How Teachers Can Regain Control Without Losing Hope

👀 Would you believe me if I said students can curse at teachers or bring BB guns to school — and sometimes only get a short suspension? That’s the reality many of us face.

But here’s the question I keep asking myself:
“What can I do about it?”

Have you ever seen a teacher deliver a perfect lesson and thought, “Why can’t I do that?” Good news—you can! Let’s break down how.

🧠 1. Chunk Your Lessons
Instead of teaching everything at once, break your lesson into smaller parts.
Here’s how I do it:

• 📌 Start with a warm-up (8 min)

• 💬 S

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Being a teacher today isn’t what most people think. If you’ve ever seen a movie where kids sit quietly in rows doing worksheets… that’s not reality.

As an 8th-grade teacher in California, I teach classrooms full of very different students, and each one brings their own needs. Here's what that rea...

This school year taught me so much—not just about teaching, but about why I teach. After more than 20 years in the classroom, I’m still growing. And this year reminded me of three big lessons that every teacher—new or experienced—should remember.

👥 1. Relationships Matter Most
The best part of te...

As teachers, we don’t always get to see what happens to our students after they leave our classrooms. But every now and then, we get a reminder that what we do truly matters.

This year, I had one of those unforgettable moments.

15 years ago, I had a student named William Sweezy.

• He was big,

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Hey teacher friends!

👋 I recently had a fantastic chat with Dr. Sean Woodley, who knows a ton about creating awesome classrooms and helping students with their behavior. We talked about how to build the kind of learning space we've always wanted.

Dr. Woodley is a retired teacher and a real exper...

Have you ever wondered if letting students work together helps them learn better? I tried it out for about four weeks to see what would happen. 

Here’s what I learned about using groups:

• Students practiced and talked with each other about the lessons. They helped each other study.
• The scor
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Here are some ideas to help your students work well in groups:

Making sure students stay focused in groups can be tricky. Here are some ways to help:

• Give everyone a job. When each student has a specific role in the group, they know what they are responsible for. Letting students choose their
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Hey teachers! Want to make group work awesome? Here are some easy ideas:

• Give students jobs in their groups. This helps everyone know what to do and feel important. Think of jobs like a leader to keep things on track, a messenger to help with supplies, a writer to take notes, a speaker if the

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A few weeks ago I decided to switch things up in my classroom and go from the traditional rows to groups.  I put a lot of thought into how I would make the change and here are some of the highlights of what I think needs to be done in order to make it successful.

• Gather student input before m...

I am no expert but just an 8th grade in Southern California.  Regardless I have been teaching for over 20 years and maybe some insight to help understand Trump's latest move. Here is how I see it:

• The national group for schools, called the Department of Education, might see some big changes. Wh
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Now don't get to excited because this trip was a family trip to Vegas and unlike what the commercial says, "What happens in Vegas does not stay in Vegas".  Now with that said I decided to document our trip and share it others.  

We started with a stop at Peggy Sue's Diner, about halfway there, wh...