Maybe it’s the earlier sunsets, the rain tapping against the windows, or the fact that curling up with a good book and a warm cup of coffee suddenly feels like the perfect way to spend an entire Saturday afternoon. Whatever the reason, once fall arrives, I always find myself building a new reading list. This year, my cozy fall reading…
Year: 2026
The First Thing You Should Plan for the New School Year Isn’t Your Lessons—It’s Your End-of-Class Procedures
As teachers, it’s tempting to spend the last weeks of summer polishing lesson plans, organizing classroom décor, and printing the first week’s activities. I’ve done it, too. After more than two decades of teaching high school English, though, I’ve learned that the most important planning happens before I ever open my curriculum guide. I start by designing my classroom procedures.…
Before You Set Up The Classroom, You Should Be Designing Classroom Procedures
If you’ve ever felt like you spend the first ten minutes of every class reminding students where to sit, what to do, or when to stop talking, you’re not alone. As a high school English teacher, I’ve learned that one of the biggest differences between a stressful classroom and a calm, productive one isn’t a fancy curriculum, a perfectly decorated…
Parenting: College Students & First Apartments
Setting Up a Functional Kitchen Without Breaking the Bank Watching your child move into their first apartment is exciting, emotional, and just a little nerve-racking. One minute you’re helping them pick out a bedtime story, and the next you’re realizing they won’t be coming home to a fully stocked kitchen after class. As parents, we naturally worry. Will they eat…