Dear Kennari- Greetings once again from Sweet Meadow Acres for Retired Teachers. I only have a few minutes to write today, so let’s get right to it, shall we? In your last letter, you mentioned that you’re overwhelmed with everything you need to do to prepare your
Read more →You have just finished teaching a lesson, and as you direct students to get started on their work, a familiar chorus echoes across the room, causing your heart to sink. What do we get for doing this? Do we have to do the whole thing? Are we
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Every now and then, I come across a letter from Uncle Curmudgeon, an old retired teacher, to his niece, Kennari, an aspiring new one. I’m happy to pass another along! Dear Kennari- So! You’ve signed up for your first committee! And you aren’t messing around with something
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Every now and then, I come across a letter from Uncle Curmudgeon, an old retired teacher, to his niece, Kennari, an aspiring new one. I’m happy to pass another along! Dear Kennari- It was another interesting week here at Sweet Meadow Acres for Retired Teachers. Last Tuesday’s
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The first weeks of school are long past, and your class has likely settled into a rhythm. This is a great time of year to reflect on how things are going. Are routines running as smoothly as you’d like? Are students growing in independence as they navigate
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For a long time, when I wanted to give students positive feedback about their work or behavior, I began with some version of, “I like the way you…” “Jeremy, I like the way you’re working so hard on that math challenge!” “Hey, everyone! I loved the way
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One student can change the feel of a whole classroom. John throws a tantrum whenever things don’t go his way. Alicia enters the room each morning with a deep scowl exuding negative energy. Allen has way too much sexual knowledge and seems to say something inappropriate whenever
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Every now and then, I come across a letter from Uncle Curmudgeon, an old retired teacher, to his niece, Kennari, an aspiring new one. I’m happy to pass another along! Dear Kennari- Ah! The beginning of a new year! Flowers are fading in the garden. Trees
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One of our primary goals at the beginning of the school year is to get to know our students. This is important for several reasons.First, the better we know our students, and the more they know we know them, the more invested they become in school. Also,
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As I work with teachers on helping students craft effective and supportive rules at the beginning of the school year, a question almost always comes up: “What do you think about using the Golden Rule as a classroom rule?” It’s a question that my own students would
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