It’s August 1, and for those who teach in schools with traditional academic calendars, that means… Well, I think you know what it means, and I don’t want to say much more, in case you’re trying not to think about it. But, really, what teacher ever fully disengages her brain from thinking about school, the…
Fun
40 Years of Change
As you’re no doubt aware, The Mailbox is celebrating 40 years of helping teachers by delivering creative ideas and activities that engage students and help meet Common Core standards. In the early days, we were known for our creative teacher workshops. Today, it’s our books, magazines, mobile apps, and digital and online resources. We’ve come…
Speaking to the Class
I don’t know why, but I am a big fan of the oral presentation. When I was a kid, I hated them, at first. Standing in front of all my friends to talk about something? Ugh. No, thanks! Or at least that’s what I thought. Despite clear memories of being underprepared and nervous with nearly…
Going to the Gallows! Yippee!
My previous post was about one kind of humor—the lighthearted humor or inside jokes you can use in an established classroom setting to get students feeling comfortable and open to new ideas and new learning. Today’s post is about another kind of humor—gallows humor. The definition of gallows humor from Merriam-Webster online is “humor that…
The Importance of Being Funny
Laughter is the best medicine. If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard that expression, I’d be able to hire every stand-up comedian in America and have nightly performances in my living room. I’d never get sick or even grow old. Laughter is also a great prescription. Studies show that laughter, almost universally…
A School Year in Review
Let’s review, shall we? During the last school year, I touched on a wide range of subjects, both serious and not-so-much. On a few of them, I received many comments. On many of them, I received none. Good or bad, I think some of them are worth revisiting. And the passage of time may mean…
A Few of My Favorite Things
Over the last several years, I’ve enjoyed working closely with the other editors here at The Mailbox to create, edit, and share a slew of great ideas for upper grades teachers. Just for fun, I’d like to share a few of my favorite ideas for your consideration. “My Page” – Sure, kids these days are…
End-of-June Randomness
It’s tough to write a blog for teachers in the final days of June. Some of you have been done with your 2012-2013 school year for almost a month. Some of you are looking at your last few days. Retailers are blatantly guilty of starting their back-to-school promotions. And we will not give you even…
Common Core Outcomes Giveaway
Your time at the end of the school year is valuable. So this will be a short and, hopefully, sweet blog post. Roughly 97 ideas crossed paths in my brain at one point this morning (not unusual, really), and I was left with the following questions that I want to ask you: Did you incorporate…
How to Celebrate in Style?
How would you like to see a photo of all The Mailbox editors wearing aluminum foil hats? I’ll make it happen before the end of the school year. But you have to do me a favor. I need lots of ideas for how a teaching staff can wrap up its school year in style. In…