My first week of school as a brand new teacher was an utter disaster. I had just finished my student teaching but had never actually practiced the first day of school. I hadn’t really thought about what 8th graders need on the first day of school. So I did what I thought I was supposed to do: I handed out a copy of my 3 page syllabus (facepalm) and read it to them (double facepalm). After I finished, I looked at the clock and my eyes grew wide… I still had 20 minutes left of class and nothing to do. I looked out at the glazed- over eyes of my…
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The New Must-Read PD Book for EVERY Teacher
The Joyful Teacher by Berit Gordon Usually I will do some form of PD over the summer by signing up for a training, but between a cross- country move, starting at a brand new school, and the conclusion of the most stressful school year, I needed a break. However, I stumbled across this book on Instagram, and I am SO glad I did. Let me tell you why I think it is the new must-read PD book for every teacher, from newbies to veterans. Although Wong’s classic First Days of School is an incredible resource, after reading The Joyful Teacher ( this is NOT an affiliate link or paid promotion,…
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10 Ways to Support Soft Skills in the Secondary Classroom
Things like working well as a team or meeting deadlines often require a lot of practice. I believe that a grade is a summary of a student’s content skills, not behavior, so I learned some ways to teach soft skills without penalty. When we penalize a student’s grade for being late to class or turning something in late or not being prepared, we are not teaching them HOW to learn that behavior we are punishing them. This a practice that can have harmful effects on a student and their future. Here are 10 ways you can support soft skills (without interrupting your curriculum) so that students have many opportunities to…
