Monday, many teachers will be rubbing their eyes and taking a deep breath before reluctantly rolling out of bed. Their stomachs will be filled with nerves, both good and bad. Each teacher's mind will be occupied with thoughts of their new crop of students: will this year be a good year? Will I like my students? Will they learn from my teaching style? What type of parents will I have this year? Continue Reading
Teacher Time Savers (For Men) (TTT)
So...I got a lot of great feedback from teachers and other professionals on my "Teacher Time-Savers" post. Many women were thankful for the idea of pre-made salads and easy hair tutorials. Then, it occurred to me, through a friendly comment from a male colleague, that I also have a male readership as well. In fact, I have been fascinated by the amount of men who actually take the time to read Continue Reading
If I save enough bacon, cheddar, and dough, I may have enough for a pizza (TTT)
"You will not believe Coach Smith's room," a former student ran enthusiastically into my classroom to share the news. Coach Smith had been pranked. It wasn't just any prank; in fact, it was the most elaborate prank I had ever seen successfully executed inside the walls of Chamblee Charter High School. Only, this time the students weren't the guilty party. Now, I am not one to suggest that Continue Reading
Teacher time-savers
When I got my own classroom, I had just gotten a new name. I was worried that hearing "Mrs. Carrington" may be a bit foreign to me in the new school year. I had a fear that every time one of my students would ask me a question, I would look behind me for my mother-in-law. Those fears were quickly put to bed within the first few days of being in front of fourteen and fifteen year old students. Continue Reading
When the district hands you lemons, stop dancing with them (TTT)
I have never been more eager to learn than during my time as a student teacher. Everything was new. Every word that my mentor teacher spoke was an opportunity for me to learn something new. Like a little puppy, I waited and wagged my tail at any opportunity to jump into my new role as teacher. Any time I was given a chance to lead a lesson, I ran unbridled into this new world of Continue Reading
Two-Cent Teacher Tuesday: 504 is not a cleaning product (empowerment v. entitlement)
It is no secret that I believe time in the classroom is a teacher's greatest asset. As a first year teacher, I was not at all prepared for the fine art of parent-teacher communication. I thought I was. After all, I had a beautiful website that I spent hours creating. I had all of my lesson plans posted and attempted to get each of my rubrics online for my students and Continue Reading
Reading the summer and summer reading…(TTT)
Ahh...the time is upon us teachers. The most blessed of all times of year: summertime. Eight to ten weeks of summer sun and fun. The Carringtons kicked off this summer with three days of pool time and friends. Here is a little snapshot from the weekend.Just a couple of girls with their favorite boys (and yes...they match)As I read the future of the summer, it looks very Continue Reading
Five signs that you have end-of-the-year teacher burnout (EOTYTB)…(TTT)
After a jam packed weekend at the beach, Bennett and I spent the majority of the day in our pajamas. Both of us were completely wiped as he napped and I attempted to keep a sore throat and flu-like aches at bay. As I scrolled through my Facebook newsfeed, I noticed quite a few celebratory status updates from my colleagues. Five days left of school and then the weeks that every teacher dreams Continue Reading
I choose “C” (Two-Cent Teacher Tuesdays)
I have decided that "Teacher Tips" Tuesday is an incredibly presumptuous title for what I was attempting to accomplish on my little blog. I am new to education; I don't pretend to know it all, but I will assert that I have learned a few things in my short years of experience. I love what I do; I am not a passive participant in education. I try to re-invent what I do each year so Continue Reading
Common cORe….not…TTT Cross-curricular unit plan (Literature andScience)
Lately, common core standards have become an issue for fierce debate: particularly in the state of Georgia. Paul Broun, a Tea Party senate candidate, went so far as to say, "I want to abolish the Department of Education and get rid of Common Core forever." Many conservative politicians compare Common Core to the Affordable Healthcare Act stating that congress, "passed the bill" before Continue Reading