If I had a quarter for every time someone started freaking out about their grammar or their lack of good reading/writing habits around me the second they found out I was an English teacher, I could eat out every meal for a year. The truth is, we often define people by their jobs: Oh, you’re a …
(Picture taken today at our “candy bomber” activity at the school, which was inspired by the famous Gail Halvorson) It is hardly a secret that the age group I teach is often referred to as “difficult” or “awkward.” Whenever I tell someone that I teach 7th graders, I usually get a reaction like the following: …
I’ve been doing a lot of soul-searching recently, about a lot of things. I’ve always been pretty introspective, and when my heart of hearts starts to get that familiar unsettled feeling, I start to go even deeper into my own head. When I was younger, that feeling most often came up in my dating life—it …
Image via Despite the fact that I believe I’m getting better at teaching week by week, there are obviously still some gaps occurring between my direct instruction of the material and the students’ direct understanding and application of said material. I present to you, for your reading pleasure, some of the spicier bits that came out …
Photo via Every year, you can expect them—certain student personality types that seem to resurrect themselves over and over again, somehow managing to pop their way into every single one of your classes and into those nightmarish teaching dreams. Although stereotyping is generally discouraged, it’s hard not to sometimes when all of these types seem …
In honor of back to school, I present to you the third (and final) set of my teaching tips for first-year teachers. For part one, click here. Part two, click here. 27. Since this set of tips has to do with last third of the school year, here’s my first tip: use some of your …
Here’s a continuation of the list I started last week of 39 tips to help you get through your first year of teaching (one for each week of the school year): 14. One of the best ways to praise your students is to contact their parents, either through an email, letter, or phone call. Of …
In celebration of my very last school day as a first-year teacher, I have decided to share some of the vast amounts of wisdom and experience I’ve gleaned (let’s be honest–mostly from my own mistakes). And, to make it even more exciting, you get to hear one for every week of school I’ve taught …
