This year I had the amazing opportunity--thanks to an extremely supportive administration team--to be a part-time instructional coach in the high school where I've taught for 9 of my 12 years. It was an exciting and enlightening year, to be sure. As much as I struggled, I feel so lucky to have been given this … Continue reading Lessons from my First Year as an Instructional Coach
Teaching
Summer 2018 Goals- Professional & Personal
I don't know about you, but I swear, as soon as we are dismissed for summer I get a giant burst of energy. My brain is freed from all the clutter of the school year, so I'm ready to dive into that stack of PD reading and start learning all of the things I didn't have … Continue reading Summer 2018 Goals- Professional & Personal
Best of Writing Instruction from Loudenclear Blog
Okay, so it's day five of my seven-day writing challenge, and let's just face it, I'm pooped. Haha! So, to make today easier on myself, I'm going to share my top four writing posts (and one from Cult of Pedagogy that I wrote!). Top Writing Instruction Posts on Louden Clear in Education Writing Conferences: How … Continue reading Best of Writing Instruction from Loudenclear Blog
5 Excellent Resources for Teaching Poetry in Secondary English
I have slacked on teaching poetry this year. Big time. As in, we've barely even glanced at poetry. I knew that had to change during these last few weeks of school, so I started doing some research. Thanks to Pinterest, Instagram, and the many blogs that I follow, I have found a plethora of awesome … Continue reading 5 Excellent Resources for Teaching Poetry in Secondary English
The Perks of Procrastinating
I am constantly telling my students not to procrastinate. Plan ahead, I tell them. Do your work early, I preach. But truth is, when I procrastinate, I tend to do my best work. Anyone else? For example, I tried to plan for the last eight weeks of school before Spring Break, but I just couldn't … Continue reading The Perks of Procrastinating
Stop Shutting Down Ambitious Teachers
Have you ever noticed that our educational system expects ambition from our students but not from our teachers? We want students to have drive, to strive for more, to dream big, but when a teacher dreams big (especially if that dream might take them out of the classroom) he or she is questioned and scrutinized. Ambition … Continue reading Stop Shutting Down Ambitious Teachers
Take it Easy–Enjoy Yourself
Spring break is over. Today is the last day and I'm just not ready to go back. I could use at least another week (who's with me?!). Despite my sadness at the winding down of this lovely time off, I have to reflect on what I've learned this week. Let me start by explaining what … Continue reading Take it Easy–Enjoy Yourself
High Volume Doesn’t Mean High Confidence: A Reminder
Wednesday was speech day in Public Speaking. The air was buzzing with the nervous excitement of the first day of speeches. The kids have butterflies in their stomachs, but they're also ready, after writing and practicing their speeches, to perform for their peers. Their first speech is an easy one: a speech of introduction. But … Continue reading High Volume Doesn’t Mean High Confidence: A Reminder
Five Things for Next Year
So, we're almost halfway through June and I think this is my second full week out of school. You know how it is, once summer hits, I know longer know what day of the week it is (AND I LOVE IT). Anyway, despite being so early in the summer, I can't keep next year off … Continue reading Five Things for Next Year
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