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Showing posts from February, 2015

Gut Check

February has left everyone in our building exhausted.  Unlike years passed, this winter has been mild and only two snow days have been used since Christmas Break.  Snow days allow everyone to take a break, rest, and gather the strength to finish out the year.  Where were these days that we so desperately needed to give everyone relief?! The need for a break was overwhelming.  Teachers, aides, janitors and secretaries all talked about needing a snow day.  Even the principal was heard wishing for winter weather. Wishes were granted as a major snow storm and chilly arctic temperatures have kept students out of school for the past week.  At this very moment, snow and sleet are once again pelting my windows.   Everyone should be happy now.  The relief has come and the time off has allowed us to catch up on the long list of tasks on our to-do lists.   But my gut is still reeling from the punch driven home by the first few pages of m...

Book Review: Quick Answers for Busy Teachers

The scene outside my window allowed me to finish a book today. It is a well-known fact that I am a huge fan of educator and author Todd Whitaker  ( @ToddWhitaker ).  Not a day goes by that I don't find myself using a tip or idea from one of his books.  One of the most-used books in my Todd Whitaker library is The 10 Minute Inservice , which he co-authored with Annette Breaux. So I was ecstatic to see that Whitaker and Breaux had teamed up to write another gem, Quick Answers for Busy Teachers: Solutions to 60 Common Challenges .   The book did not disappoint.  It was loaded with tips for dealing with students, adults, classroom management, instruction, and professionalism. In classic Whitaker style, it is straight-forward and easy to apply to current practice. Our school hired five new teachers this year and two more are teaching a new grade level for the first time.  I have marked several pages to share with these teachers, as well as those who ...