Archive for May 2016
Stay Organized, My Friend
I had a great To Do list to help me get organized. I just don’t know what I To Did with it. or-gan-ized – adjective – having one’s affairs and items in order so as to deal with them efficiently. Does the word organized make you heave a sigh and yearn for the time when that adjective might be used…
Read MoreAsking For Help
“I’m never afraid to ask questions. I figure if I have a question lots of other people have the same one. I just have the courage to ask it.”-Robin Gallagher, middle school teacher Have you ever been sitting in a workshop where the presenter is talking about something of interest to you, and you suddenly…
Read MoreTurning the Table
“I’ve taught you everything I am to teach you this year. I’ve taught you new content and strategies to use to understand that content. Now it’s time for you to choose what you would like to learn more about and use what I’ve taught you this year.” How does this sound to you? Interested? Here’s…
Read MoreBagging It
“Into the brown paper bag of my heart, he slipped a smile.” – David James Duncan Ready to slip a smile on the faces of your students during these last few days of school? Try constructing paper bag challenges. Exciting engineering projects can be created with simple materials like tape, paper, and string placed inside…
Read MoreRethinking Stress
“It’s not stress that kills us, it is our reaction to it.” – Hans Selye Teaching is a rewarding yet demanding career – not for the faint of heart. The wearing of numerous hats, pressure from state mandates, schedules that seem to multiply, needs that continuously change, and most importantly – the genuine desire to truly…
Read MoreOwning Less
“A spoonful of decluttering keeps the stress and chaos down.” Mary Poppins may not have said this, but surely she thought it. After all she was all about tidiness. Articles and books are everywhere on the topic of throwing out the excess “things” in your life. The methods they propose may be different, but all…
Read MoreMirror Mirror On the Wall
“Mirror, mirror on the wall. What did I learn after all?” Reflection is a vital piece of the learning puzzle. Unless we examine what we learned and how we learned it, we don’t know what worked well and what needs to be tweaked. The end of the year is a natural time to look back…
Read MoreTricks of the Trade – Be Intentional
“Change is inevitable. Growth is intentional.” – Glenda Cloud The school year is moving quickly, teachers are stretched, and students are growing weary. There are still many days ahead to fill with quality learning opportunities and you want to make each one count, so teach on! Remember – don’t just have good intentions – be…
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