I can still remember my first snow day. It was actually a cold day, as temperatures dipped below -30 degrees Fahrenheit with the windchill. The shrill of the telephone cut into my dreams. Rubbing my eyes, I padded out of my room and into my parents’ bedroom. I squinted as my dad nodded into the … [Read more…]
It doesn’t take more than a few clicks to find someone on social media shouting about how personal finance should be taught in schools. Usually, it’s people made cranky by tax time. While that’s definitely a discussion that’s bigger than this post, I did get the chance to squeeze in a lesson on financial independence … [Read more…]
Last month, I closed the lesson plan book on a decade of teaching at my current school. Calling it a decrescendo would be generous. It wasn’t really a whimper or a whisper. It was actually just a click. I moused over the “Leave Meeting” button, let Zoom know I was sure, and that was that. … [Read more…]
When I first started teaching, I had one class where I was the only white face in the room. Our curriculum spanned everything from Edgar Allen Poe and Jack London to Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. There were times when I was the expert and other times when I couldn’t muster a single … [Read more…]
Summer is winding down as anyone who has recently set foot in a Target can attest. You can’t move your shopping cart three feet without being assaulted with back-to-school reminders, especially those towering shelves at the Dollar Spot. Just that sentence is enough to send new and veteran teachers alike deep into fantasies about cute … [Read more…]
The research is undeniable. Reading is hugely beneficial for kids and teens. What’s more is the numerous benefits reading provides just about anyone. Additionally, if you ask most writers what makes them great at their craft, you’re likely to hear one thing over and over again: great writers are great readers. But there’s a problem. … [Read more…]