Bow, curtsy, tap toes, wave, smile, nod. These are just some of the handshake alternatives that are enjoying their turn in the limelight. There are also peace signs, Spock signs, salutes, air high-fives. If you’re my middle school students, you might just take to greeting one another with a squirt of hand sanitizer. (Actually, don’t … [Read more…]
“You’re really writing a card for that?” “But, Miss. It was only a picture!” I’m lucky to receive gifts as a teacher. Of course, I have some favorite teacher gifts from over the years. But I treasure every time a student and their family thinks of me. Recently, it occurred to me that I’ve written … [Read more…]
After spending an actual lifetime in the classroom, you would think that I would know a thing or two about the best teacher gifts. But this is a hard post to write. Not because I can’t pick a favorite gift (I really can’t!), but because there is so much noise surrounding teacher gifts right now. … [Read more…]
Years ago, I made a fairly bold declaration as a total newbie poking around the FIRE space. I said I wasn’t leaving my classroom, and I meant it. Now, wonderfully, more and more people are realizing that financial freedom doesn’t have to mean retiring early…or ever. Even so, there is so much talk about the … [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…]
I logged onto Facebook. That was my first mistake. Every once in a while, I can’t resist the temptation to check in with far-flung relatives, so I log on. There were three messages waiting for me. I knew what they were without even clicking. Like death and taxes, there is another certainty, albeit much more … [Read more…]
How many pencils does it take to function in a 22,000 square foot mega mansion? Zero, if you’re Betsy DeVos. If you somehow missed the tweet that one of her staffers posted after her first day of work at Secretary of Education, it was a joke that backfired tremendously. Politics aside, it proved something I’ve … [Read more…]
December is a lot of things for a lot of people. For me? Well, it’s mostly a race to finish A Christmas Carol before winter break begins. The Dickens classic is part of the curriculum so I’m up to my eyeballs in ghosts, chains, and mince pies. While the iconic antihero Ebenezer Scrooge is typically … [Read more…]