Imagine the Impact:Productive, Positive, Post-Observation Meetings

My first year teaching in a NYC public school I sat down with what would now be considered a “student advisor” for my post-observation session. He asked me how I felt the lesson went. I told him I thought it went pretty well.

Imagine the Impact!

He replied, snarkily, “You must think very highly of yourself.”

Well actually, yeah, I did. I was 24 and confident as hell, I still am.I knew I had room for improvement, but I also knew my lesson went pretty well.

Was his comment helpful? Not at all.

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What if all Educators Quit?

I have watched videos, read letters, and listened to testimonies from educators who have quit. Media outlets relentlessly lament the fact that teachers are quitting in droves.

I understand the “why” of quitting, except for the “no chance for advancement” part, as if being a classroom teacher is the bottom of the barrel and you have to work your way up from there. But let’s leave that to another post, shall we?

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“Wellll…You Chose this Profession…”

One of my best friends and I were sitting around talking and the conversation turned to IEPs. Let me put this in perspective. My friend is a Spec.Ed supervisor and I am a 5th grade teacher. I was discussing how overwhelming IEPs are and the work Spec Ed teachers have, not only writing them, but following through on them, etc…

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Synchronized Teaching- The Loss of Uniqueness!

There used to be a time when a teacher would find his/her groove teaching, a style of teaching that produced results. Of course,as the years went by, that style, hopefully, would be refined, adjusted, tap here, tap there, and all is good.READ MORE…

“My Name is Idiot.”

 

My heart broke when I read the story of this  4 year old abused girl. When the officers asked her what her name was, she responded, “Idiot.” The other child living in the house said that she was called that in place of her name.READ MORE…

“Cheat Sheets” Saving My Voice and My Sanity!

One year I was being observed and the class I had was trying to sign into Schoology, again. I was frustrated because a. I was being observed and b. This was not the first time they had signed into Schoology. And to be honest if I wasn’t being observed, I might not have been quite as frustrated. But that’s another story…

So, during the post observation my administrator suggested that I create “cheat sheets.” I  said, “I keep telling them how to do it, they should get it.” And then, I went home and created the “cheat sheet”, and I have been doing it ever since. READ MORE..

Operation Feedback! Just Give Me 30 Minutes a Week, and You Too Will Be an Amazing Teacher!

 I should have know something was wrong when the faculty meeting started with a video of Bill Gates EEE (Education Expert Extraordinaire) talking about what teachers need.

What does Bill think we need more than anything in the world? Feedback! I don’t see anything wrong with feedback, but on a Top 10 list of things teachers need, this is not it.

 

Happy New Year: An Educator’s Resolutions!

 

Have a Wonderful 2014!

 I resolve to:

1. treat all students fairly, regardless of race, gender, age, behavior, a parent’s nasty attitude, the comments from last year’s teachers, or seemingly lack of interest in learning
2. continue to follow Rita Pierson’s advice, and be a champion for my students
3. to realize that all children can learn, but not always at the same pace
4. stop using sarcasm as a disciplinary tool, no matter how effective it may seem. READ MORE…

 

All I Want for Christmas:An Educator’s List!

When my siblings and I were younger, my parents had us write a list of everything we wanted for Christmas. Of course, raising 5 kids, we never got everything we put on that list. But it felt so good writing it because you knew you were going to get something on that list.

 

1.productive professional development throughout the school year – teacher-driven PD,what a concept!

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Productive Parent -Teacher Conferences: A P/T Form That Helps!

Year after year, I have tried to find a way to make my conferences more productive. I had attempted to find a way to share information with my parents so they had a clear understanding of where their child is. I had always felt frustrated, when after a parent had gone , and I would think, “Oh, I forgot to tell her/him….”  READ MORE