I’ve been lucky to have good examples. Writing on a quiet Sunday I am paying money to listen to the beautiful sound of my grass being cut by someone else. My enjoyment of the sound is tinged by the slight sense of protestant work ethic guilt that is a part of my genetics. …

A Quick Start Guide to Teaching Reading Skills Previously on How to Help Your Child Become a Better Reader: A Quick Start Guide to Reading Conferences Reading Conference Recap The above link is to my Quick Start Guide to reading conferences for parents. My goal is to provide parents with…

A Quick Start Guide to Reading Conferences — This article is the first in a series designed to help parents help their children improve their reading skills without educational jargon. A Reading Conference is a technique used in schools to help students improve their reading skills. This technique works to support school-based or home-based education. …

When you are tired of being SMART Ever Heard of George T. Doran? Me neither. SMART Goals are a business acronym used in personnel and project management. The acronym SMART was coined by George T. Doran in the 1981 issue of Management Review titled, There’s a S.M.A.R.T. way to Write…

It’s All The Same Quick behavior management tips for busy educators. In education, we go to great lengths to avoid talking about anything negative when in reality positive would not exist without negative. In the Yin/Yang view of the cosmos. Let’s just call it what it is. …

Crow’s Feet Prompt #45: Trying New Things You’re old, you should try something new. Why the hell would I want to do that? Should we assume that just because a person has circled the sun more times than the average person they are in need of novel experiences? If you are reading this you are probably a…

And What Does This Have to Do With Ghost Busters? A quick tip for teachers when describing how they are responding to inappropriate behavior. Teachers want to sound nice when they are not being nice. First off, being nice or mean should have nothing to do with responding to rotten…

Don't waste your salary buying crap to get your students to behave. Help shrink the trade deficit with China and throw out that Oriental Trading Company catalog. New and veteran teachers don’t get paid enough for the amazing things they accomplish like continuing civilization. That being said, don’t use your limited paycheck to buy junky toys and candy to give to students to get them…

Memento Mori — Remember You Will Die If you can remember that you will die that is a good indication that you are alive. No platitudes about living each day as if you are going to die. You will die. That should be enough. We are in the season of…