I remember how excited I was when I got my first job as a teacher.  But almost immediately that excitement wore off and was replaced with questions and anxiety.  

Will the kids like me?

What do I do if there is an emergency?

How do I make copies?

Where do I get the keys to my classroom?

What ...

It is test day and you have a classroom full of disengaged students.  There are 30 pairs of eyeballs starring at you and it is up to you to make sure that this class period goes as smoothly as possible.  

Early on in my teaching career I was giving a test to my students and I took it for granted ...

I have been teaching for 20 years and to be honest it has gone by fast.  I look around and I quickly realize that there is only about 2 other teachers in my entire school that I know from when I first started.  

There are so many new faces and so many of them are struggling like I did when I firs...

It is 10 minutes before class is over and you are just counting down the minutes.  

I have had this thought so many times in my career, "I make 1 dollar a minute.  Just hang in there for another minute.  If I hang in there for 10 more minutes I can treat myself to a Starbucks".  

Then I look at ...

When I think about what I learned in college while getting my teaching credential I think maybe I took only 1 or 2 classes classroom management.  I thought I was ready for the classroom and my students.  

I WAS SO WRONG

I remember the day that I finally came to grips that teaching was going to b...

In real estate the term that makes or breaks a house is "Location, location, location".

In the classroom the phrase that can make or break a class is, "Routines, routines, routines".

I heard a quote that I have adopted as one of my foundational beliefs and it is this, "We don't rise to the level...

One of the worst things as a teacher is standing in front of a classroom, trying to teach a lesson, and nobody is paying attention. 

Sally is in the back doing her make-up. 

Johnny is trying to take a peak at his phone. 

Cindy and Jennifer are talking about the cute new guy. 

Rick, Jason, and ...

I had a recent conversation with one of my mentees and he mentioned that during his last observation the principal marked him down for not noticing different student behaviors. 

Some of the students were on their phones,

Others had their ear buds in and were listening to music. 

And there were ...

When I first started teaching 20 years ago to say I struggled is an understatement.  

You may not believe this but there were many nights I went home crying because I felt I could do nothing right.  

I was a 30 year old man and those kids were making me cry.  I never cried in front of them but I...

If I could only choose 5 strategies for classroom management what would they be?

That is a hard question because when you are teaching a classroom there are a gazillion (is that a real number) things happening at once and often it feel like all we can do is put out fires.  

But if you take a ste...

I honestly believe that change, real change can happen if the right systems are put into place.  It will not be easy and consistency is the key but if everybody works together progress will happen.  

Think about your school.  What are some issues happening right now?

Are students constantly tard...

If you are a new teacher organizing your classroom may be one of the last things you might be thinking about.  Usually at the top of the list are creating that perfect lesson or how to handle that difficult student.  But if you are in this for the long game, the sooner you create a good organizati...