So you’re teaching from a distance and you’d like a non-invasive (dare I say pleasant?) method for gaining insight into your students, their homes, and their families. The best, most sensitive, most inviting method I know for this kind of thing is Deborah Bova’s Million Words activity. While this assignment’s utility is not limited to […]
Archives for August 2020
A Middle School Science Team in New Mexico Rocks their Distance Learning Intro Video with Humor and Passion
A week ago, I gave a professional development segment on humanizing online learning spaces at the start of the year and building strong relationships from the get-go.* One simple start to such an effort is to create a teacher intro video that introduces students to who you are as their teacher. Take a look at […]
An Interview w/ Troy Hicks for the Writing Matters Podcast
In November 2019, I had the privilege of speaking with teacher-author Troy Hicks for a bit. That talk is below. I hope it encourages you.
How to Deal with Bad Feelings About Teaching This Year: A Self-Examination Protocol for Understanding (and Starting to Do Something About) Negative Teacher Emotions
Educators around the US this summer find themselves at the start of an alien August. Never before has this turning of the calendar included such tumultuous inner circumstances: fear, anger, division, bitterness, confusion, anxiousness, apathy… and, of course, some good bits too as we glimpse excitement and determination and enthusiasm and reunion. But it’s the […]
People, Not Passwords: Why You Need a Catchphrase or Two to Define Your Challenges This Fall
A quick story: last week I was speaking with a former student named Dylan. At one point, he asked me a question. “So, Mr. Stuart, will you be teaching students or usernames this fall?” What he meant with his wry smile was clear — at the time, our district hadn’t released its finalized back-to-school plan […]
