Self-care is more than face masks, massages, and pedicures. Self-care is a literal term--caring for ourselves. It's not a big mystery why teaching and burnout go hand-in-hand. Society heroizes teachers who work several hours over the weekend and spend hundreds of their own dollars on a single day to engage their students. Even when you … Continue reading 5 Research-Based Self-Care Musts for Teachers
Every teacher knows all too well these past few years that acting grateful and thankful in the classroom can seem like a daunting learned skill some days. Especially when the holiday jitters rolled in during the month of November, it can be difficult to ground excited students. Intentionally incorporating gratitude in the classroom goes hand-in-hand … Continue reading Creating an Attitude of Gratitude in the Classroom
Throughout both my undergrad and graduate coursework in education, differentiation was quite the buzzword. Not only did the concept pop up constantly, but almost no differentiation methods that I was exposed to involved educational technology. I could alter worksheets. I could intervene and extend in small groups. But how could I streamline differentiation, enrich students' … Continue reading Differentiation Using EdTech
I think one of my favorite more recent developments in education is the fact that professional development doesn't have to be expensive. I recently discovered OTIS for Educators--an online professional development platform with hundreds of EdTech PD courses that can earn you PD credits to put towards your licensure renewal or district requirements. The best … Continue reading Quick Tips in Elementary EdTech
In the summer of 2017, I started my Teachers Pay Teachers seller account. Fun fact about me--I minored in graphic design in college. And while my first few resources may not fully reflect that, I enjoyed creating resources for my own classroom. I had nothing to lose with a free TPT account, and my goal … Continue reading Teachers Pay Teachers 101: Selling on the Side
I think a lot of you out there can feel me when I say this past year was the year of frantically searching for (hopefully free) digital resources for both synchronous and asynchronous instruction. Naturally I discovered my absolute favorite free resource in May. Allow me to hook you real quick: I discovered a free … Continue reading Elevating Instruction with Lumio by SMART
Overworking ourselves has become normalized, but it is not needed. As a first year teacher, I heard the whispers about teachers who walked in and walked out at contract time. I saw teachers stroll out the doors with tote bags full of ungraded papers. Today, I see teachers framed as martyrs on television as they … Continue reading Implementing Self-Care and Boundaries as a Teacher
When most people think of virtual learning, it's not uncommon for images of boredom to come to mind. As educators during the COVID-19 pandemic, we're being thrust into the world of e-learning headfirst. It's a daunting world that may seem so different than in-person instruction for a lot of us, but I promise quality connections … Continue reading Building Relationships in the Virtual Classroom
Distance learning throws us a million curveballs a day, but having to find new resources shouldn't be one of them. Did you know you can use WORKSHEETS you already have? Making a PDF into an editable Google file is extremely easy. Step 1: Go to a free PDF converter. I like using this one (it's … Continue reading HOW TO: Make Any PDF an Editable Google Classroom Assessment
I wrote about the beginning Smilelove process here and my first impressions through Week 1. If you want details on the impression process, check out that blog. But Y'ALL, I am completely done with my invisible aligner process, and I think the before and after photos speak for themselves. I'm here to detail my honest … Continue reading My Complete Smilelove Journey
