Each year at this back-to-school season, we teachers feel filled with anticipation, motivation, hopes, and some nerves. I don’t know a single teacher – no matter how veteran – who doesn’t still have a bit of anxiety going back to school. And I think part of the anxiety is because we want to get better and better every single year. We raise the bar for ourselves with each new school year! So…How can you set yourself up to have your best school year yet? [Read more…]
When STEM Teachers Thrive
Nothing sidelines an inquiry lesson like the need for control, nothing sours an engineering design project as fast as a fear of failure, and nothing curbs innovation and natural curiosity like perfectionism.
Control. Fear of failure. Perfectionism. I think we can all agree that these traits are opposite of the ones important for STEM learning—traits such as risk taking, failing forward, and stepping out of one’s comfort zone. But what if the person struggling with these traits isn’t a student but rather the teacher? [Read more…]
The Important Thing About Teaching
One of the most used books in my teaching library is “The Important Book” by Margaret Wise Brown. Have you read it? It’s simple – a repetitive format for identifying the important thing about a set of objects in life. But I’ve used it with students more times than I can count! Students got so good at writing “Important Poems” that we would even write these as a ticket out for the day’s lesson! But let’s switch the script and talk about how you can use this amazing book to be intentional, encouraging, and reflective. [Read more…]
Faith Driven Educators
While my coaching business is not a Christian coaching business, I am a Christ-follower, and as such, when teachers come to me who are of faith, we explore the role that their faith plays in their teacher life. The teachers I work with who have a strong sense of faith – Christian or otherwise – feel a deep and fulfilling sense of purpose in their lives. That’s why I’ve collaborated with Miss Tierraney to create a new community for teachers of faith called, Faith Driven Educators.
Not Finishing Your To Do List
I don’t know about you – but I HATE it when I don’t get everything done on my to do list for the day. It makes me feel like I failed the day. Today was one of those days for me – how about for you? Read on to find out my tips for days like this!
6 Tips for Taking Back the FUN in Your Teacher Life
When I ask teachers what they do for fun, they often quip “Fun. What’s that?” A busy teacher life makes little moments of fun hard to come by. And you know what they say about all work and no play. So what is the secret to taking back the FUN in your teacher life?
Stay out of Survival Mode in 2016
Teaching seems to always be synonymous with Busy. And Busy’s crazy cousins Stressed and Overwhelmed seem to never be too far behind either.
Enter Survival Mode where Busy, Stress, and Overwhelmed climb into the driver’s seat of life and we’re left hanging on to the bumper for dear life.
So – how do you get OUT of survival mode? Better yet – how do you stay out of survival mode by never going into survival mode?
Best Blogs of 2015
This is a really fun blog post to write because as I sit here, thinking back on the blogs I’ve written over the year, I can’t help but smile at how far this work has come. This work – through A Teacher’s Best Friend, has fundamentally changed me. I can never go back to the version of me that didn’t know my purpose in this world – to help teachers become their most wholehearted selves – and in the process become my most wholehearted self.
Best Wholehearted Teaching Reads of 2015
I love to read and this year has been a CRAZY BUSY reading year! I’ve read some of the most impactful books of my life this year, so I wanted to take the opportunity to share them with you!!
Tackle Your Teacher “To-Do” List
This is the time of year when my to-do list seems to double or triple each day! With the holidays around the corner, the end of the semester coming, and countless events and holiday happenings, this time of year can get overwhelming – quick! How do you tackle your teacher “to-do” list in a way that can be sane and still satisfying? [Read more…]