Comments for We Are Teachers https://www.weareteachers.com/ Ideas and inspiration for reaching the next generation. Mon, 04 Dec 2023 18:45:35 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.2 Comment on Dear Parents, Can We Please Call a Truce on the Elementary Cuteness Wars? by Leyla Bello https://www.weareteachers.com/cuteness-wars/#comment-5523 Sun, 12 Mar 2023 19:12:39 +0000 https://www.weareteachers.com/?p=1468424#comment-5523 You are fine with me!! Perfectly fine, in fact. I quit this a long time ago, especially because I am the type of person whose crafts don’t look Pinterest-perfect or Cricut – I wish lol! I have kids of my own and most of the times I am running around the house trying to get everything ready and look cool and collected outside the house. I mean, if you are that parent/teacher – anyone out there – good for you! And the “big scheme of things” I told this to a teacher a while back and she looked at me as if I had invented the lightbulb. So yes, this has been my mantra and keeping my sanity is more important so I can function at home and do my work as best I can. Thank you for this <3

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Comment on How Many of These Caldecott Winners Have You Read? by Jennifer Powers https://www.weareteachers.com/caldecott-winners/#comment-5481 Thu, 12 Jan 2023 13:34:02 +0000 https://www.weareteachers.com/?p=1420243#comment-5481 I find it really interesting that the majority of these titles aren’t actually the Caldecott winners, but instead are honor books. Some of my absolute favorite Caldecott and Newbery books are the honor ones instead of the winners.

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Comment on Get Our Free Printable Voice Levels Poster for a Peaceful, Quiet Classroom by Bonnie Harris https://www.weareteachers.com/voice-levels/#comment-5479 Sat, 07 Jan 2023 17:19:49 +0000 https://www.weareteachers.com/?p=387693#comment-5479 I love all the resources and information I fins on your site. I just wish I didn’t have to full out a form every time I find something I want to download. Thanks for everything

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Comment on 22 Best Magazines for Kids in Your Classroom by Natasha Williams https://www.weareteachers.com/best-magazines-for-kids/#comment-5450 Mon, 21 Nov 2022 12:32:49 +0000 https://www.weareteachers.com/?p=371133#comment-5450 I have to give a shoutout to Scholastic’s StoryWorks — I used it with my 5th grade class the year my district went virtual. We especially loved the plays we could perform in a reader’s theater every month!

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Comment on How I Use Professional Hockey to Teach My Seventh Graders Math by Angela Peck https://www.weareteachers.com/hockey-math/#comment-5449 Sun, 20 Nov 2022 16:25:19 +0000 https://www.weareteachers.com/?p=361013#comment-5449 I often use sports references for my students. I work in an urban setting with lots of students whose role models are sports figures. And there are a few sports stars that have come from this area. I use their experiences on and off the court to help my kiddos understand a lot besides just math and science. Work ethic is a big one.

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Comment on You Won’t Believe (Or Maybe You Will!) What Our Favorite Teachers Used To Get Away With by Bob Capriles https://www.weareteachers.com/teachers-used-to-get-away-with/#comment-5448 Fri, 18 Nov 2022 14:23:22 +0000 https://www.weareteachers.com/?p=1456364#comment-5448 Five teachers form a band called Mr. Small and the Referrals for a high school rally. Shortest of the teachers is “Mr. Small”. Band plays Short People by Randy Newman. Listen/read those lyrics and tell me what would happen today.

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Comment on I Asked Over 100 Educators if They Plan to Keep Teaching—Only 14 Said Yes by Bob Capriles https://www.weareteachers.com/is-teaching-sustainable/#comment-5443 Fri, 11 Nov 2022 06:14:48 +0000 https://www.weareteachers.com/?p=1453861#comment-5443 Teaching is sustainable for me. Here’s why – and it directly related to both the reasons teaching is sustainable and the reasons it is not sustainable that you mentioned above. It is important to know that I worked as an engineer and later a project manager in high technology for nearly 20 years before becoming a teacher. For me it is all about perspective and remembering what was a less than fulfilling first career.

* Reduced workload – relative to the seemingly 24x7x365 world of high tech, teaching IS a reduced workload. I remember times working in the IT department during the late December/early January timeframe when everyone else was forced to take time off while the IT team prepared a new system. Then when everyone else returned, our workload went UP supporting all the problems that occurred. I also worked on a worldwide team and had regular, weekly meetings at 10 pm local time.

* Supportive administrators. I am truly fortunate to have found what feels like an AWESOME school district on my first go. In contrast, some of my last managers in high tech were some of the most awful professionals I’ve ever met.

* Setting firm boundaries to protect home life. In my last tech job we had 8 paid holidays. I don’t count vacation days since when I would take vacation, work still happened. I was fortunate to take a four week vacation once in tech. I returned to 2500 e-mails of which 800 required my action. I spent the first week back working 12 hour days wondering why I went on vacation in the first place. A few years ago, I figured out I get 27 paid days off during the 10 month school year contract. And no work gets done during that time. I truly get a break. Yes, I may think about school, but I don’t HAVE to. The structure of school protects my home life so much better than tech ever did.
* Financial security from partner or other source of income. The one thing that tech did provide was a way to purchase our home. I’m claiming white privilege on this one, too. My parents helped my wife and I buy our house. My wife also works.

* Teaching’s direct and negative impact on health. Perhaps I’m fortunate, I haven’t experienced this yet. Maybe I’m naive. Maybe I’m ignorant.
* Financial insecurity. OK, maybe I’m being really naive on this one, but I love teaching so much, I don’t plan on retiring . . . EVER! I have a 401k from high tech – and that helps even though it has lost over 20% of it’s value in the last year. My only worries are a mental or physical disability that makes me a less than effective teacher.
* Strains on relationship with family/partner – Actually becoming a teacher has actually STRENGTHENED my relationship with my wife, because, you guessed it, she is also a teacher. We get each other’s world, which didn’t happen when I was in tech. We laugh, cry, brainstorm and love what we do.

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Comment on You Won’t Believe (Or Maybe You Will!) What Our Favorite Teachers Used To Get Away With by Natasha Williams https://www.weareteachers.com/teachers-used-to-get-away-with/#comment-5442 Thu, 10 Nov 2022 16:48:46 +0000 https://www.weareteachers.com/?p=1456364#comment-5442 One of my high school teachers sent me to move his car (they were doing construction and he had parked in the wrong lot). I would NEVER give my car keys to a student, no matter how trustworthy!

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Comment on 8 Signs You’re Teaching in a Sick School Building by Paully Adams https://www.weareteachers.com/school-air-quality-signs/#comment-5439 Wed, 09 Nov 2022 19:08:38 +0000 https://www.weareteachers.com/?p=1421323#comment-5439 My question: What can we do about it?

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Comment on 12 of the Best Education Conferences To Check Out in 2024 by Sara Qualls https://www.weareteachers.com/best-education-conferences/#comment-5434 Thu, 03 Nov 2022 16:06:27 +0000 https://www.weareteachers.com/?p=1392630#comment-5434 You missed the TCEA Convention & Exposition.

TCEA Convention & Exposition
January 30 – February 2, 2023 | San Antonio, Texas
convention.tcea.org

The 2023 TCEA Convention & Exposition is the intersection of passion and possibility, curiosity and discovery, education and technology. And it’s the kind of learning that will change the story of education.

Diverse sessions and speakers. Great ideas and resources. Meaningful connections with peers. It’s life-giving energy, and the discovery of what you didn’t think was possible– all rolled into one remarkable conference.

That’s TCEA.

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Comment on 30 Super Sharp Cactus Classroom Theme Ideas by Hannah Hudson https://www.weareteachers.com/cactus-classroom-theme-ideas/#comment-5425 Wed, 19 Oct 2022 15:26:14 +0000 https://www.weareteachers.com/?p=386391#comment-5425 In reply to Anna Hulsey.

Yes, we’d be happy to add the attribution, thanks Anna!

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Comment on If You’re Criticizing Teachers From the Bleachers, Take a Seat by Michelle Pell https://www.weareteachers.com/teachers-armchair-quarterbacking/#comment-5424 Wed, 19 Oct 2022 11:55:41 +0000 https://www.weareteachers.com/?p=1453209#comment-5424 THIS! THIS RIGHT HERE! This iterates my thoughts SO precisely that I wish I’d written it. Every teacher, admin, and parent should read this. So adequately states my frustration over the past few years! Get the hell out of my way and let me teach!

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Comment on 30 Super Sharp Cactus Classroom Theme Ideas by Anna Hulsey https://www.weareteachers.com/cactus-classroom-theme-ideas/#comment-5423 Wed, 19 Oct 2022 03:13:11 +0000 https://www.weareteachers.com/?p=386391#comment-5423 Hi! Would you mind putting me as the source and creator for #8? That is my bulletin board kit and a picture from my classroom! My IG is: @hangingwithmrshulsey

Thanks!

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Comment on It’s Time to Stop Using (or Misusing) These 5 Words in the Classroom by Helen McKean https://www.weareteachers.com/words-to-stop-using/#comment-5422 Sat, 15 Oct 2022 13:28:24 +0000 https://www.weareteachers.com/?p=1453192#comment-5422 ‘Holding down the fort’ and ‘burying the hatchet’

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Comment on Help! My Coworkers With Kids Always Seem to Get Special Treatment by Bob Capriles https://www.weareteachers.com/coworkers-with-kids-special-treatment/#comment-5419 Thu, 13 Oct 2022 13:39:37 +0000 https://www.weareteachers.com/?p=1449801#comment-5419 In the reply to “My coworkers with Kids Always Seem to Get Special Treatment”, full disclosure, I am a parent of now grown young men (27, 23 and 19). I remember when my oldest was going to preschool. He was 3 or 4. I dropped him off about 8:30 and headed to work – I wasn’t teaching then. About 8:45, the day care called, said my son had thrown up and I needed to take him home. I went to my manager, who fortunately was also a father, told him the situation and said goodbye for the day. Parenting is unpredictable.

Now, as an older-in-age, but younger-in-experience – only 10 years in the classroom – teacher, I help my colleagues with children whenever I can. A Mom wanted to take her son to kindergarten on the first day of school – we teach high school – I took her class. Yesterday a Mom had to pick up her son from 2nd grade as they had early release, she needed 30 minutes of coverage. I gave it to her. Maybe it’s just me, but I was given leeway when I was a parent of younger children, so I try to return the favor now.

I get if you don’t have children of your own – and maybe don’t want them. Why should parents be given ‘special treatment’? My observation is that life is more unpredictable and complicated when you have children. So be prepared to step up at the last minute when the parent assigned to AM or PM duty has a sick child – or the duty is entirely uncovered, If you are good with that, then by all means ensure that everyone on staff is assigned to AM or PM duty.

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Comment on Teaching Math Word Problems with Pictures by Shahina Virani https://www.weareteachers.com/word-problems-with-pictures/#comment-5418 Wed, 12 Oct 2022 02:43:31 +0000 https://www.weareteachers.com/?p=1400897#comment-5418 These are all fantastic strategies for teaching word problems. My district used Eureka last year and I really liked their R-D-W strategy in which students read the problem multiple times, drew pictures to help them find the solution, and wrote their responses in complete sentences. Thanks for sharing these strategies!

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