You’re opening morning email at school and there it is: your teacher observation has been scheduled. Instantly, an uneasy feeling takes over. With all you have to do to keep classes running smoothly day to day, a formal observation is the last thing you want to deal with. Sometimes, that allotted date is anything but optimal! And it’s hard to think about what the perfect lesson should look like when…
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Back to School
How to Stop Writing Restroom Passes (and Keep Students in Class)
Those incessant restroom requests . . . what’s a teacher to do? I admit I’ve always been annoyed by them (What? You mean you want to leave my class?). But how can you say no when students ask? For years, I would just sign the pass, adding wistful words like, “Go quickly!” or “Hurry back!” But once I’d allow one student to go, another and another would want a pass as…
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5 Strategies for a SOLID START to Your School Year
. Ahh, starting the school year! A time for both excitement and nervousness, right? I actually enjoy going in and setting up my classroom, shining up my bookshelves, and decorating with posters and displays appealing to my 7th and 8th graders. Then I take that first peek at my new class lists. Reality sets in. Time to bring the A game. Read on and I will share with you 5 key…
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