Some time ago, I asked colleagues to tell me about a student who seemed especially demotivated. Here’s what Stephanie shared: I have an eighth grade student that I’ve been encouraging to participate more in his own education. He argues with me that I should just let him draw. He tells me that all his other […]
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What Does It Mean to be an English Teacher?
Dear colleague, Of all the subjects, I don’t know of one more difficult to define than English Language Arts. That’s why, next Wednesday, Jim Burke and I will be chatting about what exactly it means to be an English teacher. If you’re not familiar with Jim’s work, here are some highlights: So, two quick things […]
Should You Quit Your Teaching Job? (Or: It’s October Again)
Dear colleague, It’s that time of year when folks like you and me can begin to feel disheartened. Some common scenarios include: If you do this job long enough, eventually seasons like this can lead you to wonder: should I start looking for another job? If you’re in this kind of circumstance right now, I […]
Should We Please and Thank Students?
The other day, I got a great question from an early career teacher. One of my professors, towards the beginning of my program, told my cohort that we shouldn’t use please or thank you when talking to students. The reasoning was that if we are asking or thanking a student for meeting classroom expectations, that […]
25 Questions to Ask During 2x10s
I’ve written and spoken before about 2x10s. If you’re not familiar with the strategy, either read this quick article or watch the quick video below. (Not seeing a video? Click here.) But something I’ve never done is give a list of prompts you can use to start eliciting conversation from these challenging kinds of students. […]