I grew up in the you-need-a-cell-in-case-of-an-emergency mindset. Texting was around, but the online social community was still based in instant messaging on computers (side note: this is how I learned to type, not by looking under the cardboard screen in typing class!) I was in college at the perfect time for the Facebook outbreak (which …
I spent my 4th of teaching as a History and Technology teacher. I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. My passion and love of reading have driven my classroom instruction and graduate studies. I was more than a little skeptical about the impact of technology on emergent literacy. I believed that technology was …
The best way to get to know people is flying on an overnight flight with them. You are crammed into a small space and stuck there for 8-9 hours. You know when they eat and what they eat. You know their sleeping habits, whether the snore or drool or talk in their sleep. I’ve been …
My car’s out of commission, which means I am in a different car for the time being. Basically my whole life is in my car including my GSP, Camile. I hadn’t realized how much I had become dependent on Camile as a traveling companion. I hadn’t realized how much I had become a passive participant …
His second grade teacher told me his MAP scores didn’t even meet the 1st grade benchmark as he was entering my 3rd grade classroom. She told me that he was a troublemaker. He was a referral waiting to happen. “Good luck” was her only advice. I understand benchmarks and the way that they offer a …
In my end of the year faculty review, my principal asked me how I felt my year had been. I explained the successes and frustrations of teaching a new grade level and a new subject. Then, I explained that personally I had lost a 3-year relationship, my family had lost its business and I had …
I am finally beginning to recover from the end of the year hectic schedule that is a part of every teacher’s life. In most schools you will find a similar schedule of events to wrap up the school year: standardized testing and award ceremonies. Since my first year of teaching, I have always had a …
It’s technically summer break. Time for relaxing by the pool, going to the beach, sleeping in…so why am I still waking up at 3:00am with lesson plan ideas and resources for units? It’s teaching isn’t something you can turn off. Teaching isn’t a job; teacher is an unshakeable identity that follows you to the grocery …
I get accused of talking fast in my classes. My students often say, “Ms. Neely, stop, wait, slow down.” My response is always, “I can’t slow down. There’s too much to learn and too little time!” I’m a passionate person and I have very clear vision of what my role and purpose on this spinning …
For the longest time, I thought that my passion for teaching and my faith were independent of each other. I thought that there were two different parts of my life that didn’t pertain to each other: my professional life and my personal life. I was wrong. You can’t separate out parts of yourself any more …
