Planning for back-to-school just got easier with this carefully curated list of ideas, tips, suggestions, and resources for your secondary classroom - in any subject! 1) Teacher Planning and Organization: Calendars, planners, notes, Oh My! The list goes on and on for what the teacher needs to get organized and feel ready-to-go for the first days of school. For me, that's my planner and my high-level curriculum map. In the past it has been hard to find a planner perfectly suitable to the unique schedules of the secondary world, so I … [Read more...]
Interview with a First-Year High School English Teacher
This past semester I had the honor of meeting Megan Ryan, who began her teaching journey in the school where I teach. My first year was a long time ago ;) -- another place and another time. So, when the year came to a close, I really wanted to pick her brain. Learning from each other's experiences -- successes and struggles -- is what makes us grow as teachers. For this blog post, I'm breaking my traditional "fast five" format to bring you Ms. Ryan's responses in her own words; I loved her candor and detail. Meet Ms. Ryan: 1) Describe your … [Read more...]
End-of-Year Reflection: Top Five Classroom Success Stories of 2018
It seems to me that 2018 has been quite the long year... but then again it does feel like I was just rounding the corner of 2018 not too long ago, and here we are already at 2019. One of the most important things we can do as teachers is reflect, and so that's why I love this annual blog post. It's been my new year tradition for the past several years (2015, 2016, 2017), and choosing only five moments is always so hard, but here goes: My top five classroom success stories of 2018! This year in review... 1) Read-o-Lution: Reading is the … [Read more...]
Tips for Grading Essays to Save Time
Aaaaah. The grading essays burden of the English teacher. It's a very real struggle for sure. A little while back I did a series on teaching writing, so I'd like to think of this post as an encore to those ideas. (Get started reading that series here at the first post.) Below I'm sharing five practical tips for managing the load.- Working Those Deadlines:First is planning time in the writing process to have check points that students submit via Google classroom - or whatever method works for you. Students submit thesis statements, … [Read more...]
What My Trip to the Magnolia Silos Taught Me About Teaching
My husband and I visited Waco to tour all things Magnolia back in June. It was an amazing trip -- I love going on trips to new places because I can let my brain relax, and I feel so inspired. Magnolia was no exception - inspiration is everywhere. So, I said I can let my brain relax, but what really happens is that it just gets filled up with all kinds of new ideas at every turn because of all the awesomeness around me. Chip and Jo have truly built an empire that personifies their greeting "Welcome Home." If you read my previous blog post … [Read more...]
What I Learned About Test Prep from My Handgun Permit Class
Last week I took a handgun safety/permit class. My husband had accidentally let his permit expire, so we decided to take the class together this time around. I wasn’t super sure it was something I wanted to do, but I accepted the challenge. While I was taking the class, it dawned on me that I really hadn’t been a student in a really, really long time, so I'm glad that I had this opportunity. As a result, after the second day of class, which was the performance test, my head was swimming with ideas for this blog post – super fitting for … [Read more...]
5 Ways to Keep Students Tuned-In at the End-of-the-Year
It's getting to be that time of year when things get a little crazy - a little sideways. Students - and teachers - are starting to tune out! So hopefully, these ideas will make these end-of-year days less stressful, and more fun. Plus, these 5 ways to keep students tuned-in at the end-of-the-year are all student-centered and standards-based, so the kiddos stay engaged, and your job is easy. Join me for a fun recap of 5 ways to keep students tuned-in this time of year. Perfect for any secondary education classroom.1) Make It … [Read more...]
The Power of “I Don’t Know” – As a Teacher
We’ve all been in that situation where we had something come up and we didn’t know the answer. Or we’ve had the nightmare of feeling like we weren’t prepared with all the answers. It all feels awkward, uncomfortable, or embarrassing. When I first started teaching, I would have nearly died when I had to admit to students that I didn’t know the answer to something. I’d like to say that I handled those situations with grace instead of stuttering around – or worse, making something up. But, I can’t be certain. I just know I didn’t want to say, “I … [Read more...]
Formula for Classroom Success Series Post #4: How to Make Struggle Productive
I’m back today with the next post in my classroom success series. Today’s topic is the struggle- and we all know the struggle is real. However, many times the struggle does not always result in a deeper understanding of the essential learning standard or an “ah-ha” moment. Sometimes, the struggle results in frustration, lack of confidence, lack of willingness to stay engaged, behavior problems, or worse, complete shut down for the rest of the day. I’m a believer - cue THE MONKEES here – in the struggle because I know how … [Read more...]
Classroom Management Tips | Series: Creating Your Own Classroom Success Story
Running a successful classroom requires more than just being solid in your content; there are so many aspects that go into it. In this series "Creating Your Own Classroom Success Story," I’m sharing one piece of the formula at a time. The first piece to having a classroom success story is classroom management, and this might just be the hardest part of all. You could be super solid in your content knowledge and have the best lesson plan in the world but struggle with classroom management, and teaching will always be an uphill battle. The … [Read more...]
