Although the hard numbers aren’t in yet, surveys indicate that the pandemic is taking a toll on our students’ mental health. Fear and social isolation are causing a spike in anxiety, depression, and suicide ideation. You’ve likely seen signs yourself: Lethargy Apathy Indifference Distractability … Read more
You fire up your laptop to check your school email and the first thing you notice is the subject line: “Junior’s Grade” Noooooo! Complaints about grades are difficult to handle because it’s hard to know how to respond in a way that both you … Read more
There is a growing sentiment among educational leaders that students should be able to turn in work anytime without penalty, even weeks after the due date. The reason, they say, is that removing deadlines evens the playing field. It addresses racial grading disparities and … Read more
Admit it. You can’t stand correcting daily work. It’s tedious. It’s boring. It’s stressful and adds hours to your work week. It’s also a colossal waste of time. Here’s why: Students don’t look at it. One of the worst kept secrets in teaching is … Read more
Teachers struggling with classroom management tend to overemphasize consequences. They have this idea that if only they can find the perfect set, then all their troubles will go away. So they scour the internet. They query their colleagues. They fiddle and experiment and update … Read more
With students experiencing profound mental health struggles because of the pandemic, I’ve taken a different approach to teaching this year. And I hope you’ll join me. Yes, I’m still following my classroom management plan. I still expect every student to meet the standards I … Read more
Teaching during Covid—be it online, hybrid, or in person—has brought about a whole new level of stress. And you must find a way to combat it. Or it will eat you up inside. It will douse that little light of yours. It will manifest … Read more
If you’re allowed to require students to turn on their Zoom camera, then I highly recommend the point system I wrote about a few weeks ago. It will dramatically improve every area of online teaching and learning. But what if you’re not allowed to? … Read more