Once upon a time, I had a neat and organized desk. Or course, this was when I had just started working at The Mailbox 12 years ago. I hadn’t yet accumulated lots of stuff. Now… well, you can form your own opinion from the photo. I usually attempt to at least slightly organize things for…
lesson plans
On the Verge of Wrapping It Up
Yes, unless you teach in a year-round school, that part of the academic year when you start looking at ways to wrap it up is here (or coming very soon). My three kids have already informed me of how few school days are actually left before summer vacation. I nearly had a heart attack! Mailbox…
Are You Ready for Your Guest Host?
There’s a nasty late-winter cold making its way through the offices of The Mailbox right now. I hope I am one of the last ones to suffer from it, for it is surely insufferable. Somewhere along the line, this particular beast was dubbed The Crud. The Crud leaves you coughing, sniffling, achy, irritable, tired, and…
When the Curtain Falls
Over at Diane’s Be the Difference blog (that other blog from The Mailbox), Diane recently asked readers what the first thing was that they did each morning upon arriving at school. For me, it was always a check of my mailbox followed by the trudge up three flights of stairs, then into my classroom. I…
A Lighter Load at Thanksgiving?
I’ve touched upon this subject before: students pulled out of school for family vacations. The last time I mentioned it, I was on the verge of actually doing it myself. This time, we are on the verge of the week when it seems to happen most, Thanksgiving week. Already, most teachers are looking at three…
That August Mentality
How did I get ready to head back into my classroom as the new school year loomed? By tackling the pile of papers and artifacts left over from the day I brought everything home in June, of course. I was a pro teacher, after all. It was never a huge pile, and nothing had been…
What kind of month is May?
May can be a month unlike any other. Leaves fill out the trees. Mosquitoes sing their sweet, bloodthirsty song. Lawnmowers throttle back to life. Sweaters settle in for a long summer’s nap. Students and teachers look to the thinning calendar and—Oh no! How few days are left? There’s so much to do! So much! Noses…