Talks with Teachers

Rebecca Mieliwocki

 ELA teacher, Burbank (CA) 

2012 National Teacher of the Year 

Resource of the Week:

Talks with Teachers has developed a new way to help you. Sure we’ve got this podcast that’s great to listen to. Sure there are valuable lessons on our website for all levels that can help your teaching. But the one thing that has been lacking is COMMUNITY. We have a loyal following of listeners, Tweeters, and contributing teachers that have all interacted with us. Yet, we have not allowed you to interact with each other. 

That’s where the Talks with Teachers 4-Week Challenge comes in. We want you to do something small each day to grow as a teacher. We’ve got readings, videos, fun, little projects lined up to foster your love of teaching. And best of all, there will be a community forum for you to share your success and encourage others to find purpose and joy in teaching.

 Segment I – Background and Inspiration

Tell your story. Where are you from and how long have you been teaching? What classes have you taught? 

– Rebecca teaches 7th grade English at Luther Burbank Middle School in Burbank, CA. She has taught middle school for 10 years. She started her teaching career as a high school English teacher, but prior to that she was in publishing, working for a company that made textbooks. She still apologizes to her students for the massive textbooks that they lug around because in the textbook industry, the bigger the book, the bigger the profits. 

 Who has helped you in your journey to become a master teacher? 

– Her growth into greatness has depended on the support group that surrounded her. Mr. Campbell was a teacher that struck fear into the hearts of students and if you taught next to him, you were in fear of making a mistake. He was exacting and proper but a wonderful person. But at the end of the year students were so thankful to be in his class because they learned so much and were pushed. She admired that. When she started middle school she learned a lot from Karen Burkland, a veteran teacher that was a Zen master. She was supportive of students. Nothing would stop her from teaching. Also, she ensured that her students didn't use excuses to prevent them from doing the work.

It is important for other teachers to know that we all have had setbacks in the classroom. Identify an instance in which you struggled as a teacher and explain what you learned from that experience.

– Just last week she taught appositives. Her students bombed the quiz. Rebecca did what Harry Wong recommends; she went back and re-taught the material. A teacher should only move on when 70-80% of the students master the material. Not a week goes by when something is a dud, though. Rebecca believes that we are much better at 2:30 then we are at 8:30. And that is what is great about teaching; we get the chance to improve each period and each day. 

Why is literacy important?

– It is everything. Students have to understand the norms and restrictions -- the rules of the road -- whether they are writing, tweeting, blogging, podcasting, etc. Each form has its own rules. Students can then see the choices of an author and how that influences meaning. 

What is one thing that you love about the classroom? 

 – Rebecca loves that it is unpredictable, safe, fun, and uncertainty. A student in the other middle school recently passed away of cancer. It has been a week of deep tragedy. She didn't turn to literature, she made her classroom a safe place. 

Segment II — Digging into the Teacher Bag of Goodies

Troy Hicks

Associate Professor of English Education, Former Middle School Teacher

(Central Michigan University) 

 Segment I – Background and Inspiration

Tell your story. Where are you from and how long have you been teaching? What classes have you taught? 

– Troy teaches at Central Michigan University. He is also involved in the National Writing Project in his area in Michigan.  To backtrack, he graduated from MSU and taught middle school at a rural school in Concord, Michigan. He eventually went back to MSU to earn his graduate degree and eventually made his way into higher education. 

 Who has helped you in your journey to become a master teacher? 

– He had a mentor from Day 1 at his middle school in Concord. Chris Miller was the 7th grade science teacher and Troy was the 7th grade Language Arts teacher.  Chris was focused on the students. He would joke that he was so student-focused that he didn't begin teaching science until mid-September. When Troy was deciding to stay in the classroom or going to graduate school to pursue Education, Chris gave him the most timely and sympathetic encouragement to pursue goals beyond the four walls of the school.  

It is important for other teachers to know that we all have had setbacks in the classroom. Identify an instance in which you struggled as a teacher and explain what you learned from that experience.

– He felt he had read all the right books during his undergraduate experience about reading and writing workshops. When he got into teaching, like many first and second year teachers, suddenly the book became his curriculum. He eventually learned to let go and give students more choice. Ultimately he learned to strike a balance between what he had to do that was mandated by the curriculum and what he felt the students needed or wanted to do.

Why is literacy important?

– Troy believes that if we don't frame literacy as a thinking process, then it is really difficult to make the case for literacy with math, science and social studies. We want students to be critical thinker and have substantive conversations. 

What is one thing that you love about the classroom?

 – The thing that he talks about with his pre-service students and what he took away from his middle school years is the moment of discovery. To sit with a student, conference with him or her, and see the lightbulb go off, is a small moment that he really values.

Segment II — Digging into the Teacher Bag of Goodies

What is one thing a teacher can do outside the classroom that can pay off inside the classroom?

-- Troy believes that you have to take time for yourself. Put it on your calendar because you might not do it. make time to read. Watch the show you've been meaning to watch. Go for walks. You have to invest in yourself .

 Is there an internet resource that you can recommend which will help teachers grow professionally?

– www.digitalis.nwp.org has layer upon layer of resources. The NWP Digital Is website is an emerging and open knowledge base created and curated by its community of members. We gather resources, collections, reflections, inquiries, and stories about what it means to learn and teach writing in our increasingly digital and interconnected world. 

Provide a writing practice that is effective?

 – One minute of conferencing is worth 15 minutes of comments on the paper.

Curtis Chandler

ELA teacher, 2011 Kansas Teacher of the Year

(Wamgeo Middle School -- Wamego, KS) 

Resource of the Week:

#aplitchat

#elachat 

#apbiochat

#engchat

 Segment I – Background and Inspiration

Tell your story. Where are you from and how long have you been teaching? What classes have you taught? 

– Curtis has taught for 17 years, just outside of Topeka, Kansas. He is at Wamego Middle School but he is someone that moved a lot as a child because his father was in the military. Curtis was not a stellar student but he had a few teachers that encouraged him, put books in his hands, and allowed him to learn through creative activities. 

 Who has helped you in your journey to become a master teacher? 

– He has been helped by a lot of talented professionals, like the Center for Teaching Quality. Yet, his first set of models were his parents. His mom was a teacher and his dad was military. He spent a lot of time overseas and his parents dragged him to every museum, attraction, cultural center to learn. His wife, a special education teacher, reminds him that some students may have exceptions but all students are exceptional. Finally, parenting has taught him a lot about teaching and teaching has taught him a lot about parenting. 

It is important for other teachers to know that we all have had setbacks in the classroom. Identify an instance in which you struggled as a teacher and explain what you learned from that experience.

– His first year of teaching was a real struggle. He was working with struggling reader at a school near a military base. He assumed that a year with any kid would be long enough to fix their issues. He learned that education is a progressive act. It does not occur is a single year. He learned to desire constant improvement from himself and from his students. 

Why is literacy important?

– Literacy is constantly involving and changing. Many of his students are doing all sorts of discourse on their own, many times collaborative. Our focus needs to evolve. We can't think about preparing students for THE future, but THEIR future, which is increasingly technological, collaborative and highly literate. 

What is one thing that you love about the classroom?

 – When students take control of their own learning. 

Segment II — Digging into the Teacher Bag of Goodies

 What book do you recommend to a developing teacher? 

-- He tends to recommend the book that he is reading at the moment. The Anti-Education Era: Creating Smarter Students through Digital Learning. With the emergence of all this ground-breaking stuff -- like social media -- we need to harness the power of human creativity. This is a book that can help you  consider how reform that focuses on “skill-and-drill” standardized tests and college education as status or mere vocational training. In the book, Gee laments that we have lost the true meaning of education in the service of personal enlightenment and broader social good.

What is one thing a teacher can do outside the classroom that can pay off inside the classroom?

-- He gave a series of lectures and workshops about the un-classroom. Learning takes place as much outside the classroom as much as it does inside. Educators need to stay in touch with the learning process. One way to do this is to continuously force yourself to learn to do something new. It is hard to do this. We get reminded of the frustration of trying something difficult because that is what our students may be going through.  

 Is there an internet resource that you can recommend which will help teachers grow professionally?

– Curtis tries to read as much as possible in his own discipline. Also, Twitter allows him to participate in conversations about education. It forces him to think more and say less.

David Knuffke

Biology teacher, AP Biology Community moderator

www.knuffke.com

(Deer Park High School -- Deer Park, NY) 

Resource of the Week:

Each new poem you learn becomes an important part of you who are, and the Huffington Post describes Poems By Heart as “the best poetry app I’ve seen in a while.”

Poems By Heart uses brain-training techniques to make remembering poetry easy and fun – in a fast and responsive game. The National Endowment for the Arts calls the app “smart and beautifully designed, with a skillful blend of iconic poetry, memorization techniques, and great gaming.”

 Segment I – Background and Inspiration

Tell your story. Where are you from and how long have you been teaching? What classes have you taught? 

– David teaches Biology at Deer Park High School on Long Island. It was his first and only teaching job. He was hired in 2004. He works at a great district primarily because it doesn't put a lot of obstacles in front him to prevent him from teaching. 

 Who has helped you in your journey to become a master teacher? 

– His father taught biology for his entire career. He became a good sounding board when David had questions or concerns, especially early on in his career. It has been nice to have that basis to grow and develop from the beginning.

It is important for other teachers to know that we all have had setbacks in the classroom. Identify an instance in which you struggled as a teacher and explain what you learned from that experience.

– He's had all sorts of lessons that he thought would be great that just fell short. Early in his career he had info-dense lessons. He thought science was going to drive kids through it. He also realized that his style wouldn't reach certain kids. It helped him realize that it was equally him as well as the students that create the learning equation.  

Why is literacy, and particularly, literacy in sciences important?

– Science is all about information literacy. It is about assimilating information from all different sources. If a student can't parse through information in a literate capacity, students will face difficulties. Students need to use science to make meaning of the world.   

What is one thing that you love about the classroom?

 – David loves everything about being in the classroom,. It is the greatest job that he could possibly have. He appreciates the freedoms that he has in his district. He has the ability to make his job what he wants to make it. He's moved to standards-based grading and other things that have been supported and encouraged.  

Segment II — Digging into the Teacher Bag of Goodies

 What book do you recommend to a developing teacher? 

-- The major book that David can point to is Teaching As a Subversive Activity. While it is beneficial to science teachers, David also recommends it to anyone that is interested in an inquiry-based approach to teaching should look at this book.  

What is one thing a teacher can do outside the classroom that can pay off inside the classroom?

-- Particularly in science, it is important to stay interested in the discipline. David has been removed from his proper education in biology for over a decade and it has moved so rapidly since then. He also believes is staying curious as a learner. Teachers should be willing to look for new things and try new things in their professional life. One more thing is to do the work. David tries to write everyday. And even though he is critical of his own blogging, he believes it is important to do it and et it out there. 

 Is there an internet resource that you can recommend which will help teachers grow professionally?

– Dave subscribes to his content list serve run by a state school.

Steve Perkins Latin/Classics teacher, 2014 Indiana Teacher of the Year (North Central High School -- Indianapolis, IN)  Resource of the Week: With Rigor for All, Second Edition: Meeting Common Core Standards for Reading Literature

integration of the Common Core State Standards as teaching touchstones

(email me your favorite resource [email protected])    

Segment I – Background and Inspiration

Tell your story. Where are you from and how long have you been teaching? What classes have you taught?  – Steve teaches Latin at North Central High School in Indianapolis. He's been there since 1998.  He began his teaching career in Kansas City after getting his undergraduate degree from Indiana University. He went down to Texas for graduate school at the University of Texas in Classics studies but then moved back to Indiana in 1998 with his wife.  

Who has helped you in your journey to become a master teacher?  – He has had many but he can point to four. Two were his Latin teachers when he was in high school. Tim Long, a Greek professor, at Indiana University was a mentor when Steve was an undergrad. Finally, his wife Melissa is the real teacher in the family. She has helped him see so many things about teaching.

It is important for other teachers to know that we all have had setbacks in the classroom. Identify an instance in which you struggled as a teacher and explain what you learned from that experience. – He thought his idea of having students blog was going to be fantastic but writing on the web in another language proved difficult. Teachers need to know when something is not working and when to ditch it. Steve had success with blogs in another course, Theory of Knowledge, which is a part of the school's IB program, but it just didn't suit his Latin class. 

Why is literacy, and particularly, literacy in Latin important? – The study of Latin helps develop literacy. Students learn to develop good decoding skills. Study another language also foster the ability to see another culture and allows students to bring their culture to another language.

What is one thing that you love about the classroom?  – The creativity and curiosity in the classroom. He describes teaching as that shared journey to discovery. The subtitle of his website is "antiquity never gets old" and he hopes that learning never gets old with him and his students.  

Segment II — Digging into the Teacher Bag of Goodies  

 What book do you recommend to a developing teacher?   -- Steve loves the classics so he reaches back to the 16th century with Montaigne and his essay "On the Education of Children." In it, he states that "the mark of a strong and lofty soul knows how to come down to a child's gait and guide it." Another work that has proved helpful has been by George Steiner, his book Lessons of the Masters (Charles Eliot Norton Lectures; 2001-2002).  

What is one thing a teacher can do outside the classroom that can pay off inside the classroom? -- Keep the fascination with one's own discipline. He loves classics and not only has that not waned over the years, it has increased.

Meenoo Rami

English teacher, author of Thrive

(Science Leadership -- Philadelphia, PA) 

www.meenoorami.org 

Resource of the Week: www.commonlit.org 

 Segment I – Background and Inspiration

Tell your story. Where are you from and how long have you been teaching? What classes have you taught? 

– Meenoo started teaching in 2006 in Philadelphia, where she teaches to this day. She was blown away by the conditions and behaviors, when she first stepped into classrooms. She was a philosophy and English major at Temple and went back to get her Master's because she did not want to give up on urban education.

 Who has helped you in your journey to become a master teacher? 

– She believes that we have different mentors at different points in life and in our careers. She had great high school English teachers and she credits her boss, Chris Lehman, for empowering her to take risks in the classroom. 

It is important for other teachers to know that we all have had setbacks in the classroom. Identify an instance in which you struggled as a teacher and explain what you learned from that experience.

– Just moments before the interview, in her class, Storytelling, students are focusing on storytelling and good game design. Her students have to design a game and see if a narrative emerges from that. Some games are going amazingly well and some are just not working. She believes that when you do truly creative work you have to task risks and fail in order to succeed.

What do you love about the Language Arts?

– The more she teaches and experiences the world the less focused on content she becomes. She is more focused on the way her students think, how they collaborate, the methods of their inquiry. She loves the way in which she get to empower her students to tell their stories. See the example of her students' teen magazine HERE.

What is one thing that you love about the classroom?

 – A big transition that she made was that when she first started teaching it was about "I" and "them." Now, she thinks of her classroom as "we." What are we going after, what questions do we have? What challenges are we tackling?

Segment II — Digging into the Teacher Bag of Goodies

 What book do you recommend to a developing teacher? 

What is one thing a teacher can do outside the classroom that can pay off inside the classroom?

-- Meenoo talks about this in the book. Teachers need to take breaks from the grading, planning, etc. We need to read the books, attend the concerts, see the films and participate in the dinner parties so that we can nourish our own interests and passions. Having a diverse set of experiences makes us more complete as teachers. 

 Is there an internet resource that you can recommend which will help teacher...

Dave Burgess

US History, author, workshop/seminar presenter

(West Hills High School -- San Diego, CA) 

Resource of the Week: www.newsela.com (Bethany Whinnem, Fairhaven High School)

 Segment I – Background and Inspiration

Tell your story. Where are you from and how long have you been teaching? What classes have you taught? 

– Dave has taught US History at West Hills High School in San Diego, CA for 17 years. He came to the school first as a basketball coach and a teaching job soon ensued. He is currently on a one-year leave to promote his book, Teach Like a PIRATE: Increase Student Engagement, Boost Your Creativity, and Transform Your Life as an Educator.

 Who has helped you in your journey to become a master teacher?

– Dave worked for three summers at the John Wooden basketball camp. To learn from such an extraordinary coach and man of character has benefitted him. Wooden's idea of success, the piece of mind arising from doing your best, has influences Dave's teaching. He tries to embed LCLs (life-changing lessons) into everything that he does in the classroom.  

It is important for other teachers to know that we all have had setbacks in the classroom. Identify an instance in which you struggled as a teacher and explain what you learned from that experience.

– Dave created a whole lesson around the War of the Worlds. He had the classroom in complete darkness and wanted students to listen to the radio broadcast. There were behavior problems and the students were disengaged. He was very discouraged. Through reflection he realized that the broadcast is flat-out boring. Good teaching is like a heat-seeking missile.  Any time it is off course is has the intuition to return to its proper direction. Through reflection we can get ourselves back on course.  

What role does literacy play in a U.S. History class?

– Dave believes there should be an emphasis on primary sources. Also, writing forces students to get clear about their thinking. Both enables students to become more critical as thinkers.

What is one thing that you love about the classroom?

 – Dave loves the day-to-day interactions and relationships with students. It is something that is missing right now while he is on this year-long book/workshop tour. 

Segment II — Digging into the Teacher Bag of Goodies

 What book do you recommend to a developing teacher? 

Laura Robb 

Author, teacher, coach, and 43-year veteran of teaching

 (Virgina) 

Resource of the Week: New York Times most emailed articles  

(email me your favorite resource [email protected])

 Segment I – Background and Inspiration

Tell your story. Where are you from and how long have you been teaching? What classes have you taught? 

– Laura taught for 43 years, yet she still teaches about three months a year and does consulting and workshops because she loves being in the classroom. She loves seeing kids as they begin school (kindergarden or 1st grade) and loves seeing them at the end, before they embark to high school (8th grade). She had worked in advertising in New York City after graduating Queens College with a Bachelor's in English and French. When her husband took a music job in Virginia, she moved with him and she obtained a teaching job in a rural school in Virginia. Laura was the only faculty member not related to the principal.

 Who has helped you in your journey to become a master teacher?

– Laura has all of Donald Graves' books. In her opinion, Donald trusts the children. It defies the concept of the sage on the stage. Graves shows the true collaboration of teaching that exists between teacher and student. She recommends to read his work. He has such respect for teachers and children and in today's climate we have lost a lot of that.  In Testing Is Not Teaching: What Should Count in Education, he argues that learning is not about a test but about creativity and encouragement. 

It is important for other teachers to know that we all have had setbacks in the classroom. Identify an instance in which you struggled as a teacher and explain what you learned from that experience.

– Laura had a string of lessons that didn't go as planned. It happened when she transitioned from being a 5th grade teacher to a middle school teacher. She lost a lot of reading time in the transition. She had to manage ways to get students to read during class and resulted in a  book, Differentiated Reading Instruction. 

What do you love about the Language Arts?

– Literacy is about communication and it is about learning and Laura can't imagine life without either one. These are essential qualities to get a good job, be a productive citizen. The Language Arts holds our stories and we are a species that is all about stories.  We think in terms of story, we a re programmed in terms of stories. It is what helps us learns about others.

What is one thing that you love about the classroom?

 – She loves the energy in the room, especially when kids are doing different things and they come together to share what they've been working on. 

Segment II — Digging into the Teacher Bag of Goodies

 What book do you recommend to a developing teacher? --

What is one thing a teacher can do outside the classroom that can pay off inside the classroom?

–She read children's literature, discovering authors that she loved. It allowed her to brings books into the classroom. She also saw the importance of taking care of herself. She has always enjoyed hiking and being active. Laura emphasizes nurturing your own soul.

 Is there an internet resource that you can recommend which will help teachers grow professionally?

– Laura uses the web more for students than for herself. She had her students create blogs and develop podcasts. She reads Edutopia, Middle Web,

Starr Sackstein 

English and Journalism teacher (World Journalism Preparatory School --  Queens, NY) 

January Contest: Win a Copy of Carol Jago's With Rigor for All by emailing me a lesson that worked (email)

 Segment I – Background and Inspiration

Tell your story. Where are you from and how long have you been teaching? What classes have you taught? 

– Starr started at Far Rockaway High School. She obtained certification by teaching in a high-needs district. After the initial feeling-out-process passed, she fell in love with teaching and her students. From there she proceeded to Locust Valley High School, an affluent suburban Long Island district. She thought that was going to be it for her, she would stay there for the rest of her career. But the politics of the district got the better of her. Now she is at World Journalism Preparatory School and has been there since its second year, which has allowed her to grow with the school.

 Who has helped you in your journey to become a master teacher?

– Starr's high school English teacher opened her room to her as she was doing her observations. Lori Mayo, the teacher-center representative at Far Rockaway, got Starr involved in NCTE and the Writing Project, which helped her how as a teacher.  She is involved with JEA, Journalism Education Association, not just as a member but also as the state director. Her own personal learning network on Twitter has also been immensely valuable. 

It is important for other teachers to know that we all have had setbacks in the classroom. Identify an instance in which you struggled as a teacher and explain what you learned from that experience.

– Starr tried to do a dinner party after her students finished reading Pride and Prejudice. Everybody was excited about it. Yet, within 15 minutes it was evident that it was not working. Students forgot props and conversations died shortly thereafter. She called everyone to order and order them back to the text as their character. They re-did the lesson on Monday. She came in more prepared as did the students and it turned out much better. 

What do you love about the Language Arts?

– There are no right answers! Starr doesn't like to talk grades with her students. Learning is about being proved and thinking about how we feel and how we connected with the literature. The Humanities piece of education offers students the opportunities to explore themselves in a lot of ways. 

What is one thing that you love about the classroom?

 – There is nothing more amazing than stepping into a classroom and feeling obsolete because you have empowered young minds to trust themselves and their voices. Starr enjoys bringing that sense of awe back into their lives… The better she does her job, the less that her students need her.

Segment II — Digging into the Teacher Bag of Goodies

 What book do you recommend to a developing teacher?

-- Dave Burgess' Teach Like a PIRATE: Increase Student Engagement, Boost Your Creativity, and Transform Your Life as an Educator. She really connected with the idea of going outside the box.   

What is one thing a teacher can do outside the classroom that can pay off inside the classroom?

–Starr is a writer. Her blogging and writing helps her as a teacher. It gives her a practical connection to the struggles of a writer. She has shown her students her writing from college and how much she has crossed out, changed, and edited.

 Is there an internet resource that you can recommend which will help teachers grow professionally?

–Starr believes that Twitter is all about who you follow and the lists that you create for yourself. #COLchat (Community of Learning) is a way to reach a community beyond your school. Teach 100 has excellent teacher blogs. It is a good idea to read what other teachers are doing and be reflective in your practice.

Jeff Charbonneau 

2013 National Teacher of the Year

STEM Teacher (Zillah High School --  Zillah, WA) 

January Contest: Win a Copy of Carol Jago's With Rigor for All by emailing me a lesson that worked (email)

 Segment I – Background and Inspiration

Tell your story. Where are you from and how long have you been teaching? What classes have you taught? 

– Jeff was the 2013 National Teacher of the Year. He is out of the classroom right now but he will return next year. He teaches at the same high school that he attended, Zillah High School. 

 Who has helped you in your journey to become a master teacher?

– Jeff asks for help about every 30 minutes. Yet, he had two outstanding cooperating teachers during his student teacher experience. They had completely different styles, one was traditional the other was affectionate and loving. Both were outstanding educators and what he learned was that you need to be true to yourself. 

It is important for other teachers to know that we all have had setbacks in the classroom. Identify an instance in which you struggled as a teacher and explain what you learned from that experience.

– It seems like that sums up every day of teaching in his career. One experience  that stands out was when he had a fish tank while teaching biology. They had trouble stabilizing the tank. And after being absent one day, he returned to see that the fish were dead. The tank had been smelling and in his absence one student thought it was wise to pour perfume into the fish tank. The worse thing he could have done was to yell at the student. No learning would come of that. Instead, he tries to stop and think about what is going on in their brains first before he reacts.

What role does literacy play in the science classroom?

– It plays a huge part. One colleague taught a Sci-Fi Literature class. Jeff has jealous at first but then realized that he could create similar experiences too, he just needed to find ways to make science come alive. For example, when teaching atomic theory he can have students read Neils Bohr. His students read a play entitled Copenhagen, about the 1941 meeting of physicists Neils Bohr and Werner Heisenberg.

What is one thing that you love about the classroom?

 – Jeff loves being there at the moment of discovery. Students will work with difficult material and all of a sudden students will scream "I GET IT!!! I GET IT!!!" He thoroughly enjoys those moments that open their eyes. 

Segment II — Digging into the Teacher Bag of Goodies

 What book do you recommend to a developing teacher?

-- ParkerPalmer's The Courage to Teach: Exploring the Inner Landscape of a Teacher's Life, 10th Anniversary Edition was a book that inspired him as an undergrad. A more recent book is Dave Burgess' Teach Like a PIRATE: Increase Student Engagement, Boost Your Creativity, and Transform Your Life as an Educator. He also recommends 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens, which he used in a leadership class with students.  

What is one thing a teacher can do outside the classroom that can pay off inside the classroom?

–2 ways: 1. Place yourself where the students are. Get them to see you not just as a teacher. Let them see you working for their benefit of them. Go to the sporting events, be at the dances, stay after school. 2. Be a life-long learner. Be involved in your craft and show your students that you are watching the Discovery Channel or staying current in the latest science news.

 Is there an internet resource that you can recommend which will help teachers grow professionally?

–Jeff has looked into Twitter in the past year to further his professional development. He participates in education chats like #ntchat (new teacher chat). What he likes about Twitter is that it connects you with people. Make Magazine is another place that he goes to for ...