4 Digital Safeguards For Modern Teachers Blogging & Technology by Joel Wagner - August 6, 2017August 6, 20171 I started my teaching career in 2002. Our world and the digital landscape have changed dramatically since then. Navigating this new landscape can be challenging for teachers who want to engage students with the latest technology, but also protect themselves from some of the pitfalls that this always-connected world brings with it. Here are four digital safeguards you can easily get started on this week that could help your teaching life. 1. Create a free "school-only" Google account "But my school provides me with an email address, why would I do that?" That's a great question. Why should we even bother doing this? Once upon a time, this was a non-issue. Now, the idea of opening a browser window on a projector in
Adieu, Homework: Let’s Explore Alternatives to Traditional Homework General by Ethan Miller - June 27, 2016July 10, 20163 This article explores some of the history of homework and also a few homework alternatives. If you end your class with homework and you hear groans, it may be time to stop and ask why. Of course, this is nothing new and it knows no boundaries, geographically at least, from what I hear from colleagues. Homework and a collective groan following its announcement have been around for many years now, since formal schooling began. If you are surprised to hear this because your students always respond enthusiastically to assignments, I’d like to buy you coffee and grill you! I am sure everyone would like to know how you do it. I was reading about the pros and cons of homework, and I want to
20 Year Reflection: What I Have Learned New Teachers by Kathryn Laster - June 14, 2010June 30, 20102 This is a guest post by Kathryn Laster, who teaches math in a suburb of Dallas, TX. She writes: This year was my 20th year of teaching, so my humble opinions qualify as part B of your "call for guest bloggers." I really started working on my formal philosophy as a grad school assignment, and I have been slowly tweaking it for several years. Since this was a milestone year for me, I thought it would be appropriate to really re-think and re-visit my philosophy, and your call for guests inspired me to do so. My brief resume: this year, I taught ESL algebra 1, pre-calculus, and AP calculus AB, and this is also my 10th
The Years Are Building Blocks: Part Five New Teachers by Drew - June 11, 2010June 30, 20100 This is a guest post by Drew, who currently teaches 7th Grade Texas History in the San Antonio area, where he has taught since 2004. Maybe this job doesn't pay enough for those with heavy material needs. But, working here has helped me with the most important part of my life. 10. Family – My comfort level with my material for class has improved each and every year. I spent Friday nights, usually until the wee Saturday morning hours, setting up lesson plans for the next week. I was never able to get ahead on my work. I had two preps and no lesson plans from other teachers to guide me. By November
The Years Are Building Blocks: Part Four New Teachers by Drew - June 10, 2010June 30, 20100 This is a guest post by Drew, who currently teaches 7th Grade Texas History in the San Antonio area, where he has taught since 2004. Shout out to my college roommates for always giving me a hard time about being cultured. Was I full of myself, or what? Nothing goes together better than Austin and music. 8. Music – I actually played Ted Nugent’s ‘Great White Buffalo’ in class because the song tells the story of buffalo from the Native American perspective. I didn’t think much of it until our 3-on-3 basketball tournament yesterday at TAKS celebration. One of the teams, 3 girls from one of my classes, made t-shirts at home and their team name was….White Buffaloes. I wonder if they'll
The Years Are Building Blocks: Part Three New Teachers by Drew - June 9, 2010June 30, 20100 This is a guest post by Drew, who currently teaches 7th Grade Texas History in the San Antonio area, where he has taught since 2004. A wise investment is just that. Find ways to invest in your school and yourself. 6. Next year – To complement our emphasis on relationships at school, I will be leading a field trip to Washington, D.C. in 2011. This requires advance planning and nothing matches the looks I get from the students who will be attending. You can just see the excitement in their eyes. In others there is dread because their parents and siblings will be joining them. 7. Professional Development – My personal fav. I did the first-ever book study with ATPE at www.atpe.org. I
The Years Are Building Blocks: Part Two New Teachers by Drew - June 8, 2010June 30, 20100 This is a guest post by Drew, who currently teaches 7th Grade Texas History in the San Antonio area, where he has taught since 2004. Here I discovered the proper use of multimedia and how proper procedures can help ensure mental well-being. 3. Movies – I have used movies in the past, but mostly to kill time. This year, I wrote some great questions for the movies I used. I suppose I set my expectations higher as far as how I used movies like ‘The Alamo’ or ‘National Treasure 2’. My students compared the information from our textbook to how Hollywood presents historical facts. Kudos to Nicolas Cage for the ‘hysterical’ side of the facts. 4. Procedures – I have
The Years Are Building Blocks: Part One New Teachers by Drew - June 7, 2010June 30, 20100 This is a guest post by Drew, who currently teaches 7th Grade Texas History in the San Antonio area, where he has taught since 2004. At the end of this, my sixth year, I have a few moments to reflect on the road taken. While I am looking at this year with the rose-colored glasses all teachers wear on the last day of school, I urge one and all to take whatever time necessary to enjoy all that you have accomplished this year. But do so as objectively as possible. All teachers have growing pains every year, but don’t let those get in the way of what you did right. In no particular order, here is what I
HELP!!!!! New Teacher Wants To Regain Control New Teachers by Joel Wagner - May 27, 2010June 30, 201013 Ivy writes: I am in my first year as a Special Education teacher. My class is out of control. Kids are yelling at each other. Nobody is focused on their work. I am yelling and screaming and they are talking back and yelling back at me. Everybody is trying to help me out. Some say I need to be more positive, some say I need to be stronger and more strict. I do not know what to do. As a group, they are against me. The situation is very confrontational. I can not stop them going crazy. The kids know it. They are going crazy but they do not care. Some kids even have a lot of fun of it.
10 Things A First Year Teacher Should Do New Teachers by Joel Wagner - September 13, 2009June 30, 201010 Do you hate your job? I just finished my third week of school and am excited about how much fun my job will be this year. It's super exciting. I remember back when I was a first year teacher, though. It wasn't quite like this. This was underscored this week when a couple of anonymous readers (disgruntled and hey) left the following comments: It's interesting reading all these comments and I was searching the internet for other jobs I could do if I wasn't a teacher.. My story is the opposite. I have a great bunch of students and a really supportive (mostly) group of parents also. I am disgruntled by the workload and also extra things that end up taking
Where Do You Want To Teach? Navigating U.S. State Educator Certification Criteria New Teachers by Edward Kim - April 23, 2009June 30, 20107 This is a guest post by Edward Kim from The Certification Map Team. Joel, thanks for letting us write a guest post on your blog. This site is a great source for educators who want meaningful information with a down-to-earth touch. For Joel's regular readers, thanks for taking your time time to read this post. I want to start out by asking you a simple question: Do you know your state's teacher certification requirements? How many of you have experienced or heard horror stories about people trying to navigate through your state's Department of Education website trying to figure out the certification process (not to mention long phone conversations with the DOE that lead nowhere). It can be a
20 Blogs I Wish Were Around When I Started Teaching Blogging & Technology by Joel Wagner - April 5, 2009June 30, 201040 When I first started out, I was living by myself far away from home. I didn't have any friends in the community outside of the school. And those were either other band directors or band parents. I didn't do anything to really try to keep in contact with college friends, I sort of had the Lone Ranger type approach. That was way back in 2002. My how things have changed! Now, education prep programs all over seem to be requiring students to read and comment on blogs as part of their education. With that being said, I have seen quite a rise in the number of educational blogs out there since I started blogging two years ago. I have seen
Reader Appreciation 2008: Clix Reader Appreciation by Joel Wagner - November 12, 2008July 1, 20101 November is Reader Appreciation Month at So You Want To Teach? This year’s focus is First Year Teaching Tips. There’s still room if you want to participate! Contact me and let me know your answer to this question: What are some things you wish you had known before you started your first year of teaching? Today’s response is from Clix, the author of Epic Adventures Are Often Uncomfortable. Things I wish I knew when I was a first-year teacher: Backward Design - Reviewing the standards and keeping them in mind as I plan my units and my lessons helps me to clarify for the students what they need to learn. Each year will continue to get better (at least,
Reader Appreciation 2008: Scribbler Reader Appreciation by Atticus Parker - November 10, 2008August 3, 20103 November is Reader Appreciation Month at So You Want To Teach? This year’s focus is First Year Teaching Tips. There’s still room if you want to participate! Contact me and let me know your answer to this question: What are some things you wish you had known before you started your first year of teaching? Today’s response is from Scribbler, the author of Scribbler's Den. This has been a great exercise. I have so much to write about now! A school's focus on student results and grades is not necessarily a focus on their education. You should focus on their education. The structure of the school year into units, terms and semesters mean the years will
Reader Appreciation 2008: Emily Reader Appreciation by Joel Wagner - November 6, 2008July 1, 20104 November is Reader Appreciation Month at So You Want To Teach? This year’s focus is First Year Teaching Tips. There’s still room if you want to participate! Contact me and let me know your answer to this question: What are some things you wish you had known before you started your first year of teaching? Today’s response is from Emily, a regular reader of this blog. NEVER assume your kids know the basics, you might be surprised. It's not you personally, but it might have been something you overlooked. Sometimes, patience isn't enough, though it will get you through the tough times. First and foremost: love your students first, then share your knowledge. Classroom Procedures should be set up