Dr. Seuss and Read Across America Week have been synonymous for a very long time, but they are not one and the same. Read Across American Week is a celebration started and created by the National Education Association in 1997. The first Read Across America Day actually took place on March 2nd, 1998. This day, …
The Trouble with Connecting Dr. Seuss and Read Across America Week Read More »
During a recent coaching session an educator asked me, “Jocelynn, how do we create a happy and equitable Valentine’s Day experience for all students?” This is a complex and nuanced question to answer because there are several things to keep in mind. Firstly, all of your students do not celebrate this holiday. Whether for …
Happy Equitable Valentine’s Day to You and Your Students – 3 Considerations Read More »
Creating a Black History Month bulletin board is a great way to share and celebrate Black culture in a few ways. Bulletin boards are a resource that students can learn from again and again. Each time they see the bulletin board in your classroom or the hallway, something new will catch their eye. This is …
Three Fun and Unique Black History Month Bulletin Board Ideas Read More »
“This is Brit Lit, it’s not meant to be diverse.” Maybe you don’t teach British Literature, but this sentiment is one that I hear time and time again. When the term culturally responsive is introduced, the automatic assumption is to incorporate more books about Black people, women, Hispanics, and LGBTQ+ people. While this is …
3 Natural Ways to Make Any Literature Class Culturally Relevant Read More »
In my neck of the woods there is about a month until teachers and students return to the traditional classroom. One month. 30 days on the shot clock. What will you do with these next 30 days? How will you prepare YOU? Here are the three things I plan to do. The beginning of the …
“Miiiiisssssss? Why do we need to do this?” I hate to admit it, but I heard this question from students more times than I would have liked. Instead of disregarding this question however, it made me think more deeply about my teaching practice. Why were my students completing a particular assignment? Of course I knew …
On the first day of school, after I introduce myself to the students I ask, “Is there anything else you need to know about me that will help you be a better student?” So, on the very first day of my very first year teaching I asked this question. I got some standard questions like, …
Hey, friends! In my last blog post I mentioned that we will dive into discussion about the components that comprise a successful classroom. Well, here is something that can definitely help you create the ideal classroom environment. Money! TeachersPayTeachers has a wealth of resources for every grade and every subject. There are both FREE and …
Welcome back, Friends! Hopefully you had a chance to pull out that calendar and schedule time for you. Self care is so important. If you are not good, you definitely cannot give your best. Now that we have our personal goals for success in place, let’s continue by discussing some helpful ways to be successful …
Happy New Year! It is hard to believe that 2017 is over, but I am excited for 2018. A new year is like turning the page in a brand new journal. The page is fresh and crisp waiting to be penned with descriptions of life’s journey. So, let’s get set up for the journey! My …