I have got to start doing more than one pos a year.  the last post I made was towards the end of summer school last years.  Well summer school just ended for me this year.  It has been a very strange year for all of us.  the district I work for offered free online summer school this year.  We used the online software package that had been adapted from our Credit Recovery program to fill the last grading period when all the schools closed for Covid-19.  Ideally a student would simply work their way through the first half of the online curriculum in the three weeks of summer school and the score would reflect their mastery of first semester skills.  I held two Zoom meetings a day to supplement instruction and offer specific tutoring. This was not exactly how it worked out. Makeup Credit English for freshmen is an interesting and challenging experience  face to face.  These are not the students who are self driven learners.  They are all ...

I have said and I have heard countless other say things like, "I learn more from my students thanI can ever hope to teach them."  Today I had an experience that serves as and example of how students can become the instructor. Teaching summer school is rarely boring.  I teach makeup credit English and each time I have had some major revelations about all of  my students, past present and future.  This year has been no exception.  We had just finished reading an article about Anne Frank and our discussion  steered it's way into  a comparison of hardships today and back then.  Obviously  none of my students felt they had it worse than Anne Frank, but the conversation took an unexpected turn into a comparison of my generations's hardships  to the young people of today. A young lady emphatically stated that because of the internet, social media and personal electronic devices their life was much more complicated and difficult than mine or...

5/29 I keep mentioning how life is unfolding in my videos that focus on my struggle with anxiety and depression.  I thought I would share with those who were curious what that phrase actually meant.  Just prior to videoing the last installment (number 7)  of My Struggle with Anxiety and Depression:  A Teachers Story I had a very difficult 72 hours.  My mother-in-law fell, who lives with us,  in the early morning hours. and had to be taken to the hospital by ambulance. A student who had become very much like family to me decided to keep a stash of weed in my classroom inside her purse.  On my way home I discovered my mother-in-law was diagnosed with cancer.  A friend of my son's tried to commit suicide in my house, she is better now.  And in the evening my mother had a stroke and is in the hospital on the same floor with my mother-in-law.   Needless to say I am worn out.  My wife is exhausted and school just keeps moving for...

There’s a huge controversy boiling across The teaching and education landscape right now. Some people are saying Betsy DeVos has rekindled the flame of "Larger Class Sizes and Fewer Teachers." Others are saying That it flies in the face of common sense. Smaller classes and more teachers is the way to go. But you know what?  This is not a new debate!   "While DeVos is under siege for her comment, she’s not the first secretary of education to suggest schools might be wiser to invest in stronger teachers rather than smaller classes. Arne Duncan, secretary of education for most of Obama’s tenure, argued, “We spent billions of dollars to reduce class size when we could instead give teachers higher salaries in exchange for larger classrooms, thereby attracting much more talented teachers.”  https://www.ajc.com/blog/get-schooled/betsy-devos-reignites-debate-whether-class-size-matters/VDHjWAD0HvkusJ666SJNxM/ They’re all wrong. Every. Single. Person. That...

Tomorrow is my first day back.  Anxiety is running high.  I have had some personal family drama that kept me up till 2:30 ish this morning, which has made it difficult to get into the right mindset for tomorrow. Crisis is a part of life.  We all face it, and if we want to be effective and successful with what we do we have to deal with the crises that come our way.  But what if the stress and anxiety build to the point you just cannot get your game on, you remain ineffective or slide into depression?  If you find yourself in this situation, go see a doctor.  Most likely your GP can help you out. Second, find someone to talk to.  do not slide into depression and then wallow in it alone.  That is simply a recipe for disaster.  It is also good to make a list of everything that is causing you stress, and then number them based on which is worse with number one being the worst.  this lets you see a visual representation of those challenge...

Yesterday I spent about 5 hours on my home campus working with new teachers.  It was an amazing day.  I love the energy at the beginning of the year.  Enthusiasm is high and it feels like I can do anything I put my mind to.  the awesome thing is that it is not just my enthusiasm.  It is almost 100% across all faculty and staff.  We are renewing work relationships and friendships, planning for classes and for the entire year, and the anticipation of the first day with students is firmly planted and growing. This is it.  It is GO time.  It is time to script the first day, readjust sleep schedules, and organize the classroom.  If you follow me on Google+   checkout the videos I will be highlighting over the next week or so.  They are specific to this time of year.  and may help you save some time and make some things a little easier for you. My anxiety level is high.  This year I plan on including you in my journey t...

Hello friend! Back to school is getting closer every day.  I suggest you take a look at my back to school video  for teachers.   I have started waking up at night with a growing list of things I need to get done.  one of the top things on that list is purging my teacher stuff.  I will be making a video of the process starting Monday.  My goal is "...at least one box a day."  this will get me through most boxes before I go back on contract on August 13.  And since I wont be on my campus until August 20, I think I will be able to finish the task by then.  I will be sharing my "Purge rules".  I am looking forward to taking control of my stuff.  Also you can expect a video on dealing with power struggles, and a book review in the near future.  Thanks for staying with the project. chris

Have you heard or used these phrases? It's all about the students.  Students are our top priority. Students first.  They are great phrases with an awesome sentiment.  If there is any real source of disillusionment for me as a teacher it comes from how these phrases are used or misused along with "You have to do what is best for you and your family." Understand, I agree 100% with all of these statements. Students and their needs are the number one thing, and a teacher must do what is best for their own well being and the well being of their family in order to truly meet the e needs of students. How often are these sentiments twisted simply to get out of an uncomfortable or difficult situation? One of the most extreme examples I have seen is a district moving an amazing classroom teacher during winter break from the classroom to central office for curriculum development. 140 students lost their connection and guide in the learning process half way through the school...

Just recorded a vent session.  It is ironic that a person who dislikes change as much as I do is working in education.  One of the most frustrating things is watching people people move "up" from job to job without ever really mastering the tasks of their current job first.   No one seems to take the time to be come truly awesome at what they do before moving on to the next level or phase of their career.  The fault for this rapid rise approach to an education career does not rest fully on the individual.  District administrations tend to award a job well done with a promotion or move to another position, rather than offering incentive to stay where the person is the most effective. What if people were allowed to stay in a position long enough to master it and teach others who are just beginning the lessons and skills learned along the way? Instead we have conversations that in simplified terms goes something like this... "you are an awesome teacher...

This past weekend I attempted a live broadcast.  Based on how easy it was the first two times I chose not to put in the prep time I had before.  (BIG MISTAKE) I knew better, but I thought I could do it.  I was wrong.  As a veteran of live theater i am well aware that many problems, sometimes the biggest problems don't show up until 15 - 30 minutes prior to going live. (if you are lucky).  such was the case Saturday.  I thought for sure that all was working fine.   nope. With out listing all of the challenges, it is safe to say, we succeeded in airing a broad cast for one hour as planned.  It was not an error free broadcast as before. I ended up taking the live feed and editing it so that it was watchable.  Even with the edits there are times when the video lags.  The sound stays solid, so the information remains intact. Check it out if you want, but keep your expectations low.  That way you are not disappointed. ...

I found this hand free writing exercise on a legal pad stuffed in a stack of old papers.  Not sure when It was written, but I wanted to share it with you.  The topic was, Why I teach.  we had about 10min to write. Why I Teach... Teaching Requires the individual to use all aspects of their knowledge, skill sets and creativity in order to successfully reach students and impart new knowledge and skills.  It is this holistic involvement of a person in the act of teaching that offers unique rewards not easily found in other occupations. The use of personal skills and talents to shape the thought processes of others so they can achieve beyond their perceived potential is one of those unique benefits found in filling the role of "Teacher". Young people have a limited view of their own capabilities . A teacher can open their eyes and push them beyond their shortsightedness revealing the extent of their potential and endless possibilities in life.  The initial l...

Back up and running. Summer is a great time for reflecting.  Check out my process.

Well something had to give.  It was the blog. I'm back, but with no promises except one.  I will post good stuff here when I post.  With that being said. Here is a preview of topics to come in future videos about connecting students with the community in a meaningful way.   This is taken from a group of essays I wrote last year.  I hope you find it useful.  As teachers it is our job to ensure that education transcends the classroom. There are as many ways to connect students and the community as there are teachers to teach them. When done successfully the impact on students is powerful. In addition to, and through a subject's content Teachers should encourage and equip students to be their own educational advocate by being aware of and able to successfully navigate the educational landscape leading to their success.  Students who attend any class should learn the roles, function and purpose of administrators and counselors....

One of my goals during this extended summer break was to start a Patreon for this "Free Teacher Information" project.  That goal has been reached.  As of this moment, I am live and running with a new Patreon site. Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=7201221 Feel free to check it out.  My other sites are Twitter:          @lifelearner_17 Pintrest:         https://www.pinterest.com/lifelearner17/ Blogger:        https://ilearnwelearn.blogspot.com/ Google +:     Things That Work Gmail:          Lifelearner17@gmail.com FaceBook:    https://www.facebook.com/secondarysecrets/ There you Have it.  Enjoy Chris

It's been a while since my last post.  I have survived a hurricane and still have not started school yet.  Other than that everything has been going according to schedule.  I have managed to keep up the video end of this project over the past few days.  Amazingly I still have not missed a day.   I officially posted the Classroom setup video today.  You might want to check that out.  I also managed to record segments on seating arrangements, The unfairness of grades, and Student empowerment.  I have started working on my Patreon page for this project as well.  In the future, I hope to offer lesson evaluation and presentation tips as well as other helpful tools to aid teachers in their craft.  I will continue to keep things up to date here as best I can.  Hopefully, we are done with hurricanes for the year. I enjoy learning and teaching with you.   Together we can take over the world. Chris

Before I dive into this weighty and very important topic I will announce now that the first week of my vlogging project is complete.  Please come by and take a look at The Daily Lesson .  Be sure and hit the thumbs up so it becomes easier for other teachers to find this information.  Also If you want to know when I post and have access to the future "Teacher's Lounge"   be sure and subscribe. I posted a video that prompted some private discussion about the adversarial relationships in the education system; student and teacher, teacher and parents, teacher and administration. Here is an essay I wrote on the same topic.  I hope it helps shed some light on what I consider to be one of the biggest problems facing education today. How often do we hear things like,”Students in public education are different than they were when I was in school.  They are disrespectful.  They simply will not follow directives.  They treat teachers and ...

today was a very productive day.   Here is the video I posted .  Hope you find it useful Chris

The first vlog entry is up.  Now that that is over I can focus more on my delivery which will improve the quality of the entries.  I also am not committed to the "Daily Lesson" title an approach for this part of my project.  thanks, in advance for viewing and hitting the thumbs up button.  See you tomorrow I am tired. See the entry here. I enjoy learning with you, teaching with you and together we can take over the world. Chris

Tomorrow is Day 1... I have managed to push out 26 informational videos, I have several in the cue.  I will make the first Vlog entry tomorrow, assuming all technology works as planned and I can get it uploaded as I envision.  If you are starting tomorrow, I wish you well.  I hope each and every one of you has the best year you have ever had. I hope you have the best students you have ever had.  I hope that as the year rolls on you will be able to feel the same fulfillment that I have found. See you online.  If you haven't already, please subscribe to the channel and "thumbs up" a few videos. Check out the current videos. I enjoy learning with you.  I enjoy teaching with you, and together we can take over the world. Chris

Looks like I will be reaping the benefits from being well rested two weeks prior to the start of school like I talked about in the Back To School Tips video .  Hopefully, not many of you are getting to deal with the sleepless nights like I am,  I go back Monday.  Well sort of.  As I mentioned before We have two weeks of in-service, so I will not have students for another two weeks, but my body has decided to get all keyed up. So here I am typing out a quick blog entry before I try to relax and maybe sleep.   Today I officially passed the link on to one of my colleagues who serves as the Curriculum and Instruction Coach for our English department.  She was very complimentary and even showed her own kids some of the videos.  I have deliberately chosen a slow unveiling of this project.  Until now most all views have come from outside sources and been products of my posting discussion boards etc.  I also have a Facebook page now...