Before planes depart, flight attendants tell passengers, “In case of an emergency, put your oxygen mask on first before helping others.” This intrigues me. I have always thought, “Wouldn’t you want to be selfless and help others around you first, especially children?”
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We were all caught off guard by the Coronavirus. When I heard we weren’t heading back to school for the rest of the year, I began to panic. Like many of you, I began asking myself: “What am I going
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Have you ever thought, “Why am I doing this activity? What is the point?” A common response from veteran teachers is something like, “I’ve done it this way for ___ years!” A few years ago, I would say something similar
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Have you ever quit something after your first time experiencing it because it was either too simple or too challenging? I have, multiple times. In my personal life, the Rubik’s cube immediately comes to mind. Several years ago, I remember
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As teachers, we can get stuck in doing the same old lesson plans we’ve always done. “It’s easier” and “Most students get it this way” are common responses. When I hear these, frustration sets in as questions race through my
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Keeping kindergartners engaged is a tough task for any teacher. A friend of mine, a great kindergarten teacher, just told me a story about a class of his. As he was giving extended instructions, one of his students blurted out, “Boooorrrriiiinnggg!”
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How often have you lost precious planning time because you were busy communicating with parents? How about getting so caught up in lesson planing that you completely forget to get back to parents? Too many teachers face this problem daily, and I
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Our brains are easily persuaded by self-talk. When facing adversity, it’s natural to think about doubts and harder to focus on the positives. Life, especially in teaching, is full of challenges. As I tell my students, “If you think you
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As a college athlete, coaches constantly challenged our team, especially in the weight room and at practice. Being “good enough” was not an option. They taught us to push through a last repetition or to finish a certain drill, because
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It is the night before the first day of school. You are a prepared teacher. You have great lessons ready for your students. Everything is printed and ready to go. Yet, you still feel worried. What if this math lesson
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