Congratulations, teachers. You’ve made it. The first day of teaching. Even on a normal year, this would be a huge deal. Whether you’ve been teaching for thirty years or this is your first, the first day brings up all sorts of feelings. Excitement. Anxiety. Joy. Terror. But this is not a normal year. Many of … Continue reading Welcome to the First Day
Hey look, a post that’s not entirely about teaching or the beginning of the year for once! Taking a break from all of that for a moment, I actually wanted to touch on a topic that is so important to me but I never really talk about: writing. I consider myself a writer. I’ve written … Continue reading The Real Daily Word Count (and why stressing over daily word counts is unnecessary)
The school year is nearly here! Well, in all honesty, it already is. Pre-service for most districts in my area has begun, and I know of campuses around the country that have already gone back to schooling, with many districts choosing remote learning. Teachers are working to establish their online setups, figuring out which tech … Continue reading Remote Learning Rules and the Rule of Grace
Many districts are now shifting to where they will at least start the school year with remote learning. While instructional technology has been gaining prominence in recent years, I still see many teachers who are unsure of what tools are good or which ones to use for their class. Here is a list I’ve put … Continue reading 7 Best Instructional Technology Tools for Teachers
As the beginning of the school year draws ever closer, it becomes more and more clear that many districts will be starting with remote or digital learning. This will bring new challenges for both teachers and students, especially those who are less-inclined when it comes to technology and digital literacy. What is digital literacy, you … Continue reading Tools for Teaching Digital Literacy
Let me begin by getting a few things out of the way. First, I don’t know a single teacher who doesn’t wish we could go back to normal. We know that the in-person format of education is exceptionally important for the social-emotional growth of students, and want nothing more than to have them back in … Continue reading “Returning to Normal” for U.S. Schools is a Bad Idea
I don’t think it’s much of a shock to say that “Rise of Skywalker” did not land well with audiences. It’s a bit of a mess. From a muddled plot, mixed messages, and an all-around ridiculous ending, “Rise of Skywalker” joined the ever-growing group of endings that somewhat ruined the rest of its series (a … Continue reading “Rise of Skywalker” makes me appreciate the Prequel Trilogy
Goodness, it’s been a while. To think that I started this blog back when I had just graduated college, almost six years ago. SIX! I was a baby back then, thinking I was off to conquer the world. It’s crazy to think about what’s happened in six years, but it’s even crazier to think about … Continue reading New Decade, Who Dis?
I’ve wanted to do a post on Steven Universe for a while now, but I’ve held off. In part that’s because I think I’ve bothered just about everyone I know about it, but also because I feel like I’ve been unable to say anything about the show that hasn’t already been said. The last year, … Continue reading Nobody Can Resist the Universe
I’m sure that this one is going to make me sound like some ol’ geezer complaining about “back in my day!” but I promise I will try to be more productive than that. Being a teacher means getting to see what the next generation is capable, both good and bad. A fellow teacher-friend and I … Continue reading Generation Gap
Jacob Ryckman 