Are your ears burning? If they’re not, they should be! You know how the saying goes; if your ears burn someone is talkin’ about ya. And I’m here to report that you are being talked about in a really, really great way! You see the editors here at The Mailbox know you have the very…
The Mailbox
A Golden Giveaway
Today is the first Friday in the month of March, and this means (drumroll, please) it’s giveaway time here at The Mailbox Blog! This month, I have a pot of gold waiting for the winner—seriously! To enter this month’s giveaway, simply share your opinion about the statement below before midnight EDT Friday, March 14. Teacher…
Time for Your Regular Checkup
“To the man who only has a hammer, everything he encounters begins to look like a nail.” ― Abraham Harold Maslow You may be familiar with Mr. Maslow. He has a Hierarchy of Needs named for him. However, this is not what I’m concerned with today. You have tests to administer and a curriculum to…
Happy Birthday, John Hancock
Here we go again. Todd’s going to write about handwriting. How long has it been since he last did that? A week? A month? But I have a reason! Is it a good one? Of course. I wouldn’t dream of wasting your time. Exactly one week from today is John Hancock’s birthday. He of the…
Quick Poll on Clean Off Your Desk Day
Welcome to Clean Off Your Desk Day 2014. In a previous life, my desk was not a very tidy area. It often had more in common with the Leaning Tower of Pisa than a so-called work surface. Yet, while it is not exactly spotless or clutter free in 2014, I’ve come a long way, baby….
Pop Quiz #1210
As you might guess, I am not employed solely to write a blog. That means that I don’t necessarily have all the time in the world to follow each development, large and small, in the great big world of education. Still, I try to keep my eye on things, write about what I know, and…
Teachers’ Pets
Did your nose wrinkle as you read the title of this blog? If it did—unwrinkle it! This blog is not about the notion that teachers show favoritism to select students. Ugh! We know better! Nope, this blog is about our furry, feathery, and scaly companions who are sooooo happy to see us after a long…
Job Titles In Excess
Into each job, a few extra responsibilities must fall. Here at The Mailbox, this is true for editors who are also social media gadflies, singers, Twitterati, and webcast hosts, just for starters. And this is certainly true for teachers. By the time I entered my second year in the classroom, I had become a technology…
Checking in on Tech
Toward the end of The Mailbox Work Day yesterday, I was chatting with two other editors about life, the universe, and everything, when one of them announced to us that her phone was telling her that it was time to go home. It has learned her habits that well. We’re not sure how it’s done…
Celebrating the Classics
On The Mailbox Facebook page, we often note significant anniversaries, birthdays, and historical dates that have a connection to education, specifically elementary and early-childhood classrooms. Recently, we noted the birthday of André Cassagnes, the Frenchman who created the Etch A Sketch; Robert McCloskey, the author of “Make Way for Ducklings”; and Virginia Lee Burton, author…