for creating strong relationships, fostering positive attitudes, and enhancing academic success on a daily basis. Teaching gratitude in the classroom is … Read more
Transitioning to student-centered learning represents one of the most significant paradigm shifts in modern education. Whether you’re in your first year of teaching or have years of teaching experience, this shift can feel daunting. Many educators, whether new teachers or veteran teachers fall into three specific common teaching mistakes when trying to move away from … Read more
If you’ve ever been in the middle school classroom you will know that being a middle school teacher is not work for the faint of heart. There is a wide range of students who sit before you, hormones are flying, and you may or may not have a weird smell issue. But in this time … Read more