Teachers: Modern-Day Superheroes As veteran teachers, we originate from the first dry-erase boards, textbooks that were outdated the moment they were assigned to students, and collegial advice like “Don’t smile until Christmas” and “Shut your door and teach your...
First published here on GettingSmart on 3.26.2014Dear Boring Teacher,Do you know me? I’m the sixteen year-old bedecked in hand-me-down Nikes, baggy jeans that reveal a little too much of my Hanes boxers, and a faded t-shirt that says something borderline rebellious to...
First published here on GettingSmart on 4.15.2015Perhaps it sounds a bit nutty, but I believe two of the most mesmerizing sights are that of an indecisive squirrel scurrying to cross a street and a passionately creative teacher immersed in her craft. In fact, I...
(Originally published on gettingsmart.com on September 23, 2013.)Seated oh so uncomfortably in a rickety, wooden chair and behind a weathered, hand-me-down teacher’s desk littered with white stacks of ungraded essays, I stretched my aching neck and scanned my...
"1 Question, 1 Challenge, and 11 of the Best Teacher Gifts"(First published here on GettingSmart on 12.7.2017)Watching my thirteen-year old daughter and my College Freshman son open gifts every Christmas produces such enjoyment for me. I revel in their excitement,...
(Originally published on gettingsmart.com on August 13, 2013.)The feedback from Part 1 of “Ordering a Teacher” has been very positive and insightful. The blog has sparked many meaningful discussions, and, in some cases, arguments. All have been fruitful and ultimately...
(Originally published on gettingsmart.com on August 1, 2013.)I have learned the best way to improve my teaching practices is to listen to the people who matter the most…the customers, the students, the ones I serve. It seems the last few years students have been more...
(Originally published on gettingsmart.com on July 16, 2013.)I write where I am, and for the last week I have had my toes entrenched in the sand on the beaches of Panama City, Florida. My seven days of sun and relaxation were reminiscent of a song from the Zac Brown...
(Originally published on gettingsmart.com on )Just like trying to choose an eating venue from a multitude of amazing restaurants or deciding where to hang out with a group of creative colleagues while walking along the Riverwalk in San Antonio, ISTE 2013 was a...