Guest Blog: One Classroom, One Teacher
I’ve previously written that student behavior is not personal. This is true. Pressure from students’ outside lives can erupt in class. Unprocessed grief can become disruption. Unfelt anger can become a refusal to participate. It’s important that we as teachers recognize the many external factors that can influence behavior inside a classroom. While students do […]
Building Relationships with Families
The education of children is a responsibility that must be shared by the teacher and families alike. We need to recognize what a powerful asset a parent or family member can be; what powerful components parents and guardians are to a child’s success. To work effectively, teachers need families to support their academic, disciplinary, and […]
Guest Blog: It’s Not Personal
“There’s a fight in the library!” It’s 2 pm, and Chelsea is standing on the faded asphalt, yelling. Our principal, Ms. Benjamin, shoots up from her desk and pops out her door onto the quad, wondering how a fight could possibly be happening in our “library,” a bookshelf-lined freight container with barely enough room to […]
The Complexity of Nurturing and Showing We Care
Effective educators profoundly understand that “nurturing” scholars means demonstrating “care.” Many teachers may misunderstand “care” as unconditional praise, downshifting expectations for scholars…
I’m a Better Teacher Now Than I’ve Ever Been…
I teach everything from kids with horrifically unfortunate home lives to those with two parents and who live in million dollar homes (in my area that’s a very fine home). We serve them all and we love them all, not that it’s always easy. Especially for struggling teachers. Teachers in their first few years often […]
Every Kid Deserves World-Class Supports…
I have been blessed to serve as a public school educator for about 15 years. I have worked in foster homes, Detention Centers and in 3 different large public high schools, both with urban needs as well as suburban youth. My No-Nonsense Nurturer® (NNN) training came when I was the building principal at Princeton High School in […]
At Its Core, Teaching is About Relationships.
Why are teacher relationships so important? Education has always been a rich source for personal experiences, both good and sad. As I celebrate my 30th year as an educator, my last 10 years as an instructional leader improving Title 1 schools, I can’t help but reflect on my experience as a new teacher. In my […]
