first-year teachers | Cult of Pedagogy

Diary of a First-Year Teacher: The Power of a Thank-You

8Oct2015

by Shelby Denhof

I can still picture his defiant look, sitting on top of his desk, shoes smearing dirt on a pile of unfinished assignments spilled on his chair. I didn’t know how to deal with a kid like that.

Diary of a First-Year Teacher: Setting Goals

26Aug2015

by Shelby Denhof

“When I was student teaching, I gave it my all, consistently working thirteen hour days, and I’d find myself crying out of stress at least once a week. But is that lifestyle sustainable? Heck no. And I’m not going to let myself get like that again.”

Lessons in Personhood: 10 Ways to Truly Lead in Your Classroom

17Jun2015

by Jennifer Gonzalez

To stand before children is a rare privilege. In every minute we spend together, they will learn something. Whatever it is we put before them, they will learn from it.

Dogfooding: How Often Do You Do Your Own Assignments?

10Jun2015

by Jennifer Gonzalez

It’s time to add dogfooding — the practice of using your own product as a consumer in order to find and fix the bugs — to our own teaching practice.

Goal-Setting for Teachers: 8 Paths to Self-Improvement

27May2015

by Jennifer Gonzalez

The list of ways a teacher can improve is a mile long. Since you can’t do it all at once, here are eight paths you might take toward professional growth.

How Your Nonverbals Impact Your Teaching

6Feb2015

by Jennifer Gonzalez

How can you adjust your voice, posture and other nonverbals to give yourself more presence and confidence in the classroom?

Avoiding the “Wait ‘Till Your Father Gets Home” Classroom Management Trap

25Jan2015

by Jennifer Gonzalez

Do you send all your discipline problems to the office? Stop giving your power away! It’s time to re-establish YOURSELF as the one in charge of your classroom.

The Ultimate Guide to Starting a Teaching Job Mid-Year

30Dec2014

by Jennifer Gonzalez

You won’t have the time other teachers normally get to prepare their classrooms, set up procedures, and plan good lessons. You’re jumping onto a fast-moving train, and it won’t stop until the year is over. Here are some tips to help you navigate the rest of the year with both your sanity and your desire to teach fully intact.

Teaching in Beta: What We Can Learn from Software Developers

30Aug2014

by Jennifer Gonzalez

We already try new things all the time, but we expect perfection the first time around. When we don’t get it, we reject the good idea, move on to the next new one, and repeat the cycle. We’re chasing our own tails.