Master Time Management: Chunking Tips for Educators to Reduce Stress and Boost Productivity

Discover the power of chunking—a time management strategy that helps educators stay organized, prioritize tasks, and find balance. Learn practical tips to break your day into manageable blocks, plan efficiently, and incorporate rest while tackling the challenges of teaching. Transform your routine and reduce stress with this proven organizational technique!

Read More
Shifting Your Mindset: How to Focus on What Matters Most

Have you ever caught yourself spiraling into a cycle of frustration, overwhelmed by everything that seems to be missing, out of reach, or simply not going the way you want? It’s a natural human tendency to focus on the negatives or on areas where we feel lack. But what if I told you there’s a better way—one that not only improves your outlook but can also enhance your well-being and productivity? Let’s dive into some powerful mindset shifts that can help you focus on what truly matters.

Read More
Using Cyrano de Bergerac to facilitate meaningful classroom conversations

Looking for a super engaging unit of study that is guaranteed to be the highlight of your school year and a moment in time that your students will come back to comment on? Well, look no further. Cyrano is your lesson, especially if your students are taking a world history class!

Cyrano is great because it is a play that has something for everyone from fighting and wars to love, romance, and humor. Cyrano is that original (OG) play that so many modern day movies and TV shows are based on.

Read More
Exploring the Holocaust Through 'I Never Saw Another Butterfly': Lessons of Remembrance and Resilience

The Holocaust stands as a dark chapter in human history, reminding us of the consequences of hatred, discrimination, and indifference. As educators, it is our responsibility to ensure that future generations understand the significance of this event and its impact on millions of lives. One powerful tool in teaching about the Holocaust is the use of literature. One lesson we use in our middle school classrooms is a collection of children's writings and art titled "I Never Saw Another Butterfly.”

Read More
Why Brain Breaks Are Essential for Every Classroom: Boost Focus and Engagement

As teachers, we’ve all been there—students staring blankly at their work, the wall, out the window, squirming in their seats, or looking like they’ve mentally checked out. That’s when it’s time to call for a brain break! Brain breaks aren’t just trendy classroom treats; they’re a powerful tool backed by research to help students recharge, refocus, and perform their best. I promise, your students will love them, and you, for adding them into your daily curriculum.

Read More
Ideas on How to Teach Media Literacy

There are no two ways about it. Media, in all its positive and negative forms, has permeated the human experience. It will only grow more invasive as time and technology progresses. It is important to add media literacy to our ever expanding lists of things we must teach in the English classroom. Media literacy should be a focus in all subject areas, but it seems like the English and history classes are the dumping grounds for improving most societal problems.

Read More
Lessons in Poetry

A poem is a small but powerful thing. It is the history of the human heart. It has the power to reach inside of you, to ignite something in you, and to change you in ways you never imagined. There is a feeling of connection when we read a poem that articulates our deepest feelings. Poems can inspire us to write our own journeys, to find our own voices.

Read More