Roxanna Elden's Blog, page 5

Beware of the Movie Version of the Rookie Super-Teacher. Especially if You’re a Rookie Teacher.

Because of the material in my speeches and books, I often find myself explaining why I have such a problem with “inspiring” movies about new teachers. And it’s true. I do have a problem with these movies. They are unhelpful to teachers in many ways, but they can be especially damaging for beginners. That’s because,... Read more »

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Honesty, Humor, Practical Advice. . . and Occasional Oversharing.

Weekly email newsletters are the main way I stay in touch with readers. They are meant to offer honesty, humor, nuance, and practical advice about teaching. Sign up and you’ll get exclusive material and occasional oversharing, always with the goal of making the week ahead more manageable. (I also hope this goes without saying, but... Read more »

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What to do in the First Five Minutes of the First Day of Class

If I had to summarize my philosophy of the tone teachers should set on the first day of school in one sentence, it would probably be this: The teacher cares about you, and the teacher is in charge. Or, if you prefer: The teacher is in charge, and the teacher cares about you. When I... Read more »

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How to Teach in a Political Sh*tstorm

One of the questions I often hear from teachers is some version of “how to teach in the current political environment.” The exact nature of this concern plays out differently for different teachers, which is one reason I’m going to try not to wade into specific political debates here. Do I have opinions? I always... Read more »

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How Teachers Can Budget Their Emotional Energy

Helping teachers make it through the rough patches of the school year has been my focus for nearly two decades. One thing I’ve learned is that, even though teachers are supposed to be willing to “anything for the kids,” people’s best moods are limited resources. Start the day with an emotional rubber band already stretched... Read more »

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How Teachers Can Protect Their Emotional Energy

Helping teachers make it through the rough patches of the school year has been my focus for nearly two decades. One thing I’ve learned is that, even though teachers are supposed to be willing to “anything for the kids,” people’s best moods are limited resources. Start the day with an emotional rubber band already stretched... Read more »

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Uncertainty Looms. . .

The past few years have been a whirlwind of roller coaster–like change. And yet, one thing remains tediously constant: if you check the news right now, you’re going to see a headline that contains the words “Uncertainty Looms.” And it’s going to mess with your head. Why? Because uncertainty keeps our brains running on a hamster... Read more »

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A One-Hour Calendar Setup Activity That Can Save You Planning Time (and Sanity) During the School Year

This is a one-hour activity I recommend all teachers do before they start planning for the school year. I find this is one of the best things teachers can do to get their heads in the game and develop a feel for the flow of the year to come. It’s also something you can do... Read more »

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What to Do if Your Lesson Ends Early (AKA: “The Flotation Device Activity”)

For a new teacher, thirty minutes of no-lesson-plan time feels like a week and a half in normal-people time. The earlier in the year this happens, the more panicked you will feel. Maybe you should have planned more diligently. Or maybe you did plan­. Maybe you stayed up late cutting out each individual pepperoni slice... Read more »

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How to Spend Less Time On Daily Lesson Planning by Understanding the Lesson-Planning Triangle

Here’s something I remember from my first year of teaching: I stayed up very late every night making detailed lesson plans. Maybe too detailed. Definitely too late. Then, one day, I saw one of my more experienced colleagues’ lesson plan. And it looked something like this: Math: Multiplication X’s 4. That was it. That was... Read more »

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