What will the vilification of great, hardworking teachers do to the profession? Also, how many potential teachers are being turned away from the teaching profession due to the public vilification of teachers on social media, in the news, by the government and public?
Starting a new job as a teacher is a lot like becoming a parent. Full of energy and expectations, you plan, organize and renovate, re-plan, research, stress…….well, that describes me in both situations, anyways. New teachers (for the most part) are optimistic, naive and wholly unprepared for what awaits them. They can’t wait to prove… Continue reading Three Expectations to LET GO of as a New Teacher
Did you know that if people take the time to sit and write out their goals that they are 50% more likely to accomplish them? Crazy, right? I have to say that I’m a big proponent of goal setting, and I have two thanks for that: my parents and Olympia Sports Camp. My parents are… Continue reading 5 Practical Ideas for Back to School Goal Setting (for Teachers and Students)
Take a moment and think a bit about your childhood. What did you learn from your parents, extended family or friends and what did you learn at school? More importantly, how did the two learning environments overlap, developing consistency and clear expectations? I remember my parents (and grandparents) teaching me a wide variety of skills… Continue reading The Decline of ‘Parenting’ and its Impact on Education
Think about your own experience as a student. What do you remember? More importantly, WHO do you remember? My guess is that like me, it isn’t the teacher who had the best lessons, delivered the most curriculum, returned marking promptly, followed all the administrative and ministry rules or had the most organized classroom. To kids, none of this stuff matters, at least it didn’t to me.
My latest read is Micheal Moss’s bestseller, Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us. It’s a shocking tale of the level of deception, food altering and chemical engineering the food industry in North America has invested in causing us (the consumer) to crave salt, sugar and fat. Although I knew that these substances… Continue reading Salt Sugar and Fat: Get them OUT of our Schools
Thank God for Twitter. January 1st, 11pm and this beautiful social media application reminds me to write about my #onewordOnt for 2018. What’s #oneword you may ask? Well, really it’s just that – one word, selected by you that becomes your focus for the new year. Last year my first #oneword attempt was balance (see… Continue reading 2018 #onewordOnt: passion
A fringe benefit of my 21st century classroom has been acquiring a stand up desk. At first, I wasn’t too sure about it. How could I mark standing up? Type? Conference with students? I could envision teaching and lecturing or modelling on the Smartboard, but nothing really beyond that. Then, I saw THIS on Facebook…….Sitting… Continue reading 5 Reasons YOU NEED a stand up desk in your classroom
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