When I first started teaching 20 years ago my goal was to get students to memorize as many facts as possible about history.  

I remember I would take the test that came with the Textbook and print them out.  

I don't want to brag but I was a master at Scantrons (most young...

Think about how many times you have been asked, "How are you doing"?

If you are like most of us, 99% of the time we answer "Good".  

I respond that way without even thinking.  But if I stop for a moment and really think about how I am doing, my answer many times would be...

44%.

That is the percentage of teachers that will quit before they make it thru the 5th year of teaching. 

Think about that for second. 

To become a teacher you need to complete at least 6 years of schooling.  You need to give up 3 months of your time to work for free (student...

How long does it take you to Lesson Plan?

1 Hour or 1 Day?

When I first started teaching 21 years ago I remember sitting at my desk and thinking to myself, "Where do I start?"

It was like I had a blank canvas and no idea what I needed to paint, where my supplies where, or even if anybody really...

"Hey Vigil do you have a second?"

I have been doing this job for 21 years but anytime my Principal asks me if I have a second, I start to get butterflies. 

"I sure do."

As I walked into his office he closed the door behind me.

To be honest with you I do not know exactly how I was...

As teachers we are asked to play so many roles (teacher, nurse, counselor, and etc.) and take on so many responsibilities (yard duty, grading, teaching, and etc.)

So when the administration decides to add one more thing to our plate, how can they be surprised if we push back. 

Now...

I was talking with my mom this past weekend and she always brings up that she is the first one to suggest that I should be a teacher

“I always said you should be a teacher because you are so patient”.

Those are her exact words.  

Now don’t get me wrong, patience is...

Have you heard of these words before.  

Collaboration

WICOR

SMART Goals

One of the biggest pet peeves I have regarding becoming a teacher is all of the courses we take that talk about different strategies.  

And when we finally make it into the classroom we are hit with the...

I have several pet peeves in education and one of them that is at the top of my list is when I hear people say, "We need to teach students how to behave".  

What?

No don't get me wrong if we are talking about Elementary School I can see that in the lower grades but by the time they get...

What would your school if students were habitually late to class?  

We have about 1000 students and on average we had about 400 tardies a day.  That is outrageous.  

Just to clarify I am not talking about students late to school I am talking about students late between...

I have heard it so many times from other teachers about how excited they were for a new school year,  and how things were going to be different this year.  

They go into the school year expecting the best and hope for change.  

But as the saying goes, "Hope is not...

How many times have you heard, "Make sure to communicate your expectations to students'!  

I truly agree with that statement but what I found out over the years is that it is not so much what you say but what you do that holds credibility with your students.  

The week before...