Teaching: Beautifully Imperfect

-by Leslie Lucas, Hoggard HS

In the middle of July, it’s easy to imagine that we’ll be perfect teachers with perfect plans. Our students will be perfect students with perfect attitudes. They’ll have zest, grit, and growth mindsets.  And to top it off, we’ll  be able to make as many copies as we want. I call it July bliss. The July bliss before the August abyss. The calm before the storm.Literally.

Setting S.M.A.R.T. Goals as an Educator

This post originally appeared on Aligned on August 11, 2017, by Susan Hitt

Every August, as the summer days wind down and the school year approaches, I find myself reflecting on the previous year as I make plans for the new school year. What went well that I’d like to maintain? Or, perhaps even more importantly, what would I like to improve upon?

Just being aware of the goals we want to achieve isn’t the same thing as making those goals happen, however. I’ve learned that the act of putting my goals down on paper for the new school year really helps me stay focused. But what’s the best way to do this? Year after year, I tried different goal-setting methods, but I found it always seemed to be like those New Years’ resolutions: Such a great idea in January, but long forgotten by February.

Pineapple Potluck: Your Invitation to the Table

-Susan Hitt

Last February when I first decided to create this blog, I spent much longer than I’d rather admit trying to come up with the perfect name. My favorite contender was Pineapple Potluck, but I found over and over I had to explain the name to people. I couldn’t have a blog with a name no one understood, so back to the drawing board I went and finally landed on Education Celebration. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE the name Education Celebration because to me it symbolizes all that I want this blog to be--a place to celebrate all that you as educators are doing in your classrooms.

Summer Reading: For Fun! (last post until August)

-by Susan Hitt

With summer vacation just around the bend, I thought it would be the perfect time for us all to share some great summer reads! I created the Padlet below and would LOVE for you to add either a book or two you're planning on reading or a book or two that you've read and would recommend to others. Check back frequently to see what pieces have been added--whether it be a mystery, a memoir, a romance, a western, historical fiction, the skies the limit!  Plus, podcasts are a welcome addition, too, for anyone gearing up for long road trips! 

3 Key Takeaways from the Core Advocates National Convening

-by Susan Hitt

No one understands the life of a teacher better than another teacher. This knowledge helps form instant bonds between near strangers when opportunities to meet and discuss our profession arise--like at conferences. I had this opportunity just a few short weeks ago at the National Core Advocates convening in Denver, Colorado. It was an incredible weekend of learning and networking.

For me, after attending any educational conference, I return to work excited to share with anyone and everyone all the helpful tips, tricks, and tools I learned. It was hard to pick just three from my most recent conference, but I narrowed it down to the following as my favorite, most impactful sessions:

Musings from a First-Year Teacher

Today's post is written by Alex Schaivone, an English teacher at New Hanover High School. To learn more about Alex, check out the section entitled Educational Contributors.

During my internship, I was blessed with a wonderful partnership teacher who taught me more about teaching than I could possibly learn in any education class. In that year, I learned how to teach my content, but I also learned much more. In the first few months of my internship, my partnership teacher passed along a wonderful essay from the blog Cult of Pedagogy, “Find Your Marigold: The One Essential Rule for New Teachers.” This essay centers around the need for new teachers to find their marigolds, or those teachers who are “encouraging, supporting and nurturing growing teachers on their way to maturity.” It warns of walnut trees, those who may have become bitter or hardened over the course of their careers, and instead encourages young teachers to seek out those who provide support and positivity. The ideas presented in this essay have stayed with me through this year and have proven to be both true and incredibly valuable.

Padlet: A Must-Try Digital Tool for Your Classroom

Brenna Sheehan, Laney HS

Padlet is a digital canvas to create beautiful projects that are easy to share and collaborate. It acts like a virtual pinboard in which students can post video clips, photos, links, comments, etc. This awesome digital tool is not just for students to use! I’ve used it to create an introduction to The Kite Runner that serves as the base of a webquest (scroll down to see this Padlet). You can also create a group Padlet for several people to collaborate. This would work really well on a group project or simply serve as an inspirational pinboard for your class.