CLASS
Classroom tips without big price tags.
Leave Me Alone! Avoid Classroom Interruptions & Get $#!T Done
Eight phone calls before lunch. Eight! Call One: "Hello, Robin?" "No, it's Dawn." "Can I speak to Robin?" "No. You have the wrong number." "I really need Robin." Then call her! Click... "I'm sorry, you'll have to call her. Bye." Now, where were we--somewhere between...
What Kind of Computer Do I Get My Kid?
Right now my son has The Peach Salsa Computer, and it's going to die. It's time to start computer shopping for middle school. But with a birthday around the corner, I'd like to kill two birds with one stone--get him something that looks like a gift but is really for...
Teachers–You Must Own Your Content
You just spent a ton of time creating a unit. It's beautiful. You'll use it this year, and maybe next. Or maybe you wrote a curriculum or guide for your department. Who owns that content? This is an important question. If you put in the work, it should be you. You...
10 Ways to Get School Cancelled
"Is school cancelled? There's snow out there. Everyone's texting everyone. Parents, teachers, concerned citizens. We all want to know. Is school cancelled? "Did you get the text?" Nobody got the text. NOBODY GOT THE TEXT!!! There can't be school today!! Looks like...
Stop Spending Your Paycheck on Your Job!
Teachers--how much money from your last paycheck did you give back to your job? Stop spending--before it's too late! It's prom season. ($40) "Can your department donate a basket to our fundraiser?" ($10) "Dress down day." ($10/month) Hosting a breakfast before...
Sanity Tips: Don’t Go Crazy At Report Card Time
Keep your sanity at report card time! The day before report card day is one of four days a year students miraculously care about the number in the grade book. Nobody cared when I said, "Sure, get that to me tomorrow," or "It'll be posted on the Google Classroom Wall."...
Lice: How to overcome terror and save your child
Lice is coming to get you... "Lice is coming around both classes," a mom wrote in the class Facebook thread. I consult the thread for all notices and assignments that don't survive, but lice terrifies me to the core. It's the "He Who Shall Not Be Named" in my...
13 Tips for Being an Amazing Teacher
Someone on Quora asked me to give tips for teaching at a high school, so, I did. Then I posted it on Medium under the title "13 Tips & Non-negotiables for Teaching at a High School." Here are the 13 Tips and the original post: Each of these things have made me the...
Celebrate Constitution Day with FREE Resources
Celebrate Constitution Day! The the United States Constitution was signed in September of 1787. It wasn't ratified by the nine states needed to allow it to take effect until June 21, 1788. That's three-quarters of a year later. If you think our political process is...