New year, new look! Ditch the teacher-centered classroom this school year and give your preschoolers a more immersive atmosphere. Preschool is the first exposure to learning in a classroom for most children, and they embrace the experience when the classroom feels like a large play area. Whether you switch out your themes for each unit, … Read more
Classroom jobs are an amazing way to build a sense of community in the classroom. Assigning your students daily or weekly tasks gives them a sense of responsibility and ownership for their learning environment. In addition, classroom jobs teach kids important practical skills that they will use throughout their lifetime. With the help of our … Read more
Many elementary teachers start the day off with a class morning meeting to set expectations for the day. Middle and high schools have gotten in on the trend, replacing homeroom with advisory or morning meetings too. There are lots of ways to make this time meaningful, and one is by asking morning meeting questions. Let … Read more
Dear WeAreTeachers:After relocating for my wife’s job over the summer, I’ll be teaching in a new district. I’m worried about recent coming out at my new school—especially with fearmongering about teachers’ agendas—to students or coworkers. It’s not as if I’m planning on announcing that to my students (in the same way a straight teacher wouldn’t … Read more
Dear WeAreTeachers:After relocating for my wife’s job over the summer, I’ll be teaching in a new district. I’m worried about recent coming out at my new school—especially with fearmongering about teachers’ agendas—to students or coworkers. It’s not as if I’m planning on announcing that to my students (in the same way a straight teacher wouldn’t … Read more
The pandemic took an exceptional toll on educators, and now the data is showing just how severe it was. After more than two years of virtual teaching, masking, and trying to fill the pandemic-created education gap, some teachers are calling it quits. For some, it was a decision they started contemplating even before the pandemic. … Read more
Encouraging collaboration among students is a great way to help them learn and build social skills. Finding a work surface that can stand the demands of a classroom can be tough, though. Schools don’t want to invest in classroom furniture that will fall apart in a few months, or worse, a few weeks. We put … Read more
For months I received countless Remind texts from students with pictures of waffle fries. I saved a collection of pictures from the Barbie Instagram on my phone. I have purchased (and returned) multiple pairs of shoes. All because of my most beloved teaching practice: the attendance question. During online teaching, I began tweeting about my … Read more
The pandemic took an exceptional toll on educators, and now the data is showing just how severe it was. After more than two years of virtual teaching, masking, and trying to fill the pandemic-created education gap, some teachers are calling it quits. For some, it was a decision they started contemplating even before the pandemic. … Read more
For the last seven years, I’ve had the immense privilege of teaching middle school English at Spring Branch Academic Institute (SBAI) in Houston. SBAI was created as a public charter school by the district, Spring Branch ISD, to meet the needs of its highly and profoundly gifted children. Our K-8 students take all their core … Read more