Have a Plan for Rest...

“As important as it is to have a plan for doing work, it is perhaps more important to have a plan for rest, relaxation, self-care, and sleep.”
― Akiroq Brost

Happy Summer. I don’t want to interrupt you, so I’ll keep this post short and sweet!

I encourage you (and by saying this I hope to encourage myself also!) to take some time AWAY from work physically and mentally. For tips on how to do this check out “How To Forget About Work When You Are Not Working”.

Still feeling like you can’t disconnect, check out this advice for teachers on how to stop stressing during the summer.

Need something to do? Or, not to do? Check out this post on “5 Things Teachers Can Do to Recharge Over The Summer”


ChatGPT in Action: How I Wrote This Blog Post*

What is ChatGPT?

ChatGPT is a powerful language model that can be used in the classroom to enhance student learning and engagement. By providing support for writing, research, language learning, and more, ChatGPT can empower teachers and students to achieve their full potential. - or can it?

How Can We Use ChatGPT in the Classroom?

There are many ways teachers can use ChatGPT to enhance their teaching and support student learning. Here are a few examples:

  1. Writing Assistance: Teachers can use ChatGPT to help students with their writing assignments by providing suggestions for grammar, vocabulary, and sentence structure.

  2. Research Assistance: ChatGPT can assist students in finding relevant information for their research projects by providing summaries and context on a given topic.

  3. Language Learning: ChatGPT can be used to help students learn a new language by providing translations, grammar explanations and practice exercises.

  4. Study Help: Teachers can use ChatGPT to create quizzes and flashcards to help students prepare for exams.

  5. Class Discussion: ChatGPT can be used to generate discussion prompts and questions to facilitate class discussions and debates.

  6. Reading Assistance: ChatGPT can provide summaries of texts and give context to hard-to-understand passages, helping students to better understand what they are reading.

  7. Virtual teaching assistant: ChatGPT can be used as a virtual teaching assistant to answer student's questions and provide assistance when the teacher is not available.

  8. Creative writing: ChatGPT can be used to help students generate creative writing prompts and ideas for short stories, poetry, and other forms of creative writing.

Overall, ChatGPT can be a valuable tool for teachers to support student learning and engagement in the classroom.

Will ChatGPT Make Teachers Obsolete?

ChatGPT, as a language model, is designed to assist and augment the work of educators, rather than replace them. While it can provide students with helpful information, summaries, and suggestions, the role of a teacher is much more complex than providing information alone. Teachers are responsible for creating engaging and meaningful learning experiences, assessing student progress, providing feedback, and fostering a positive learning environment.

Moreover, ChatGPT still requires human intervention to understand the context, to provide the right information, to evaluate student's response, and to adapt to the student's level, interest and needs.

Additionally, teachers possess a wealth of experience and expertise, and they use this knowledge to connect with students and make learning relevant and meaningful. They also use their intuition and creativity to create lessons that are tailored to the needs of their students.

In summary, ChatGPT can be a valuable tool for teachers to support student learning and engagement, but it is not designed to replace the role of a teacher. Teachers remain crucial in creating a positive learning environment, fostering student engagement and providing the necessary feedback and guidance.

*the following prompts were entered in the chat bar to produce this post:

chatgpt in  classroom two sentences introduction

how to use chatgpt in classroom

will chatgpt make teachers obsolete?

Thanksgiving Break To Do List

We have a tiny reprieve before the end of the calendar year rush. I wish you peace, rejuvenation, and lots of recharging for the December push! For those of you that like checklists, I have one for BEFORE and two for DURING Thanksgiving break:

Things to do BEFORE Thanksgiving break:

  • Plan your first day back - lesson plans, copies, posts…

  • Make a to-do list for when you get back - so you can forget all about work and still not worry you will forget something (This idea is modified from Laura Vanderkam’s idea of planning the following week on Friday afternoon.)

Things to do over Thanksgiving break:

  • Nap (lots of naps). 

  • Drink as much water as you want to and use the restroom when you need to!

  • Read something that has NOTHING to do with teaching/work.

  • Watch those television shows you’ve been wanting to catch up on (bonus points for binging an entire season).

  • Move your body - without the constraints of a daily schedule, you can choose your own movement adventure - walking, dancing, yoga, a class at the gym - whatever you feel up to.

  • Wear sweatpants (or any pants with a stretchy waist and/or drawstring closure) - every day all day. 

The thing to watch Sunday before you return from break:

The Classroom Management Secret Weapon (Procedures)

When I ask teachers, especially new teachers, what they want support with the top answer is “classroom management”. Classroom management has many facets. The underlying key to classroom management is building relationships (more about that soon!), but even with the best relationships, students need to know what to do. In fact, students WANT to know what is expected of them, and having clear procedures makes a classroom run more efficiently (less interrupted instructional time).

Depending on the grade level you teach, your classroom procedure list will be different. This article by Melissa Kelly lists the top five scenarios to consider when creating policies and procedures:

  • Beginning class

  • Asking questions

  • Student restroom use

  • Collecting work

  • Ending class

The article includes things to consider for each scenario (keep your students’ age and maturity level in mind when coming up with specific procedures).

Side note on PROCEDURES and ROUTINES: My thinking is that a procedure is how we do something (the process). So, how we enter the classroom and what we do immediately upon entering, or how we sharpen a pencil while class is in session. Actions that happen frequently, such as entering and exiting the classroom, or transitioning between activities have a process, but the process happens so frequently that we don’t give it much thought and the action becomes routine.  

If you are creating procedures for your classroom here are a few things to keep in mind:

  • ask other teachers at your site what their procedures are

  • think through the school day - what do students need to know how to do 

  • model the procedure with your class

  • practice the procedure with your students

And, remember, your procedures can CHANGE if they are not working for you and your students. If you notice something you put in place is not running smoothly, or another scenario pops up that could benefit from a procedure (for me it was how students check calculators out to use during class time), create one!

Prepping for the First Day of School (Middle and High School Edition)

School starts TOMORROW and I wanted to share what I was up to today to prepare (hope this is helpful and may give you some ideas).

Here is my to-do list (spoiler - I didn’t get make next week lesson plan outline done):

Skip the read and watch the video…

I like to be as streamlined as possible on the first few days of school, so I try to keep things as simple and organized as I can. My first-day routine has been polished and tweaked over the past 20 years and I’m hoping it goes smooth tomorrow.

While I like to do a to-do list in order, I really just kind of pop around as the mood strikes me for the first few hours, then I make a solid plan. Today I started by putting the student desks in place (they are moved in the summer for cleaning) and setting up anything I wanted to be posted on the walls. Then I made sure to have all supplies ready for tomorrow’s lessons (including a slide I post at the beginning of class with the agenda). I label the student desks 1-36 (there are 36 desks in the room) and then print out a student roster for each class and number it 1-36 (or however many students are in the class). Tomorrow I will meet students at the door, ask them their names, welcome them, and then let them know their desk assignment (hopefully they will find it without incident). Then I cleaned my own desk, set out student materials that will be needed tomorrow, set up the electronic gradebook with the first few days of materials posted, and wrote myself a to-do list for anything I want to accomplish tomorrow. I’m hoping to get home and get some rest before tomorrow. 

*Note about the first-day lesson plan - this year I referenced this article for ideas on how to set the tone for class.

There are a ton of get-to-know-you activities you can do with students. A great way to find them is a quick internet search. I usually do a few small group sharing things for the first few days, and hold off on more in-depth get to know you for the next week or two. I find anything I do in the first whirlwind days doesn’t allow me to really remember student information that is shared (I’m too busy learning names and making sure everyone is in the right class). 

A few visuals of my classroom set up:

Desks numbered (both desk number 1-36, circles, and group number, and team mate letter)”

My classroom expectations from last week’s unboxing posted!

A few basic policies for safety posted:

Some cheap finds from the thrift shop!

I hope your first-day preparation is going well! Reach out with any cool ideas!

And, if you want more support and guidance on any of these topics, check out the FREE New Teacher Crash Course!

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A Little Over One Week Out - Savoring the Last Of Summer (and a Classroom Expectation Poster Unboxing)

Last week I had an extensive list of school tasks to start getting after. While I am still chipping away at these tasks, I’m also going to dedicate some time to really enjoy the last moments of summer and finish regenerating for the upcoming school year.

*I ordered posters for my classroom from CANVA (total cost was $33) with the classroom expectations (Be Prepared, Be Patient, Be Present). For fun, I did an unboxing on this video. (I don’t get a commission from Canva, but I hear a subscription is FREE for teachers, so check it out.) If you like my expectations grab a copy here.

I must report back to school in one week, so I’m taking these last days to wrap up loose ends. Here’s what I’m working on:

Finish Up Projects  - I always write a list of home and personal projects I want to complete over the summer, and SURPRISE, most of these items are not done… So, I’ll be doing a final push on the house project including building a bookcase.

Take Care of Self Maintenance - get in that haircut and doctor appointment I have been putting off.

Spending time with friends and family - setting aside a little extra time to soak up the love. 

Resting! I will definitely try to sneak in a nap every day this week!

Working on the to-do list from last week:

Here’s what I’m working on gathering:

  • Supply List

  • Expectations - done! Check out the posters here.

  • Policies/Procedures

  • Welcome Letter

  • Classroom Set Up

  • PBIS/School-wide behavior plan

Setting Up Physical classroom - I will pop by my classroom this week to see how it’s looking. I haven’t been in the room since the beginning of June, so I will take about 30 minutes to reorient myself, put the furniture back (it has probably been moved for summer cleaning), and start organizing the room.


And, if you want more support and guidance on any of these topics, check out the FREE New Teacher Crash Course!

Sign up for my newsletter!

Two Weeks Out from First Day of School - Things to Gather

I’m a little over two weeks out and trying to savor the last weeks of summer break, but, I’m also beginning to get a little anxious about heading back. Even after over 20 years of teaching I still have back-to-school nightmares and a few twinges of nerves as the first day approaches. For me, a little time preparing for school can help calm my nerves and allow me to stay in a summer mindset for a little longer. 

If you’d rather watch than reach check out the youtube video here.

This week I’m gathering a few things I know I’ll need to start the year. Because I still have a little over two weeks, I won’t stress too much if I don’t check them all off my list this week. As a returning teacher some of these items I can pull off my google drive, but with all of them, I will fine-tune. If it is one of your first years teaching you may need to gather these from scratch. Here’s my advice - DON’T CREATE THEM YOURSELF-  BEG, BORROW or BUY! Google searches can also reveal great resources. Also, these documents will probably evolve over your career, they don’t need to be perfect! (In other words, you have permission not to be Pinterest perfect!)

Here’s what I’m working on gathering:

  • Supply List

  • Expectations

  • Policies/Procedures

  • Welcome Letter

  • Classroom Set Up

  • PBIS/School-wide behavior plan

A few tips for each:

  • Supply List -  Search one, or use this one as a start. Start checking back-to-school sales and thrift stores for items on the list.

  • Expectations - think of general behavior expectations. This is a great time to google search “classroom expectations” and find some you like. Or, refer to The First Days of School by Harry Wong. (I don’t get a commission if you purchase from this link, I just think it is a good resource, also, Wong refers to Expectations as “Rules”.) Here’s a link to the Expectations I use in my classroom (the Three P’s)

  • Policies/Procedures - This may be the most involved item on the list. Think of creating policies/procedures as proactive classroom management. Again, The First Days of School by Harry Wong has a great list. Here is a list of my top 5 procedures:

  • Welcome Letter - Another great chance to search or hop on Teacherspayteachers.com and search (then sort in order of price, and check out the free letters first.) I like this letter I found on teacherspayteachers.

  • Classroom Set Up - Hopefully you have seen your classroom. Think about how you want to arrange your furniture, and maybe how you would like to decorate. Again, you do not need to pinterest perfect! In fact, waiting to decorate until students arrive and using their work is great, too!

  • PBIS/School-wide behavior plan - Ask your principal or another teacher if there is a school-wide behavior plan (sometimes this is called PBIS - positive behavior intervention system), or see if there is a tiered consequences policy or if the school uses restorative justice or other practice. If there is a school system in place, roll that into your classroom, if not, think through how you will support your students (another great time to borrow ideas from other teachers, especially teachers at your site that are familiar with the school culture).

If this list seems overwhelming, just check one thing off at a time. Start with ones that are easier for you, and remember you do not need to be perfect. All of these items will evolve over time with you and your students.

And, if you want more support and guidance on any of these topics, check out the FREE New Teacher Crash Course!

1 (and a half) Things to do 3 Weeks Before School Starts

Another week closer to the start of school, and I am still trying to stay in vacation mode but thoughts about school are starting to pop up more frequently, and I even had a first day of school nightmare. Oof.

I’ve come to keeping a note pad on my nightstand for middle of the night school thoughts that pop up, as well as a running list being documented on my phone. If I can get these thoughts down on paper they don’t reoccur as frequently as they do if I don’t write them down. 

Here’s what I’m up to this week (and again, I will spend about an hour or LESS on these tasks). If you want to skip the read check out the video here:

  1. Lesson planning prep. Outline dates for units. I am teaching two courses next year (you may have more, and if you are in elementary you will DEFINITELY  have more). I used my school year calendar that I created last week and then looked at the curriculum I will be using this year. Luckily, one class has a pacing guide planned including the number of days each unit will take, the other class didn’t have as detailed pacing guide, but I know how many units there are so I will plan to distribute those throughout the school year. I did not put anything on my school year calendar yet…Just either added to an existing pacing document or for my other class I went old school and jotted down dates on a scratch paper. This is what my pacing for lesson planning looks like so far:

For each unit, put the dates for the unit of the detailed pacing guide.

For each of these units I jotted down a note for estimated dates.

I consider the next recommendation “a half of a task” because it can be passive. 

Record any ideas that pop into my head, but don’t spend too much time or energy flushing these ideas out. I saw a cool graffiti wall in a classroom that I think would be cool, so I snapped a picture and I’ll just think about how I’ll make it happen over the next few weeks.

*I saw this really cool “Graffiti Wall” in a classroom, so I snapped a picture, I’ll mull over how to make it a possibility during the next few weeks, but won’t stress about it.

There are a few things I will need to start hammering out in the next few weeks, so IF I feel like google searching, Pinteresting, or casually perusing Teachers Pay Teachers i will. Here’s my list of things I may consider investigating (but only if I feel up to it):

  • Running list of supplies I think the classroom will need

  • Classroom furniture arrangement ideas

  • Policies and Procedures

  • Welcome Letter

  • Classroom Management Ideas

  • Syllabus/Course Policies 

If you missed last week, here is what I did.

And, if you want more guidance and ideas check out the FREE New Teacher Crash Course!



3 Things to Do 1 Month Before School

As I write this school is set to begin in a little over four weeks. Even though I know this, I still get annoyed when people ask “when is school starting?”, I always reply “don’t remind me”. Though I love teaching, having some down time in the summer has been nice, and I’m just not ready to go back…yet. 

To ease my way back into the groove this week I am going to do some tasks that don’t require too much brain power (aka - NO LESSON PLANNING, and NO GRADING). I will spend one hour max on school this week! Here are the tasks to accomplish this week…

Here’s a quick video with my tips, or skip the video and read the 3 tips!

1. Get the lesson plan book ready to fill out (paper or digital - you choose!). I use a monthly calendar with big dates - first day of school, modified schedules, etc., and a weekly calendar for specific lessons.

I used this Digital Planner from Lessons for Learning on Teacherspayteachers (I purchased for $12.)

2. Fill in dates that you know right now (first day, last day, vacations, etc.). Here are some events to include in your lesson plan book (you may not have these dates yet, but be on the lookout for them as school approaches):

  • First/last day of school

  • Teacher workdays

  • Holidays (no school)

  • Modified schedules (assemblies, testing, early release, etc.)

  • Back to School Night

  • Open House

  • Grading periods

  • Standardized Testing Dates

3. Locate or find out how to locate the curriculum (either textbooks, curriculum maps, or email a site or district contact on where to get these materials - other site and district employees may be on vacation and not return your email, so be patient).

*I am aware that doing work during a break is most likely outside of working contracted time. I choose to spend this hour to set up because I know it will save me hours later. :)

My Plan for July

Crazy, but I report back to school in a little over a month! I’ve been on break for three weeks…it’s been great (though it hasn’t really felt like a break because I’m driving my kids all over town for sports and other activities!). I’ve taken some time to focus on working out and eating better, I’ve been reading for pleasure, and binge-watching a ton of television shows. 

Although work sneaks into my mind, I am trying to focus on enjoying this week, and I’ll start to slowly rev up for school starting next week. 

I plan on documenting my school year preparation on this blog. Stay tuned for updates, and I’m always open to suggestions on how to ease back into the school year. 

Until next week:

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Check out the summer reading list

Read this post about 5 Ways to Recharge

When does school start for you and what are you doing from now until then?

Summer Reading Menu for Teachers

Reading seems like a luxury to me, and I plan to indulge with summertime here. I was laughing this morning because my 11-year-old stepdaughter came to me with “I’m bored”. I told her to read and she responded, “you actually want me to just sit here and read all day”. I started to lecture her about how reading is good for your brain, allows you to learn new things, and is an escape from boredom. Instead of the lecture, I listed the books on my summer reading list and then got excited to dive in.

Here are my recommendations (menu style):

Links to buy listed below:

5 Things to Do Before You Leave for Summer Break

The end of the school year is fast approaching, and there are lots of tasks vying for our time. From cleaning up the classroom, submitting final grades, end-of-year parties, and finalizing paperwork, the list goes on. If you are looking for an end-of-year checklist this one is thorough and free, and so is this one! 

Just as setting up your classroom is personal to you, so is the end-of-year closeout so if you use a list from above tweak it to work for you. As a list lover myself, I will definitely be using a checklist as I end the year, and I wanted to also share my top five items that must be included. These will save your sanity when you return to your classroom after the summer break.

#1 Write down all passwords! 

Thre is nothing worse than coming back from a blissful vacation and not being able to remember passwords to your computer or the copier code. (This actually happened to me at the copier after a 3 day weekend - I stood for ten minutes staring at the keypad trying to remember the copy code…). Write down key passwords - like the one that will let you into your computer - and anything else that isn’t already saved or can be easily retrieved. Put this in a good hiding spot (but not so good that you forget where it is!)

#2 Create a to-do list

The last thing you want to do before you leave for a break is think about coming back from break, but take a few minutes (3 minutes max) to write down a quick to-do list to get you started. Maybe it is “1. Check and reply to ten emails, 2. gather lesson planning materials, 3. print out seating chart” anything that can get you started when you are back from break. This will give you something to do when you get back and jog your memory.

#3 Write a note about student grades or incompletes

If you are leaving for a break and have students with incomplete grades or anything outstanding write yourself a clear note. Maybe even take a picture and email it to yourself, or write yourself an email in case you need to deal with this remotely over the summer. If a student still needs to take a test, locate and leave the answer key nearby (you don’t want to have to remember where the key is or worse..have to create a new key).

#4 File your stuff

Figure out a filing system that works for you. My rule is the less the better. Most of my documents are stored digitally. I do keep hard copies of tests and answer keys. I store these in binders by class with tabs for chapters or units. Organize what you are keeping before you leave for a break then you can come back to a clean slate (and not have to go digging around for that Chapter 3 test).

#5 Purge (or box it up)

This is a great time to get rid of stuff. Toss it. Old markers can go, broken protractors are goners, dried-up glue sticks are trashed - plus, these types of items can be replaced during the back to school sales in August. If you are not sure about tossing an item and feel like you just can’t let go then put it in a box (not a clear box, one you can’t see through) and label it “Throw away on [insert six months from now]”. Box those things you are iffy about and if in six months you didn’t go looking for them toss the box (without looking inside!).

A little preparation before you leave will make re-entry way less stressful! Happy closing out the year!

Energy Management: The Time Management Super Booster

Even the best laid time management plans can fall short if we don’t have the energy to execute them. A few weeks ago I was listening to a podcast on time management and was reminded of the idea of energy management (thanks, Time Tamers! Check out episode 21 Time Tamers Podcast).  The concept of energy management is that you plan tasks that require more energy during your naturally energized times in the day. Simple enough, right… For example, you look at your to-do list and decide when you will do which item based on the amount of energy it will take and the amount of energy you have to give. So, let’s say you have a cognitively demanding task (maybe writing a final exam or planning a unit of study) you would do that when you know you will have the most energy. 

To make the most of energy management you need to do two things. One, have a list of what needs to get done and two, have a general idea of when your personal high energy times are. For me, my energy and focus are best from 7 to 11 am, so that is when I would want to get high focus tasks done. For people that are able to plan their own schedules, this is great. Block out a few hours in the morning and push through the work that you need to get done. As a teacher, I don’t have a lot of control over my schedule, and you may not either, so I have to get a little creative about how to make the most of these high-energy times. Because I don’t have large blocks of time (I'm teaching most of the day), I had to get creative. Here’s what I tried:

I checked my to-do list for the upcoming week. The usual suspects were there: grade tests, create lessons, make copies, fill out progress reports, complete a survey for my administrator, submit my weekly certified attendance log, etc. Then I starred the items that require the most energy to focus. For me, that was grading tests and filling out progress reports. 

Then I looked at my weekly schedule and what times I would have space to focus (aka: when I am not teaching/supervising students). My times without students are usually 7:30 to 8:00 am and then 2:00 to 3:00 pm. I KNOW my energy slips in the afternoon, and I know I would not be most effective in that afternoon hour.

I do have the time from 7:30 am-8:00 am in my classroom alone before students come in. With a little advanced planning, I decided to use two of these morning blocks to grade the test that was waiting for me, and the other three morning blocks to fill out progress reports. The other tasks could be done in the afternoon when I didn’t need as must mental clarity (I could fill out the survey as I was waiting for the copy machine to run my papers.)

Energy Management

If you want to try to use energy management to your advantage:

You need to be self-aware of when your peak energy times are during the day

You need to plan ahead to make the most use of these times

After a few weeks of super boosting my time management plans with energy management, I found I was able to get more done during those focus times. I was still dragging a little during the afternoon, but instead of taking two hours to grade tests in the afternoon, I could get it done in one hour in the mornings. 

Side note and be on the lookout: I’m a total time management junkie. I love planners, trackers, timers, and whatever I can use to organize my “time”. This past year I’ve been thinking of how to apply what I’ve learned about time management to teaching and sharing my strategies for streamlining the teaching load with these techniques. I can seriously nerd out on this stuff. My new motto for teaching is, “be effective and efficient”. Without streamlining our work we educators are doomed to burnout. I’ve been playing with different time management strategies in my teaching life, and sharing a few along the way with other teachers. I’m working on compiling an “effective and efficient” playbook for teachers, but until then I felt this energy management tip was too good to hold onto and I had to share. Here’s to riding the energy wave!

My Plan for Getting Through The February Push (2022 Style) - Hint: It Includes Wordle

January 2022 through a wrench at us teachers. Just when we were getting back in the swing of things Omnicron threw us back off of our game. For me, January was an “opportunity” to practice my paperwork management skills, attendance-taking skills, and figuring out how to teach in person and also provide meaningful experiences for students that were out sick (at times half my classes were absent). In addition to a logistics shift in my classroom, I also felt the constant doom that any day I, or my family, would be knocked down from the latest strain of COVID (thankfully, only a few in my family caught it, and it was short-lived). 

To sum it up, my January was a month of teaching chaos. 

Thankfully, February has seemed to calm down, at least in regards to students out sick with COVID. I feel like the rhythm is starting to come back for my students. But, we are all exhausted and summer vacation is over four months away. February does include a few breaks for President’s holidays, so there is that, but I still need a little more support to push through. I plan on doing the following three things to reconnect and liven up the rest of the month:

  1. Reconnect with my Students 

With so many students in and out of class in January and the stress of family and friends getting sick, we didn’t have our usual routines. I’m going to infuse a few “getting to re-know you” activities. I plan on keeping it short and sweet, maybe playing a few rounds of “Would You Rather”.

2. Hop on the Wordle Train

I’m usually not one for the latest social media hype, but my own pre-teen and teenaged children have me hooked on Wordle. I introduced it to my class (surprisingly most hadn’t heard of it, so I told them to ask their parents about it, and their parents would probably know). Trying to figure out the word of the day has become a new ritual in one of my classes and is creating a class bonding experience. 

3. Find Support From Fellow Teachers

The staff at my school meets up socially Friday afternoons and I am going to attend at least two of those meetings. I enjoy seeing my coworkers in a different setting (we usually pick a restaurant near school), and knowing them on a more personal level. I’m also going to continue to host the New Teacher Support Group on Thursdays (even though I am not a new teacher, I love working with newer teachers and enjoying their energy). 

These three things will help me reconnect with my students, my colleagues, myself as a teacher, and I may start to weave a few different vocabulary words into my lessons based on the Wordle! 


Teaching in Uncertain Times (Again)

I wrote this in early January 2022, the week after returning to school from winter break. Things were up in the air, many students, teachers, and staff were absent.

This month I wanted to write about the 80/20 principle and its place in education. The principle states that 80% of results come from 20% of the actions. (If you want to learn more check out this article.) I thought it would be interesting to list all the “actions” I take as a teacher and see which ones have the biggest impact on student learning. I started to track what I did in a typical teaching day and then realized January 2022 is NOT typical. 

As we closed up the school in December for the winter break things seemed as normal as they could be (besides students wearing masks). COVID numbers were low, we were back in the “normal” routine, and I felt like I was starting to get my teacher groove back. But, as we came back to school in January it was craziness again. Each day more and more of my students were absent, either because they had COVID or had been exposed and were in quarantine. I tried (and continue to try) to try to keep things as consistent as possible, but it’s really hard. How can I serve students both in the classroom and at home? How can I support my students in this strange world of constant COVID testing, and the looming truth that we will all most likely contract COVID at some time? How can I continue to plan as usual knowing there is a good chance I will be out with COVID at some point?

Back this story up to the last November. As I started to hit my groove I thought January would be the perfect time to reflect on how things were going and refine my practice. I wanted to do this for myself and share what I created with other teachers. I felt so strongly about this that I created an online course “Teacher Midyear Reset”. (Here’s the link in case you are up to checking it out Teacher Midyear Reset.) I excitedly planned, recorded videos, created a workbook, curated resources, and uploaded the materials to an online course platform. I invested in marketing to share this product with teachers. Then silence. Nothing. There didn’t seem to be much interest in a reset. And, I totally get it. How can we reflect and revise what we were doing in the fall when we don’t know what tomorrow will hold? Teachers are literally taking things day by day, and their energy is in keeping up with the changes. It’s hard to reflect when you are in survival mode. 

I’m still happy I made the “Teacher Midyear Reset”. And, even though it hasn’t been as popular as I had hoped, creating it gave me a chance to reflect on my practice and think about how to share ideas with other teachers. Besides, it will be there for teachers to use anytime they want (and hopefully NEXT January we will be able to truly take advantage of the course). 

In the spirit of resetting, and reflection, I’ve spent time thinking about what I can do as a teacher right now to best support my students, other teachers, and myself. Here are a few things I came up with:

  1. Keep things as simple as possible for everyone. 

That awesome new project you planned to do with your students that required the special new program, a ton of supplies, and lots of collaboration - rethink it. Note what your learning outcome was, what you want students to know and be able to do, then streamline the project. You may not know how many students will be in class tomorrow, if they will have access to supplies, and if you will have a chance to introduce them to the new program. Simplify the project so the learning outcomes are met, but the process of getting there is more straightforward.

2. Provide support to All students as best you can (but remember to keep it simple).

Students may be absent due to COVID and you will need to provide materials to these students so they can continue with their instruction. For me, I was trying to recreate the classroom experience for the students at home. This is impossible. Instead take advantage of the millions of materials teachers created over the past 2 years (while we were all distance learning) and think about assigning an alternative assignment to students at home. This isn’t ideal, but we aren’t in our usual and ideal teaching environment right now.

3. Double down on collaborating with fellow teachers

This is a time like no other for teachers to work together. Consider finding a teacher and divide up creating those at-home lessons for students that are absent. Share strategies with other teachers about what is working and what you would like to find better systems for. 

4. Don’t over plan

I am a planner, so I’m trying really hard to take my own advice on this. Because I’ve realized I don’t know what next month, next week, or even tomorrow will hold at school, I am planning out  “big ideas”. I know I want to finish a certain unit by a certain date. Then, I plan the specifics week by week. I am also preparing myself mentally to alter assignments if needed (for example if I need to be absent). 

For more moral support check out  Larry Ferlazzo’s take on this latest wave of Covid and how it is impacting educators (it definitely validated my feelings).

So, here is to us getting through this time the best we can, and looking forward to days when things are consistent enough that we can truly reflect and revise (instead of constantly reacting).


5 Tips For New Teachers - Things to Do Now to Prepare for the School Year

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With the school year starting any week now (maybe any day), it’s a good time to start pulling together some essentials to get your classroom up and running. The key to a smooth start is having some key elements in place BEFORE students arrive. Here are 5 things new teachers (well, all teachers) should have for a smooth start.




1. Calendar - 

Find the school calendar with the dates of school holidays, modified schedules (think school assemblies or other days when the normal school schedule will be different, and beginning/end of term dates.

2. Classroom Expectations -

Sometimes called “rules” or “norms”, start thinking about overarching behavior expectations. Whether you will co-create classroom expectations with your students, or have them already established get an idea of what those will be. Think big picture expectations, such as “be kind” or “respect yourself and others”. Find a list of possible expectations here. If you want to co-create the expectations when your students arrive check this out. 

3. Procedures and Routines -

Brainstorm procedures your classroom will need. For example, what does a student do when they need to sharpen a pencil (yes, this seems a little basic, but without a set plan in place students will constantly be up and about using the sharpener throughout the day - including during your lesson). Here are 12 procedures and routines to consider. 

4. Curriculum Guides

Find out what curriculum you are expected to use (or even if there is one) and how to access it. Talk to another teacher at your school that teaches the same grade or course and see if they have any tips on pacing the lessons.

5. Supplies

Now is the time to start gathering those supplies! If you can get into your classroom look around and see if anything was left behind, then start scavenging. You will need lots of pens, pencils, rulers, paper, and a lot of other supplies. Download a list to get you started here.



For more, check out the FREE New Teacher Crash Course! It comes with a workbook and video lessons to get you up and running for a smooth and effective school year!


How My Teaching Practice Will Change When we “Go Back in Person”

Needless to say, I felt like a brand new teacher this year when my school went to distance learning. Teaching online was a shock to my system, very hard to do, and at times really frustrating. I had many of the same feelings I remember having as a new teacher. But, I also had some new insights and things I want to bring with me when we go back to in-person school. Here are my top five:

  1. Online Assignment Submissions (turning homework into learning management platform)

Not having to physically collect and return papers has been HUGE! The time spent passing papers back and forth, the papers that went missing (by both students and maybe occasionally the teacher), and the act of physically writing on each paper were not missed this year. When we are back in person I am thinking of still collecting homework electronically. An bonus, there is a paper trail of if and when a student turned something in.

2. More check-ins  (using forms or other online tools to monitor students)

Teaching high school meant staring at many blank zoom squares. It took me time to figure out how to connect with students that I could not see or hear. As a way to try to connect with my students, I gave a quick survey about once a month to check in with them about school and their overall well-being.  Students seemed more willing to open up to me about some things when they could answer at their own time and know that only I would see their responses. I definitely want to keep doing these check-ins (and most likely electronically) in the future.

3. More online resources for students (yay to the video libraries)

It’s been great to pop a quick review video up for students to watch if they want extra instruction on a topic. Yes, it was time-consuming to make these videos, but now I have a small library of videos I can pull from. Going forward I may not make as many videos (I don’t see having the time when we are back on a regular schedule), but I will continue to reuse my current supply, and I’m hoping other teachers have made more videos during this time that I can pull from also.

4. “Office/tutoring hours” online (offering more flexible times for extra help)

I’m very protective of keeping my lunchtime to myself (I need a few minutes to eat and decompress and sometimes nap mid-day) try to find alternatives to opening my classroom up to students during lunch for extra help. After school help can be tricky because students have sports, are picked up by their parents right after, or have to catch a bus. I ran the idea by my students of evening office hours and they thought it would be a great idea. Holding virtual office hours, even when we are back in-person learning can accommodate everyone’s schedules and also give a little breather after school. 


5. Provide multiple ways for students to demonstrate understanding

Teaching online has forced allowed me the opportunity to explore assessments besides typical paper and pencil tests. In the past, I have included some alternative forms of assessment, but this year I HAD to change things up. One tool I loved was Flipgrid. Flipgrid is an online program where students can create video and audio submissions. I got to see and hear my students talk about math. I always wanted to explore more individualized assessments, being able to hear each student’s explanation, and Flipgrid gave me the tool. I’m definitely adding video/audio submissions as assessments to my toolbox. 


As I looked back over this list I noticed that these suggestions are not just time savers or tips for me as a teacher, but I think my students will benefit from them as well! What ideas do you have? What will you bring back?








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3 Steps to Lesson Planning That Go the “Distance” or In Person

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This year has been a wild ride. As we have adjusted to online learning many of us (I’m right there with you) headed into crisis mode last March when we shifted to distance learning. Figuring out the logistics of technology, how to communicate, and how to build and maintain relationships was foremost. And, as we settle into our new normal (I’m still teaching exclusively in distance learning mode) I’m rediscovering how a lesson plan can universally guide us through our lesson - whether online, face-to-face, or in a hybrid model. While I still have my big overarching unit goals, I felt I needed to ground my daily lessons.

         Good lesson planning is key to effective teaching and learning. In fact, just planning seems to be the key to success in life as we have heard among the many famous quotes, such as Benjamin Franklin’s “If you fail to plan you are planning to fail”. A good lesson plan provides the teacher (and the student) with a road map of not only the final destination but how they will get there.

As I adjusted to distance learning my main focus was how to keep students engaged, how to give them feedback, and how to assess their learning. These are all things that are important. But, my attention went from overall concept attainment to gimmicks and using just the right tech tool. After feeling like I was circling the heart of the matter (student learning) but never quite hitting it I went back to my trusty lesson plan. 

A few years ago I designed a simplified version of templates suggested based on the work of Wiggins and McTighe, specifically in their book, Understanding by Design. When my lesson planning template and I were reunited I realized that sometimes going back to the basics helps you see things in a new light. Here are three steps I rediscovered about a simple (and solid) backward designed lesson plan:

  1. Start with What you Want Students to Know and Be Able to Do

Before diving into a lesson plan and detailing the learning activities, clearly write out what it is you want students to know and be able to do. Sometimes courses are guided by official standards, and if this is the case, read through the standard and rewrite it in student friendly terms As a math teacher, the common core standards are pretty dense, so my individual lessons won’t usually cover an entire standard. Instead I tease out part of the standard and write a lesson for that specific part. Developing “what students will know and be able to do”  is the most crucial, and sometimes the most difficult part of the planning process. Here are a few examples:

English Language Arts

  • Students will know the difference between fact and opinion.

  • Students will be able to, given multiple texts, differentiate fact and opinion.

Math (This is an actual snippet of a lesson plan I did last week)

  • Students will know the general shape of an exponential decay function.

  • Students will know how the transformation of an exponential decay function will affect the graph (vertical stretch/compress, reflection, horizontal/vertical translation).


  • Students will be able to graph transformations of a parent exponential decay function.

2. Draft assessment questions next

While the pushback to this is “I don’t want to teach to the test”, and you don’t, writing sample assessment questions will give you a clear destination that will help you develop activities to reach the destination. You aren’t teaching to a test, you are teaching to the end goal. Some people will write an entire assessment at this point, but in my daily lesson planing I give quick examples of what I would include in an assessment. To develop this I use the “what students will be able to do”, but give a little more context.

English Language Arts:

  • Given multiple media sources such as, podcast, newspaper article, opinion article, tweet, link to data and statistics, students will identify if the media source is fact or opinion and explain how they know. 

Here is a math example (again, it may seem a little intense, but it is again from my lesson last week)

  • Students will be able to sketch transformations of a parent exponential decay function and show key points and asymptotes.

Once you have a description of what you would like on the assessment, writing the assessment flows easily. 

3. Fill in the magic

This is often the most “fun” part of, this is where you get to let your teacher juices flow. Will you lecture? Do an activity? How will you guide students through their learning? This part of the planning stage you can map out your introduction/hook/anticipatory set (whatever descriptor you use for - how will you initially engage students). When planning activities keep in mind the ultimate goal - what you want students to know and be able to do.

Bonus: I also clearly plan out how I will check for understanding throughout the lesson. I don’t do this in a minute-by-minute outline, and I don’t usually script what I will say, instead I list way I will use formative assessment to inform me and students as to how they are progressing toward our lesson goal. I remind myself how I will check for understanding - short exit tickets, zoom polls (during distance learning), answers in chats.

How do you plan? Any tips or tricks? Leave them in the comments, I’d love to hear!



For more educators’ takes on this type of planning check out:

Backwards Design in Lesson Planning by Model Teaching

Backward Design Basics by Cult of Pedagogy

Why I Love Being a Mentor Teacher

Mentoring new teachers is my most favorite part of my teaching career so far. I do love teaching students, but after years in the trenches, I started to lose my spark. Working with student teachers and newly certificated teachers reinvigorated me and has kept me going these past few years.  Here are the reasons I love working with new teachers:

New teachers remind me of why I started teaching

Most new teachers are excited about teaching, and can’t wait to make an impact on students’ lives. After years of the daily grind, I am reminded of why I started this journey.

New teacher give me ideas!

All of my mentor relationships are give and take. While mentors are traditionally seen as the keepers of knowledge, I always learn just as much (or more) from my mentees. I learn by watching them (they bring the latest techniques or remind me of ones I haven’t done in a while), and by asking for their input. 

New teachers keep me in the loop

It’s been a while since I was a student. Most of my mentees have been students more recently than me. I can run ideas by mentees to get their take on if the idea will fly with actual students. They also can tell me what the latest slang words mean!

New teachers give me someone to talk to

Teaching can be isolating. Sometimes it’s lonely being the only adult in the room all day. Having someone I can talk to (even if it is about their teaching practice) make me feel less alone.

New teachers give me peace

I won’t be a classroom teacher forever. This bittersweet idea is less bittered by the idea that I know the wonderful people that will be caring on the profession. It gives me peace of mind to know the future is in good hands!