“Is anyone else feeling like they are just hanging on by their fingernails?” This question, asked by a middle school teacher, interrupted a grade level discussion about a common formative assessment. The question opened the floodgates. Anxiety, dread, and frustration
Read MoreCOVID is SCARIER than Halloween!
There is nothing wrong with a fun scare. Most people will agree that the opportunity to be shocked in this way often ends in laughter and good memories. Halloween is one time of year when it is ok to play
Read MoreOnline Classroom Management
I officially had my first discipline referral this year. In an online learning environment, it does feel a little bit embarrassing to have discipline issues, but, I guess it is just as easy to break the rules from home as
Read MoreChange is the Only Constant
Teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic has been TOUGH. What many people might not know is how much work teachers, administrators, and other school personnel put in behind the scenes when decisions are made at the state or district level. Systems,
Read MoreBack to the Future – Where is Doc when you need him?
Think back, ALL the way back, to your first year of teaching. What do you remember? Were you as effective as you hoped to be? I often joke that I want to go back to apologize to those students, as
Read MoreHelping Parents Be Less Helpful
I was doing a virtual walkthrough in a Kindergarten teacher’s Zoom classroom. The lesson was on high frequency words. The teacher led the class through her lesson with an energy unique to Kindergarten teachers. She had them working. They began
Read MoreCameras Off
I am officially starting my 6th week of online teaching through Zoom. Every day, I boot up my laptop, launch my Zoom meeting, and smile at the names of students that appear on my screen in empty black boxes. If
Read MoreReflection and Refinement in Remote Teaching
Are you constantly reflecting and refining your teaching practice? So many teachers have not gotten the support they need to effectively teach remotely. What we do have is the gift of purposeful reflection that leads to changes in our craft.
Read MoreWelcome to my Virtual Classroom!
I thought I was technology literate, but then the pandemic hit and I, like all teachers, had to make the transition to teaching online. Wow, was I in for a surprise. To successfully teach in a virtual setting, teachers need
Read More“Get Out Of The Way”
Have you noticed some parents are too involved with their child’s learning? The ones that solve their problems, do their work, and give them answers? This has become increasingly apparent through distance learning, as some parents sit next to their
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