After An Educator's Journey
Out of the classroom & into the universe
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Once upon a time, I taught 2nd, 3rd, and 4th graders. Now I’m retired and working on new ventures.
Category: Classroom organization
I was unprepared for my first ever teaching job in 1974…. why didn’t those children sit in rows with their hands folded waited for the next drop of wisdom from my brain?
Here’s how things have evolved over the last 20+ years. Maybe what I’ve learned can help you.
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Here in the Northeast, we’ve endured some whacky weather – high winds and plenty of rain. Not exactly a hurricane, but a giant inconvenience, particularly for those without power since Sunday night. The wind damage and power outages resulted in school cancellations throughout the Merrimack Valley; some school districts are now left with just 2…
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Donalyn Miller recently tweeted about a recording sheet she uses for the 40 Book Challenge she not only “invented” but practices with her students in her classroom. As I’ve recently added her book “The Book Whisperer” to the book study portion of a course I’ve developed, Donalyn’s tweet caught my attention: My curiosity over why…
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A former colleague and new-to-grade teacher recently asked if I’d share my plan book with her. I was, of course, flattered by that request and, since planbook.edu hadn’t yet disabled my account (retirement = less out-of-pocket spending), I was happy to send her a PDF of my old book. With footnotes. Why? Well, I realized…
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When I first started teaching, I changed bulletin boards monthly – always with, what I perceived was a “cute” theme. Laminated cutouts, tracings from an overhead projector…. I diligently changed the boards in my classroom to reflect seasons and my own idea of what would make the classroom seem cute or homey. Oh boy, have…
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How do you define your classroom space? I like to call mine collaborative classroom design. As a follower of Responsive Classroom, I know how important it is for students to feel ownership and have a voice in designing the space we share. When I walk into my classroom space for the first time after a summer break, I…
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How do you start planning for a new school year? I begin with thinking about my daily schedule. At the beginning of my career, this was more problematic because teachers weren’t given all the contributing factors (like lunch, recess, and special schedules) until the day before the kids came. That made for a long night…
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It rained last Thursday. Which isn’t really news-worthy unless you are a teacher with just a few weeks left of summer break. A rainy day is usually the impetus for me to start readying my classroom for the first day of school. This year I am a bit more behind the eight ball than usual…
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In the upcoming school year, I will be changing grade levels and classrooms. Honestly, I am not sure which of those two is more scary – learning a new curriculum or moving my collected treasures. The move to a new classroom is at once exhilarating and deflating. I do welcome the chance to vigorously downsize…
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Lots of schools districts – including the one in which I work – have been revisiting safety procedures since Newtown’s tragedy. That’s a good thing. But as with many suggestions for educators, there are some incredibly myopic ideas out there. Recently I heard the suggestions that educators plan room arrangements so that bookcases can be…
After An Educator's Journey 