Teachers

We teachers are unique. We plant knowledge and skills without knowing how or where they’ll sprout. We are artists, writers, musicians, psychologists, mathematicians, counsellors, coaches, linguists, designers, and moderators. We care. We give a damn. When we need to, we kick ass. Above all, we nurture. We take accountability for each child who enters our classroom.

I retired from teaching in 2019. During my almost 40-year career, I taught every primary school age group (that’s elementary school for anyone outside Australia). I spent a teacher exchange year in Canada teaching Junior High School. I rose to the level of Principal, which brought an entirely new range of issues in addition to curriculum implementation.

Now, I am off the leash as a retiree. Learning and education still matter. Hence, the blog on this site. Please read, share, agree or disagree.

While I’ve got you, check out my stories. eBook samples are available on request by clicking here. They’re pitched at middle-grade readers.

Teacher Unleashed

Featured

Gather

Many posts ago, I spoke about gathering information. Our students do it in a variety of ways. Your teaching methods are the primary source. Students gather info from your demonstrations, displays, and discussions. How much do they retain?

Depends on their level of engagement, right? We can share stories about the student who disengages. How about the one who engages?

Fun

So, here we are, back at school for the start of Term 2 in some Australian states. Others have another week. The beginning of the winter term in Australia marks athletics season. In every school where I taught, running, jumping and throwing activities led to an Athletics Carnival towards the end of the term.

Energy

Depending on where you are in the world, your school is closed for Easter. Here in Australia, Easter marks the end of the first half of Semester One. It’s a good time to rebuild the energy levels after the rush of a new school year.