I’m going to take a moment to discuss something personal. Why? Because it is definitely going to affect my teaching, and that’s what I write about: teaching. On Wednesday morning, I woke up and got ready for work like always. I packed my lunch and breakfast (because I cannot eat first thing in the morning), …
Goodbye, Snow Days
Remember when you were younger, and you would wait around watching the bottom of the screen to see if school was magically cancelled, so you could go back to bed and sleep in? I remember praying for snow days when I was a kid. When I became a teacher, I prayed again for snow days …
Covid Surge
Have you seen a recent Covid surge at your school since returning from Winter break? When we returned, there were only a few students that were currently quarantined due to Covid; however, as the week progressed more and more students were sent home. The flu hit us hard right before Christmas break, and now, Covid …
Presentation by Ann Carter 2022 South Carolina Teacher of the Year
When we returned to school this January, we had the honor to hear a presentation by the 2022 South Carolina Teacher of the Year, Ann Carter. It was extremely motivating and thought provoking. Her challenge to us as teachers was to be Gold Stars in our students’ lives. The relationships that we make with our …
Teaching Argumentative Writing
Last year, at the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year, teachers were given a very daunting task: teach a lesson a day on 15 topics for which someone else has written the lessons and assessments. All of these had to be completed in the first three weeks of school along with the usual MAP testing. …
The Gift That Keeps Giving
Last Friday I felt it coming on. I had been sneezing and coughing more than usual, and I even felt a little achy. I did nothing, but start drinking plenty of fluids and tried to rest. Rest, I told myself, was important to finish out the last week before winter break. By Monday, I kept …
Amanda Gorman’s Poetry Book
As soon as I heard Amanda Gorman’s poem, “The Hill We Climb,” I knew right away that I wanted to purchase a copy of her book. I pre-ordered the book in January 2021, and I have been waiting a long time for it to arrive. I was pleasantly surprised when her book, Call Us What …
Christmas Activities for the Classroom
Get the Christmas Activities for the classroom ready. The Christmas craziness is coming. You know, that time where the kids check out and Christmas break is the following week. Usually, the time leading up to Christmas break, we have students who leave for the holidays, or we have students pulled out for practice for Christmas …
Always a Downside to Testing
There’s always a downside to testing, whether it is MAP testing or state standardized testing. The one thing that I have enjoyed about our standardized testing is the ability to take the kids out to the ballfield and let them run around after sitting so quietly for so long. MAP testing isn’t like that. Our …
December, already?
Is it really December already? Where did November go? This has been such a fast paced school year. Much of it has been due to the fact that I’ve dealt with a medical issue and have had medical tests and procedures each month. But December? 2021 is almost over? I was so ready for Thanksgiving …