So You Want To Be A Good Teacher Are you an aspiring teacher? Maybe you’re a new educator? Perhaps you’re a veteran maestro? Regardless of which one you are, you may be wondering if you’ve got what it takes to have a long successful career in education. If this question is burning in your mind, […]
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So, I know it’s been a few weeks since I last posted something. I’ve been kind of busy. Feast your eyes on the list below of what’s been eating up my time. As you know, I’m at a new school site. I’m loving it, but I’m still learning the ins-and-outs and dos-and-don’ts of my new […]
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via GIPHY Gina At the beginning of this school year (2018-2019), one of my students quickly stood out from all the rest. She has green highlights in her hair, a cool last name (which I will not divulge), and a “bubbly” personality. I’ll call her “Gina”. We are now 2 months into school, and one […]
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It’s about 3:oo pm. The students have left campus. You’re exhausted. You’d really like to go home now. Sadly, there’s still all the phone calls you have to make for the misbehaving or poorly performing kids. So, instead of heading home, you remain at school for at least another hour to make those calls. UGH! […]
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In my post entitled “Why, When, and Where You Should Transfer”, I wrote that building strong relationships with students is the absolute most important thing a teacher can do to help students succeed in their education and lives. This is dogma to me. I will preach this until humans evolve the ability to learn from […]
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Is it just me, or do most phenomena suggested by NGSS experts SUCK??? Don’t get me wrong. I LOVE the idea of using phenomena as overarching themes to pique the students’ interests, tie together as many topics as possible, prompt kids to ask questions, and drive them to seek answers (thus discovering the science themselves). I’m sold […]
Read Morevia GIPHY ESSENTIAL QUESTION (EQ): What lessons did Mr. Vo learn about getting in shape and staying in shape? Feel free to annotate this post. Please take notes in Cornell format. For most of my life, I’ve been overweight. I have never not had a belly. My tummy and I would be best friends if […]
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So I just finished my fourth week of school at my new site, Colton Middle School. By the end of the second week, a couple of my students had already set themselves apart by showing up tardy multiple times, frequently wandering around class without permission, and incessant socializing. Also, they have previous records of fighting […]
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SCREW THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD (SM)! It’s all about the Engineering Design Process (EDP) now according to the NGSS. Despite having taught the SM for over a decade, I’m actually okay with this shift. The way I see it, the SM is the first half of the EDP. We use the scientific method to figure out the answer to […]
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Why & When From Fall of 2004 until Summer of 2018, I had spent my entire career at the same middle school. But, for the 2018-2019 year, I held my breath, took the plunge, and transferred to Colton Middle School (CMS). I was very sad to make the move. I didn’t want to leave my school. […]
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