So You Want to be a Speaker

Getting your message out to the world How exciting! I just got a request for tips from another teacher who wants to get a speaking career off the ground. This is something I’ve been wanting to write for a while, so the inspiration hit at a good time. I remembered that I had posted an article…

Bloom’s Taxonomy Applied

Still important for curriculum design and assessment Call me old school. I have a bit of a sentimental attachment to Bloom’s taxonomy, some of the earliest content I encountered in my teacher-education classes back in the early, early 1970s. It made sense to me and helped inform my attempts at assessing my kids’ understanding of…

Basic Brain Gym Exercises

4 simple activities to wake up the brain These are the four core Brain Gym exercises, also referred to as PACE exercises (Positive, Active, Clear, Energetic). I have described these exercises as they were taught to me. There are dozens of videos and PDFs with these and other Brain Gym exercises available since I first…

Educators at Risk

Characteristics of educators at risk: * Feels personally responsible for a student’s successes and failures Measures personal success or failure by student behavior and achievement, or by approval from others Has an overwhelming need to avoid conflict and generate approval from others (which can manifest as attention-seeking, maintaining status quo, or even rebelliousness) Willing to…

The Beauty of Losing Control

An effective way to “be in charge”! Note: This is one of the very first articles I wrote for publication—in this case, for Instructor Magazine, back in 1985. The language and approach I currently use in my work has changed significantly over the years. For example, I rarely ever use the term “obedience” anymore because I have found…

Book: The Beginning Teacher’s Survival Guide

Win-Win Strategies for Success by Dr. Jane Bluestein At the start or your career or at the end of your rope… Get your teaching career off to a winning start—or recharge your passion for your work! The new & revised edition of Dr. Jane Bluestein’s pivotal guide for your teaching career! A great gift for new…

Dream Big!

Encouraging your children’s fantasies—and their future! It’s something a child hears often: “What do you want to be when you grow up?” A simple, even rhetorical question. But for children, this is a serious inquiry that can also be a great opportunity to share their ambitions, dreams, and creative longings. Even if the answers vary…

Assuming Your Professional Teaching Identity

A guide for beginning teachers The following material is adapted from Chapter 6 of Becoming a Win-Win Teacher, a book written especially for new teachers, returning teachers, and anyone needing a shot in the arm during (or after) a challenging year.  Teaching became easier when I started seeing myself as a teacher and no longer a college…

What I Learned When I Started Teaching

And why I write books for beginning educators This excerpt was pulled from the introduction of the final draft of The Beginning Teacher’s Survival Guide, a book I wrote to help prepare beginning teachers enter—and STAY—in the field. The piece has been revised somewhat to refer to resources available on this website. In retrospect, I was one…

Ways to Help your Child Survive your Divorce

Beyond damage control… Here are some tips to reduce the stress and anxiety you children may experience during and after your divorce. • Maintain a civil relationship with your spouse* during the divorce and afterwards. Treat each other with tolerance and respect. • Don’t badmouth your spouse to your kids regardless of your feelings for him…