Diary of a Public School Teacher!

There Is A Teacher Shortage.Not.

THERE IS A TEACHER SHORTAGE. And just to be sure you understand, it’s not that teachers don’t want to teach. It’s not that there aren’t enough teachers certified to teach. It’s that teachers don’t wish to teach among the horrible conditions that exist in the public  school system in the United States…READ MORE

My first year teaching in a NYC public school I sat down with what would now be considered a “student advisor” for my post-observation session. He asked me how I felt the lesson went. I told him I thought it went pretty well. Imagine the Impact! He stated snarkily, “You must think very highly of yourself.” Well actually, yeah, I did. I was 24 and confident as hell, I still am.I knew I had room…

What if all Educators Quit?

I have watched videos, read letters, and listened to testimonies from educators who have quit. Media outlets relentlessly lament the fact that teachers are quitting in droves. I understand the “why” of quitting, except for the “no chance for advancement” part, as if being a classroom teacher is the bottom of the barrel and you have to work your way up from there. But let’s leave that to another…

My Year of Teaching Virtually

I hated virtual teaching. I said it. I hated it. You think it would have been easy because I am considered “tech-savvy.” Integrating tech when I teach is second nature for me. So, this should have been easy. Right? Except, I hated it. We started our mornings with our 5 minute Waiting Room, then moved on to our Virtual Morning Meeting. We played games on Gimkit, Quizizz, 99Math, and all the…

“Outside the Topic” Student Connections in a Virtual World.

It’s funny how students take things you say every day and turn it into “a thing.” Every morning I share the Morning Meeting slide with my class. (I tweaked someone else’s template).I always try to connect the topic to the National Day or things that are going on in the world.  In order to give my class a chance to talk about what they want to talk about, I would say,”Who has something to share…

We Are Not Superheroes, We Are TEACHERS!(Poem dedicated to teachers everywhere)

I tell you, Amanda Gorman, really inspired me. I haven’t written a poem in years! We are not  Superheroes. We cannot leap  Tall buildings in a single bound. But, we can leap over obstacles placed in the way Of us “being best”… READ MORE.

Should We Let Go of EXPECTATIONS?

There was a post on Twitter about a mother who sent her kid to school knowing they had tested positive for COVID. As I am wont to do, I dived into the comments.  A constant stream ran through the thread, noone should be upset with the adult. Instead we should blame society, the school, etc…., anyone but this adult who made the choice to send a kid to school with COVID. Have we gone too far…

Schoology Updates with a Dash of Bitmoji!

When I learned how to create a Bitmoji slide, it was a game-changer for me.  When I learned how to add the slide to Schoology and post as an update, I was over the moon!  Yes, it’s the little things. 😎 READ MORE…

“If It Was Raining Meatballs…”

I know DESMOS was made  for Math , but I have been using it for my Morning Meeting activities. I try to switch up the things that I post for them to do.

I found this list of “50 Icebreaker Questions for Kids” during my frantic search for ways to break the ice in September. 

The question that  most recently caught my eye was, “If it was raining meatballs, would you eat them?” 

Their…

The “Waiting Room”

I open my Zoom “door” at 8:40 a.m. every morning. Alexa helps me stay on track. My planning period is at 8 a.m., and sometimes, as you know, we get wrapped up in what we are doing and lose track of time.

Any way, one day as I was immersed  in the Bitmoji  FB group, and I came across a digital “Waiting Room.”(“Sharing is caring!”). 

 I was like, this is so cool, I want this for my…

Digital “Getting to Know You” Icebreakers

It’s time to go back to school.

And whether you are face-to face or virtual, making connections with your students is vital. Here are a few digital  ideas for getting to know your students and/or letting your students get to know you. 

1. BINGO.The great thing about BINGOBaker is that there are thousands of ready-made cards or you can create your own BINGO. You can post images, text, and…

What if Teachers Just Stopped…?

This was a FB post and I had to share it. After being attacked online by some troll who thinks I only work 8-3, and always have 3 paid months off, and who thinks I request school supplies for myself and not for my students, I had to write this rant. I’m getting so sick and tired of how teachers are viewed and treated. 

Teachers in all fifty states should stop using their own money in their…

“You LIKE Reading”? Is Reading for Pleasure Obsolete?

The other day I was teaching an economics lesson on Supply and Demand. The students had to write a list of 4 things they like to do when they are home. I modeled the ist with a list of my own, and I started with reading. (Which I really shouldn’t have because the lesson was about getting paid to read, so… but that’s how much I love to read.)

One of the students stated increduously, “You LIKE to…

Happy New Year! Suggestions for a Successful School Year!

It’s that time again! 2019-2020

I share these ideas twice a year. At the beginning of the school year, and the beginning of the year. I’ve made some changes to my list.

Some suggestions for the new year:

treat all students fairly, regardless of race, gender, age, behavior, a parent’s nasty attitude, the comments from last year’s teachers, or a seemingly lack of interest in learning 

to…