Teacher Talk
How to Keep Kids Off Their Phones While Homeschooling
By: Scott Wilson | Sep 2, 2026
The most reliable way to keep kids off their phones while homeschooling is to agree on a spot where the phone goes during schoolwork, out of reach and out of sight. Set a clear return point, keep the work surface phone-free, and switch off notifications before the session starts.
Teachers have been working on this problem for a long time. Now it's your kitchen table.
Eyes down ...
10+ Tips to Prepare for Parent-Teacher Conferences
By: Mary McLaughlin | Sep 28, 2016
Our school’s parent-teacher conferences were last night. The expected, and desired, rate of attendance is always 100% so we can share the great things our class and individual students are doing, and also discuss the things we need to discuss…and boy, sometimes those can be challenging conversations!
If you’re new to ...
Tracking Student Behavior: Intensity, Duration, and Frequency
By: Jon Konen | Sep 17, 2016
Three useful ways to measure student behavior are intensity, duration, and frequency. Tracking student behavior along those dimensions turns a vague complaint into data you can act on: how severe it is, how long each episode lasts, and how often it happens. Use those numbers to decide whether an intervention ...
Supporting Transient Students With Special Needs
By: Mary McLaughlin | Sep 9, 2016
Supporting transient students starts with protecting the one thing you control: the routine inside your classroom. U.S. public schools identified about 1.55 million children and youth experiencing homelessness in 2023-24, and about one in five of them receives special education services. Predictable structure, a reliable meal, and a familiar seat ...
How to Combat Self-Doubt as a Teacher
By: Mary McLaughlin | Sep 3, 2016
Many teachers go through periods of professional self-doubt, and it often surfaces around transitions: a new building, a hard evaluation, a class you can’t seem to reach. The way through isn’t confidence on demand. It’s naming what’s actually driving the doubt, deciding one small thing you can control today, and ...
First Year Special Education Teacher Tips From a 21-Year Veteran
By: Mary McLaughlin | Aug 25, 2016
Your first year in a special education classroom runs on preparation and relationships more than lesson plans. Review each student's IEP as early as you can, ask questions constantly, and treat your paraprofessional, school secretary, and custodian as allies. The best first year special education teacher tips come down to ...
5 Teacher Professional Development Trends From a Principal
By: Jon Konen | Aug 23, 2016
Principal Jon Konen identifies five teacher professional development trends from his own schools: bottom-up edcamps, teacher leaders, school culture, problem-solving, and multiple delivery formats. Each one, in his experience, shifts some control toward the staff doing the learning rather than the office scheduling it. In my experience, professional development of a ...
212 Degrees of Customer Service in Education
By: Jon Konen | Aug 17, 2016
Customer service in education is how everyone in a school treats the students, families, and colleagues who walk through the door. Watching five interactions gives you an initial impression of a building's temperature: student to student, teacher to student, teacher to staff, administration to teachers, and administration to families. Dr. Bill ...
How to Be a Team Player as a Teacher
By: Tricia Koechig | Jul 29, 2016
Being a team player as a teacher means treating your colleagues as your first resource rather than your competition. Lean on a mentor or veteran teacher, share what works in your classroom, and show up for the people who share your hallway. Schools run on grade-level teams and professional learning ...
Free Professional Development for Teachers: How Sweet It Is
By: Mary McLaughlin | Jul 7, 2016
Free professional development for teachers is easier to find than most of us assume. State-run platforms, university centers, and educator communities all offer courses at no cost. Many issue certificates of completion, though whether those hours count toward licensure depends on your state and district rules. Verify before you enroll. I ...
The Teacher Martyr Complex: Saint, Sinner, or Just a Person With a Job
By: Mary Hardin | Jun 6, 2016
The teacher martyr complex is the expectation that good teachers sacrifice their health, money, and personal lives for their students. Hardin argues that framing teachers as selfless martyrs can make inadequate pay and benefits easier to justify because teaching is treated as a calling rather than skilled paid work. Yesterday a ...