Summer Reading List for Teachers
During the summer I love to plow through books! I’m not a fiction reader, however. Getting lost in a story-line has never been my thing. I enjoy picking up a …
The Teacher Salary Truth Bomb
Teachers are good at spending money… on students. Teachers get paid like $40,000/year and spend 10k of it on their students. (Is that a dramatic over statement intended for effect? …
How to Create The Best Lessons for Kids
Not too long ago I had a guest speaker in my classroom. The presenter asked my students a good question, “what do you normally do in this class?” An 8th …
A Tough Teacher Lesson…
Parents & Principals don’t always know kids like we do. Our relationship with students is different. So we have to be confident when they criticize our choices. It doesn’t mean …
How to Spend Spirit Week In Schools!
I have one level for Spirit Week: Full Throttle! Schools have spirit weeks for: homecoming, prom, book celebrations, community events, and so much more. We had a spirit week at …
This NEW Book is AWESOME! Pre-Order Your Copy Today
Introducing the Newest Book in My Collection: 180 Days of Awesome Relationships Every day that we walk into our school, we have an opportunity to connect with kids. How do …
Amazing Schools Totally Understand This Truth…
It has been an insanely hard year for both teachers and education leaders. But here is a truth that amazing school leaders totally understand: Your BEHAVIOR -not your advice or …
Try This Awesome Free Lesson to Make Your Wednesday Wonderful!
Doing engaging games with kids is a great way to build a classroom community. You probably have dome something like Would You Rather before. But, the version I’ve created takes …
THIS is What Teachers Need Right Now!
Want to end this school year on a good note? Want a few ideas to connect with kids? Want a simple way to engage & motivate students? Want a reminder of …
A Letter to All Teachers Right Now
A Letter to All Teachers Right Now… Dear Teacher Friends, Are you struggling right now? If you said yes, you are not alone! Here is what we have to do. …
Compassion in Small Learning Communities
Got a flat tire on my way home from school not too long ago. I pulled into a gas station. 2 amazing gentleman came and helped. The gas station clerk …
The 2022 Goals You Teachers Are Looking For
3 Goals to Hit Daily in Schools for 2022 Love learning Love people Love growing If we can say “yes” to all 3 of those each day, we are creating …
A Loving Reminder to Every Teacher
Just in case your principal hasn’t told you this in a minute… You have done AMAZING things this year. You have made a HUGE impact on kids. You are an …
Wait. How Am I Failing This Class? A Look at Grades…
An important reminder to education: Grades should represent students have mastered a CONTENT area… NOT how good they are at following directions, being kind, putting a name on paper, bringing …
How to Make 2022 a Year of 365 Days of Awesome
Awesome is all around us. Every single day we get the opportunity to be intentional about focusing on failures or celebrating successes. But in the past few years finding the …
The Bold Truth About Homework
So here is a big teacher truth: If we hate grading it, our students probably hated doing it. Now, I understand that “hate” is a strong word, but hear me …
How to Build Rooted Relationships in the Classroom
Building rooted relationships with students in our schools can be really hard. That is especially true right now! The good news is, you don’t have to do that alone. For …
Why Are There 59 Shades of Failure in Schools?
We have all heard of the book 50 Shades of Gray. It was pretty controversial and likely WAY over-rated. But you know what is fascinating? There are 59 shade of …
Adults: Our Job is NOT To Keep Kids Happy
Here is a hard truth bomb… Our job is not to keep kids happy. Our job is to keep kids human. Stay with me and hear me out for …
Kids and Their Comfort Zone in Schools
Something really cool happens when kids step outside their comfort zones. In fact, they often surprise themselves in these moments. Here is an example of a conversation that happened in …
Sunday Stress for Teachers: The Struggle is Real
If you are a teacher and Sunday creates: Stress Anxiety Fear Frustration There is nothing wrong with you. There is something wrong with the current policies and procedures happening within …
3 Simple Goals that Will Change This School Year
Our job as teachers this year still feels so different than it has in the past, But the work we are about to do is also SO significant. And I …
Education Reminder: LOVE vs. HATE
You can LOVE teaching and HATE that summer is ending. You can LOVE teaching and HATE all the stress we are feeling for a new school year. You can LOVE …
The Best SEL Curriculum for Your Students & School
Make Your SEL & Morning Meeting Planning SO much Easier! To be honest, sometime SEL feels like “one more thing” even though we know in our teacher hearts that it …
Working and Learning are 2 Totally Different Things. Here’s Why…
There is a substantial difference between WORKING and LEARNING. Working out 5 problems can prove that students are proficient. They don’t always need 25 practice problems and 70 fill in …