Many people have given up on New Year’s Resolutions and instead focus on a word or two as a motivational tool for the year. In that spirit, one Monday a month as part of our Motivation Monday series, I will be exploring a different word and looking at how we can apply that word as […]
Teachers can’t save them all, but we can love them all. How not to let education policy make you feel like a failure. Feeling the teacher blues? A positivity box provides the teaching inspiration you need on the days when you are feeling down.
10. You open your school email for the first time in two weeks only to discover 10 emails from the parent who emails you daily. Just because school paused doesn’t mean they did. 9. You get to school earlier than anyone else to make your copies for the week only to find the copier that […]
Remember the waffle commercial with the tagline: Let go of my EGGO? I challenge you with a new twist: Let go of your EGO. None of us have all the answers, and quite honestly, no one expects you to. That includes fellow teachers, administrators, and yes, even your students. So there, some of the pressure […]
Classroom management strategies can make or break your success as a teacher. Oftentimes education classes deal with the theoretical rather than the practical, and that is especially true when it comes to classroom management. Learning to manage your classroom comes with experience. But wouldn’t it be nice to avoid the years of trial and error […]
Show respect to gain respect. There are few absolute truths in teaching, but this one is just as true now as it was when I began teaching 29 years ago and for all times before that. “Students work hardest for teachers they like and respect.” A teacher meme attributed to Dr. Debbie Silver said, “When I’m […]
Teaching is a one at a time career. Learning to take everything one at time (1 day, 1 student, 1 success) is the key to focusing on the positive. Teaching students the power of yet, enables students to develop a growth mindset that will lead to empowerment and success. Empower students to take ownership of […]
Teachers have never faced a year like this, so no one has the answers. Schools experiment with schedules and plans, all the while knowing that they really have no idea what will happen in the long run. The one thing that holds true is that relationships matter now more than ever. In the middle of […]
Teachers, as helpful, hopeful professionals, strive to make a difference in every life entrusted to them. We see a classroom full of students and want the best for them, and we pour our efforts and hearts into each one. We have been indoctrinated with the notion that it is our job to reach every child, […]
By Susan Jerrell, TOFT Founder “A smile remains the most inexpensive gift I (you) can bestow on anyone and yet its powers can vanquish kingdoms.”– Og Mandino I might add that the power of a smile can also influence the entire day for you and the students in your classroom. It is a simple, free […]
The first week of school sets the tone for the entire year. The minute your students first see you, they begin forming opinions of you and your personality. They form their perceptions of your classroom. While many teachers spend hours of their time and money decorating their room, beyond a first glance, what students are […]
Not so long ago after an arduous week of ISTEP testing, special education fiascos, and wild students antsy for Spring Break, I almost lost my mind during 7th period. My classroom erupted into mass chaos and I was part of the problem. My clothes were uncomfortable, my shoes too tight, my eyes hurt from looking […]
Working from Home Tips for Teachers – Time Out For Teachers
Working from home tips for teachers may be just what you need to preserve your sanity in the COVID-19 teaching reality. If you’re like most teachers, you love the daily interaction with students and colleagues and thrive in a busy work environment. Work from home life is probably not what you had in mind when […]