For the decades of my teaching career, I’ve passed through myriad teacher evaluation instruments. There were the years of the checklists, years of narratives, and now we’ve had years of SGOs and SGPs. There are arguments to be made for all of these, yet I don’t think any of them actually measures the value ofContinue reading “What’s a Teacher Worth?”
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Happy Quarant-Easter!
Our children are grown, living in their own apartments about a half hour from us. I miss them so much. All the time. But especially now, in quarantine, when all I get is phone calls and the occassional Zoom. No hugs, as they are both in essential occupations. Today we packed Easter baskets and EasterContinue reading “Happy Quarant-Easter!”
Grading during Quarantine
Remote schooling or distance learning or whatever your district is calling it had plenty of obstacles to hurdle. Now that we’ve managed the who and the what and the where and the why, it’s time to get down and dirty and talk about grades. There are two extreme schools of thought and a middle groundContinue reading “Grading during Quarantine”
I wasn’t ready!
We had warning that this was coming, but we didn’t know when. And then one day we were told not to come back the next day. My plants are still in my classroom. It’s been nearly 4 weeks. The first 2 weeks were an absolute blur. Hunched in front of a laptop attempting to makeContinue reading “I wasn’t ready!”
Virtual Field Trips
One way to take advantage of remote schooling is to let your students take all of those field trips your school would never approve or be able to afford. Here are a few suggestions to get you started.
Strange New World
When people were on the sidewalk coming toward me, I crossed the street to keep from catching whatever they might be carrying. I lunge at the phone, eager for human contact. I do a check on my own health (Any sore throat? Any chills?) all the time, and scrub my hands whenever I see a sink.
File Folder Games
Why do I love file folder games? They’re easy to make, fun to play, and can be used at essentially any level to review basically any material at all. After an initial investment of a few hours creating the game, all I have to do is print it and laminate it and it’s good toContinue reading “File Folder Games”
Are you preparing for Distance Learning?
Whether your State has been hit by the Coronavirus or not, the admins in your district are probably thinking about a contingency plan in case they have to close school. Some states have approved distance learning as an alternative if the local or state board of health forces schools to close. What are the bestContinue reading “Are you preparing for Distance Learning?”
A great (free) tool for making Crossword Puzzles
Crossword puzzles are great tools for reviewing vocabulary. Here’s a free tool to make your own.
You Can Do This (hang in there until spring break, I mean)
The good news? The days are getting longer and the weather is getting warmer. There are small green buds on some of the trees and a few early birds are tweeting again.The bad news? There are six more weeks before spring break.