Every summer, teachers everywhere sit down with big dreams of perfectly mapped lesson plans for the year. Color-coded calendars. Units that flow seamlessly. Students who will obviously follow along without missing a beat. (Cue the laugh track.) The reality? No matter how much we plan, teaching is messy because kids are real people, not neat […]
Rethinking Lesson Plans for the Year Read More »
The first day of school is always a mix of excitement, nerves, and “Wait…how should I fill all these hours with meaningful activities?” (Anyone else still have that dream where you show up with no plans and 27 pairs of eyes staring at you?…Just me?) At my school, we don’t have specials on the first
My First Day Lesson Plans for Upper Elementary Read More »
Imagine Being the New Kid We’ve all been the “new” something at some point—a new teacher at a school, a new face at a staff meeting, a new parent in a school community. It’s awkward. It’s exhausting. And even when people are kind, it takes real effort to feel like you belong. Now imagine being
Welcoming New Students the First Day of School Read More »
One of my favorite systems for teaching accountability, responsibility, and time-management is also one of the simplest: Friday Folders. I started using Friday Folders after noticing something that will probably sound familiar: some students just weren’t finishing their work. It wasn’t always about ability—it was about priorities. For some, there wasn’t much motivation to use
Keeping Student Accountable to Finish Classwork with Friday Folders Read More »
A new year and new start. The first week of school brings so many opportunities and in the midst of planning fun icebreakers and getting-to-know-you games, this is also your golden opportunity to set up the expectations, routines, and systems that will shape your classroom all year long. Students thrive when they know what to
First Week of School Routines, Procedures and Helpful Teacher Strategies Read More »
So, You’re New to the PYP? If this is your first year teaching the PYP, let me start by saying: you’ve got this. I’m genuinely excited for you—because while the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) can feel like a whirlwind of new acronyms, planning templates, and philosophical quotes from Dewey and Piaget, it’s also one
First Year Teaching the PYP: What I Wish I’d Known at the Start Read More »
Starting your first year of teaching is like stepping onto a rollercoaster that’s already moving. You’re excited, nervous, hopeful, overwhelmed—and somehow still eager to do it all perfectly. I’ve been there. I had just come out of a fantastic teacher prep program in university, ready to change lives… and then I stepped into my very
First Year of Teaching: 11 Practical Tips for a Smoother Start Read More »
The Joy (and Stress) of the Back-to-School Season It feels like summer break just started, and yet—somehow—you’re already staring down a to-do list a mile long to kick off a brand-new school year. It’s wild, right? A new year always brings excitement, possibility…and yes, a whole lot of pressure. That is where this Back-to-School Teacher
Your Back-to-School Teacher Checklist: Calm, Collected, and First-Day-Ready Read More »