We're starting a little facebook fun for teachers and I'd love for you to join in!! Rules: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 12 Reasons Why You Teach. At the end, choose 12 (or more) teachers to be tagged.
My 12 Reasons
1. To share my passion for reading, writing and learning
2. My students constantly surprise me
3. My acting career never took off (just kidding)... read more
Good teachers have always understood that they don’t just teach a subject, they teach individual students with different learning skills, backgrounds and abilities. Differentiation connects the content to the students and addresses these varied needs.
Putting your blood, tears and sweat into teaching takes on whole new meaning during steamy summer months.
I know this is soooo last year, but I still think its fun for a throwback summer blog post :)
With Gossip Girl scheduled for some summer guilty pleasure viewing, I wondered if there are real life gossip girl sites out there and what/if schools and teachers should do anything about them.
We're taking a poll to see how YOUR schools are fairing in the tough economy..jpg)
An obvious fact that we’re all aware of as teachers is that a student, when recognized for positive behavior, will feel less inclined to seek attention in inappropriate ways. Conversely, when a pupil’s efforts are ignored, the chances of them disrupting the lesson to gain some attention are greatly increased.
3-5: If You Were a Toy 
To be a great teacher, you’ve got to know how to handle a crowd. Maybe that’s why these celebrities commanded their classrooms before finding fame.
The core curriculum just got a little cooler, thanks to Mr. Duey.
Daniel "DJ" Duey brings his love of rap into the classroom into his 7th grade math class in Michigan to tremendous results. After his videos started topping the charts on TeacherTube, Mr. Duey recorded his hip hop curriculum and is making it available to schools around the country.
With the first run of “Class Dis-Missed” now sold out, DJ Duey let TeachHUB know what it's like to be rocking raps in schools around the country.
In the time when smart phones with a trillion apps are the norm, students have started treating teachers like TV sets on in the background of their otherwise engaged classroom lives.
Homework used to be the bane of my existence. I’m pretty sure my little friends felt the same way too. I had a laundry list of complaints about homework. Again, I’m pretty sure my little friends did as well.
There is a tradition among Stanley Cup winners that each player gets to keep the trophy and do whatever they want with it. The trophy "sang" the 7th inning stretch at the baseball game this week. In the past, players have drank out of it, made giant ice cream sundaes in it and even strapped it in for a water skiing ride.
Let’s face it – by the time "Back to School" rolls around, you're already out of time to make adjustments and improvements for the new year.
With grants growing more competitive by the day, DonorsChoose still pays off.
John Spencer is a man of many blogging identities. He is "Musings of a Not-So-Master Teacher" on his personal blog, "Learning with Impact" for his education-specific forum, and the orchestrator of a student blog/online social studies magazine "Social Voice." With each of his blogs, John explores the possibilities in education and different ways to tap into his students' potential.
Q: Typically, I have positive relationships with most of the parents in my class, but one mom continually causes me problems. Whenever she makes a request for her son that I can’t or won’t comply with, she literally screams at me. How should I deal with this out-of-control parent?What's a fitting end-of-the-year send off for a wonderful class after a great year?Let him know how you say goodbye on the discussion boards!
As this time of year rolls around, I have to admit to getting a little excited about some of the gifts that students and their families give in appreciation for a year as their science teacher.
For those teachers who aren’t teaching summer school, June through August are the best months of the year. No homework to track down from students, no lesson plans or evenings spent grading, no school bells punctuating the day. Busy days at school transform into busy days at home, either taking care of your family or working a summer job or daily trips to the pool. Pretty soon, you’ll wonder how you ever got anything done while you spent all day at school.
12. Scrubbing red (or purple) ink off your fingers after 9 months of copious grading
Jen asks if anyone else gets the summertime blues on the TeachHUB discussion board:Does anyone else get the summer blues in the first few days out of school?Join Discussion
I am so used to going to school everyday that I feel a little aimless. Today, I started looking up Masters programs when I hadn't planned on going back. I have a feeling that once I get into a good routine, I'll get over this little bout of beginning-of-summer blues, so I'm trying not to jump in head first.
Am I the only one?
We’ve all seen the ads: go to school in your pajamas! At any time of day! 
9-12: Advertising Youth
“I’d love to do some professional development, but it’s just so expensive!” If that sounds familiar, take heart: here are some activities that are low cost, but high impact – guaranteed to make you a more effective teacher next fall.
Thank you to everyone who entered both the "Our Ed Tech is Busted" Contest and the Lit Lesson Giveaway. With no further ado, the winners are:
12. Holiday-themed bulletin boards, student projects around the room and the other evidence of your teaching brilliance