basic

The first day of school approaches. Sharpened pencils, neatly stacked book, organized files, and alphabetically arranged encyclopedias grace your classroom. Everything is clean, shiny, and waiting... Read More

During the summer the 25-mph speed limit sign was moved up the hill a few hundred yards. This morning on my way to school I realized that, once again, I cruised through it at a higher speed, only ... Read More

When four- and five-year-old children think about school, what do they imagine? Do the smatterings they hear from older siblings, cousins, and friends give them a fun picture or a bleak one? I was... Read More

Bop! “I need an attitude adjustment,” Loren announced, as he hit himself on the head to give the adjustment. “I smell your attitude, and it’s stinky!” Rachel informed her older sister... Read More

Dear Second-Year Teacher, Welcome back for another year in the classroom! It’s good to see that you stuck around, that you were brave enough to try it again. It would be a shame to let all th... Read More

Recess.  Do you rejoice?  Moan?  Feel uncertain?  Yes, I have been there too.  Recess is designed to give students a break from study, and a chance to exercise.  Our little people's minds a... Read More

Communication can make or break your school year. From the onset, you want to be intentional on communicating your expectations to your students and patrons as well as hearing their expectations, ... Read More

At the end of a school term, I sent off my students with a list of fifty tasks to complete over the summer. Certainly they were all optional, and some were more educational than others. This year,... Read More

School is out. The students have closed their books and taken the last tests. The books have all been sent back to the school house. It’s time to forget math and language and reading for a few m... Read More

Motivation My sixth-grade teacher pulled me into the hall for a conversation. “I know you can do better than this. These pages are sloppy and this is not your best work,” she said. The workb... Read More