Teacher Talk
Teachers vs. Tech: Putting an Old Adversary to Good Use
By: Dr. Jerri Ward-Jackson | Aug 9, 2023
Since the first clunky cell phone rang in a silent classroom, technology’s place in education has been hotly debated. Does its potential for good outweigh its potential for disruption? Do kids need more screen time than they already get at home? Is educational technology actually beneficial or is it just a dazzling, counterproductive novelty?
To Dr. Jerri Ward-Jackson of the University of West Alabama’s College of ...
8 Ways Teachers Can Build School Culture with the Support of Their Principal
By: Jon Konen | Apr 17, 2018
What attracts teachers to specific schools? You will hear a myriad of responses, but most likely, it comes back to culture. Who wants to be in a school where the culture is toxic? You can walk into such a school and know that relationships, respect, and trust are not valued. ...
When Special Education Teachers Get Married
By: Mary McLaughlin | Mar 27, 2018
Last Saturday was a glorious day here in northeastern Arkansas. The breeze was steady but light, the sun was shining after what seemed to be endless days of drizzly rain, and the temperature was in the low seventies after days of chilly 40-degree temperatures. It was, in fact, a beautiful ...
Freshening Up
By: Mary McLaughlin | Mar 27, 2018
During Christmas break, I spent far too much time in front of the television. I know this because there is a groove in the couch from where my happy hiney spent far too much time embracing the spirit of the word “break.”
I took a break from wearing make-up. I took ...
What Frustrates Teachers Most About the IEP Process
By: Mary McLaughlin | Mar 27, 2018
The most frustrating part of the IEP process, for the special education teachers I asked, isn't the paperwork itself. It's the breakdown between the people responsible for it: missing records from a previous district, parents who don't attend, goals nobody can measure, and team members who never show up to ...
Scarcity and Surplus
By: Tricia Koechig | Mar 27, 2018
Teachers are infamous for ALWAYS using up any and all resources. Teachers can NEVER have enough glue sticks. Teachers can NEVER have enough paper clips, file folders, paper, pencils, white-board markers, sticky tack, tape, and the list could go on and on. Teachers are experts at depleting materials, resources, time, ...
Snapchat Will Not Be the Death of Me! 7 Lessons to Teach Responsibility
By: Jon Konen | Mar 26, 2018
I have a streak going…four straight years of dealing with students on Snapchat as an administrator. From the beginning speech the teachers and I give to parents and students, it is inevitable that the lure of Snapchat will grab most any kid with a smart phone and teach a lesson ...
10 Reasons to Have a Passion Partner
By: Jon Konen | Mar 23, 2018
Do you have that drive or passion in education where you are always pushing the proverbial “envelope?” Some educators are a lucky to not only have this passion to try new things, but they have found a partner that shares the same passion on educating youth. Those partners may be ...
When Special Education Teachers Gets Sick
By: Mary McLaughlin | Mar 23, 2018
During the course of my career, I have been sneezed on, coughed on, vomited on, spit on, pulled on, tugged on, cried on, been in the presence of seizures, copious amounts of blood, and even a heart attack. Insulin pumps don’t scare me, neither do tracheotomies.
What really scares me the ...
Showing Professionalism as a Teacher: Danielson 4f Guide
By: Jon Konen | Feb 20, 2018
Showing professionalism as a teacher comes down to three things Charlotte Danielson's Domain 4f looks at: honesty in every interaction, decisions made on student needs rather than adult convenience, and leadership that reaches past your own classroom. In my experience, those habits count for more when colleagues can see them, ...
The Four Functions of Behavior Explained
By: Blain Hockridge | Feb 20, 2018
There is a certain image that comes to mind when thinking of a child with autism who exhibits severe problem behavior. It conjures images of physical aggression, screaming, spitting, scratching and a child unwilling to budge an inch. Many people have seen parents in public places, such as supermarkets or ...