A Rose By Any Other Name

Picture of classroom with high school students

When I started teaching, I had the misconception that my point of view was the most important thing in the classroom. But the longer I taught, the more I realized that my perspective was just one part of the classroom culture—not the driving force.…

That’s Not My Name

Picture of a teacher taking a student to the office by his ear.

Conflict is inevitable in a classroom. It’s a small space with 30 students and a teacher trying to teach while maintaining order. Sometimes, students will get on the teacher’s bad side over minor things. I found myself in one of these conflicts back in junior high.…

Day 175 May 19, 2023 Self Esteem Monitor

Sometimes we need to serve as monitors for our students. I had a teacher in high school who refused to use my nickname, and his reasoning always made sense. He felt that it was important to honor the student, and using their name instead of a nickname reinforced that idea.…

Day 164 May 5, 2023 Brenna or Brunnen?

When learning a language people find helpful ways to remember words. Patrice who was our German teacher was very good at finding those connections. Another key factor is the repetition of words and language. Patrice understood this and was always reminding kids of words and phrases and their connections.…

Day 5 – August 15, 2022 Jose Rivera

The greats have debated the importance of a name for centuries.  Shakespeare in Romeo and Juliet asked about if it really matters: “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell just as sweet.”…