I’m on vacation for a few days, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get your fill of Todd’s blogs. Just Who Do You Think You Are? – Tell us about your teaching style. Are you student centered or teacher centered? There’s no wrong answer. Rate Your Tech Savvy – Every teacher has to face new…
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Sell Me on Teaching
“You should be a teacher.” I heard that quite a bit from people in the ten years before I switched careers and became a teacher. Most of those people were rational, arguably sane individuals. However, none of those people were teachers, so their advice and enthusiasm should have been suspect. When the time came, I…
If Student Test Results Determine Your Future
Is a student best summarized by a test score? I would give you a minute to think about that, but I know I don’t have to. You answered right away. Whether you’ve taught for just a year or you’re on the verge of retirement after a long and fulfilling career in the classroom, you know…
I Am a Daydream Believer, and You Should Be Too
We sure do make life hard on ourselves, don’t we? For example: the afternoon nap. Ah, glorious afternoon nap, how I miss you! Oh, sure, it’s a good and important thing for preschool children, and it’s excusable when it’s Grandma Madeline in her La-Z-Boy. But for the rest of us? Sorry, no. And daydreaming? Whether…
The Rigors of Math According to CCSS
Regular readers know that math and I get along about as well as oil and water, or perhaps open flames and gasoline. However, I do find it fascinating that the Common Core State Standards have what is called the “Standards for Mathematical Practice.” These are eight types of math expertise teachers should look for in…
Initial Thoughts on the Nearly Perfect Teacher
What traits must a teacher have? I asked and you delivered. Love to learn. As Darlene Taig and several others said, teachers must have “curiosity about the world.” And I couldn’t agree more. A teacher should be a lifelong learner. “You must love to learn,” said Cheryl Best. “Learn every day something new or relearn…
What Traits Must a Teacher Have?
Without a doubt, the place where I failed most spectacularly as a teacher was at the corner of Organization Street and Process Avenue. I’m sure there were days when my students didn’t know what to expect from me; however, the work we did was consistent and the way in which we approached it rarely veered…
Celebrating the School Cafeteria on National Spaghetti Day
We all have our little traumas in life. For example, I grew up as a brown-bag kid. The first time I forgot my lunch? It was a day that became a painful memory etched deep in my soul. It was a Friday. The pizza wasn’t so much bad per se, as it was simply not…
The Tipping Point
At some point in a teacher’s summer, one’s thoughts turn to the coming school year. Instead of hitting the snooze button 47 times in a row, you hit it 32 times one day, then 18 times soon after, until you’re finally down to just twice. You find yourself glancing longingly at your local teacher store…
Play Ball?
Like quality, I Love Lucy, and clean drinking water, kickball never loses its popularity. As a teacher, I managed to field several all-star quality homeroom teams that either won school-wide championships or played in the finals. It was a group effort that culminated in daily post-lunch recess games that united my students in ways I…