Preparing for the Unexpected: Crisis Management in the Classroom
The desks are arranged, the pencils are sharpened, and stacks of syllabi are waiting to be dispersed. Your classroom is ready for the new school year. Or is…
Category: Community Building & Classroom Environment
These posts provide strategies and reflections about how to build a sense of community within your classroom and beyond.
Making Connections: Reimagining the Beginning of the School Year
It seems like every August the question on every teacher’s mind is: what am I going to do with students during the first few days…
Writing Revelations: Why Writing Wednesdays are Good for Everyone
In my school district, November is affectionately known as “No School November.” Between election day, a teacher workday, and three recognized holidays, we end up…
Curating Collaboration
One of the favorite buzz-words in education is “collaboration.” Teacher certification programs teach future educators about the value of collaboration. Teaching interviews often inquire about…
Fall Favorites
We’ve had a busy month here at Alexandrite Publishing. From teaching, to blogging, to shopping, here are some of our favorite highlights from October: 10.…
In Defense of Books
Like many educators, I am becoming increasingly disheartened by the growing number of calls from parents and lawmakers around the country to exclude certain books…
Writing Wednesdays: Why We Write
Dedicating every Wednesday to creative writing instruction takes commitment. Rearranging the schedule in order to maintain weekly writing when unexpected events chip away at instructional…
Write Out Loud
The sound of students’ voices fills my ears as I wander around the room. Fragments of stories here. An interesting line of text there. The…
Student-Centered Classroom Design
My first year teaching was a rushed experience. Hired just seven days before classes started, I found myself swept up in a sea of meetings,…
