8:14 am It’s a Monday. The 9 year old students roll into my classroom groggy and excited. They have breakfast and we connect. Ok students! I raise my voice as breakfast and our morning meeting has wound down. Let’s start the week with reading. Find a comfortable spot with your book box! After 5, or... Continue Reading →
Three Classroom Lessons from my own 31 day Writing Challenge
I just completed my second year in the Slice of Life 31 day writing challenge (thanks http://www.twowritingteachers.org). It was wonderful! It was also…a challenge! Here are some things I learned that I’m bringing back to the classroom. It’s hard to write when I don’t feel like it! Several times I sat down and just didn’t... Continue Reading →
Building Stamina
“Let’s go to the Lume exhibit in Indy,” my wife offered. She knew I’d been feeling stir crazy. I was feeling the weight of two years of changes. I felt like we needed to do something. I was thrilled! Indianapolis is a couple hours away from where we live. I was driving there. My normal... Continue Reading →
Success Stories
You know that scene in a movie where the character is looking out over the ocean and a friend comes and stands next to them and they both look forward? That's what happens with this amazing young man in my third grade classroom. He saddles up beside me. He puts a hand on my shoulder... Continue Reading →
I’ve been teaching summer school with masks. We can do this, but…
When I signed up to teach two weeks of summer school, there was not a pandemic. When I thought about teaching summer school, I was sure things would have blown over by July! And then, when it became apparent that things were not blowing over, it also seemed apparent that surely summer school would be... Continue Reading →
On Losing and Finding Your Voice
In February of my first year teaching 3rd grade, I lost my voice. I literally lost it. I muddled through a couple of days with my hoarse whisper, but it was a challenge. Worse yet, my muddling through just made my laryngitis worse. Ultimately, my voice could make no words, it just sounded like I... Continue Reading →
Teacher, be Patient with Thyself
One of the jobs my 8 year old has is replacing the garbage bag in the garbage bin. Recently, I bought the wrong type of bags. After a few years of having draw-string bags, suddenly we had tie off bags. As my son wrestled with the bag, he cried out, “WHERE is the top of... Continue Reading →
Tim's Teaching Thoughts 