Our Blogs
Another Day in the Life of a Teacher
I’m in the second or third year of my career (teaching grade 5 at this point) and we’re just kicking off a unit the teachers call “Puberty and Reproduction” and the kids call “Sex”. We begin with what I think is a very healthy–and clear–talk about expectations and ground rules: We’re all here to learn, no one’s talking about others’ bodies, we’re going to respect privacy, etc. We all sign a contract saying that we’re going to help each other live by these ground rules. I nod approvingly as the students add their names to the sacred document; I’m feeling like the Kid Whisperer.
One is the Loneliest Number
TeachersConnect is working with teachers on a user research project focusing on discovering what drives teachers in their daily lives and what challenges they experience in their professional careers. We have been performing this research primarily to inform our product development process—to ensure that we provide value and utility to teachers on a consistent basis.
Teaching vs. Other Entry Level jobs
The first job young college graduates accept after college is a big deal. It’s an accomplishment and a first step along a prospective career path. Every year, over 300,000 graduates choose to become teachers and enter their classroom for the first time. Many of them may not yet know it, but those teachers have chosen one of the hardest jobs any twenty-something can get.
Are you Sinking, Swimming, or Surfing?
When completing my National Professional Qualification for Senior Leaders (NPQSL) year I had to really reflect on what it was like to be a senior leader, including how effective I was in managing my own time, stress and sanity! I learnt very quickly that it is rare to have clear sailing, but by sitting back and reflecting on the times that were more challenging, I was able to analyze myself and learn to take action before things got out of hand.
If it Feels Wrong, it’s Probably Not Right
have looking at you? How can you lead them as best you can? It’s a lot of pressure. Although the students are your first concern, pressures from outside those four walls are on your mind, as well – paperwork, emails, parents, administration, coworkers… Everyone around us has ideas for how your classroom should be run. How can you insure your ideas don’t get lost in the mix?
Playing Teacher: A look at imposter syndrome #IRL
I had to change who I was the day I became a teacher. I don’t mean that in the way you scold your friends for changing their personalities when they’re around their partners or people they want to impress. What I mean is that the persona I put on every day at dawn needed to be different than the persona I slipped into for the past nine years of my life.
