New Teacher Resources

So you got that elusive first teaching job. Congratulations. If you experience is anything like mine has been, you now get to spend a few days learning district policies, and then get thrown into the classroom with minimal further instructions. Over the last decade or so, I have been very interested in helping new teachers navigate … Read more

5 Keys To Educating People – Revisited

This is an updated version of the first article written on this blog, which was originally posted on February 11, 2007. It was edited and updated on June 9, 2016 to reflect a maturation in my approach to teaching as well as writing. You can read the original along with a handful of comments here. A Matter of … Read more

60 Very Practical Things I Wish I’d Known Before I Started Teaching

While I’ve had my ups and downs over the years as a teacher, my first two years were extremely challenging. Many of these pitfalls were avoidable. If I were going into a middle school band class as a first year teacher today, knowing what I know now, I would approach things differently. Here is an unsorted list that … Read more

20 Dead Simple Classroom Management Ideas, Tricks, and Tips

I have written extensively in the past about classroom management and I admit I have glossed over some things while belaboring other points way beyond the point of exhaustion. Below are a few of the common classroom management pieces of advice and a handful of simple tricks to use in effort to make those things … Read more

50 Things Every First Year Teacher Should Know

The first year teacher is often a very lonely and isolated person. They often feel like everyone else has everything already figured out, and they are the only one struggling. That is not the case. In fact, so many of us are in survival mode and dealing with our own issues that we forget to … Read more

It’s Not Our Beliefs That Transfer…It’s Our Passion

A friend recently mailed me a copy of the book The Line and the Dot: Alternative thoughts on vision by Paul Gibbs. The book intrigued me because there is very little information on the outside of the book and I trust my friend’s recommendation. So I began reading a little bit. Tonight I came across … Read more

15 Tricks To Transform Yourself From Classroom Bully Into A Favorite Teacher

Ramona writes: I am a first year teacher struggling with classroom management at the elementary school level. I have some logistical challenges because I don’t have my own classroom and travel between classes and schools with a cart. I also have almost 300 different students I see every week. But mostly my problem is that … Read more

How You Can Tell If You’re Cut Out For Teaching

This is a guest post by Thomas Warren, a content writer for GoCollege, one of the oldest and most trusted resources to guide students on how to finance and succeed in college. We all have knowledge and ideas that we would love to pass on to others. Is there any better legacy to leave than … Read more