At the Chalkboard

Three former students come and talk to me about what they wish they would have heard from teachers about the travails of college. They tell us the practical advice we should have told them.

Teaching block scheduling requires a slightly different skill set than teaching the traditional sub-hour long class. We talk to some amazing teachers about how they format their lessons, what they feel are the pluses and minuses of block, and whether they feel it's ultimately superior to the 6-7 period day.

A handful of us get together to define and then come up with strategies to help "that" kid. "That" kid in this case being the student that either struggles in class or refuses to connect and participate.

We come together to talk about reading skills, how to handle reading in class, how to assess comprehension and some of our best ideas for supporting ELL students.

Four teachers talk classroom discussion skills for big groups and small, and how to get the kiddos really engaged.

We discuss, or I get schooled on, the rules and requirements of going into parenting with a teaching career in tow. Our panelists provide some wonderful advice and simultaneously scare the hell out of me.

We talk a bit about what got us in, but also what we can do to help new teachers stay in. We discuss mentorship programs, student teaching, and the importance of having a good sounding board.

A panel of high school teachers discuss what they do to get ready for the first day of school, what they are looking to find out about students, and what they want the students to know about them.