Reflections on Leaving the Classroom: One Year Later

Reflections on Leaving the Classroom: One Year Later

We left the classroom [https://pod.link/1621748273/episode/ca1b43b64e2df8cb89bcfda834161c1b] a little more than a year ago and are reflecting on what we've learned and new perspectives we have gained as a result of our mental, physical, and emotional distance from the classroom. Whether you're thinking about leaving the classroom yourself [https://youtu.be/XrxTyqupx-U] or wondering how it feels to have stepped away, you'll want to give this episode a listen.  Come find us [https://threeheads.works/] so we can chat some more!

Plays to Teach in Your High School English Classroom

As a teacher, deciding which plays to teach is a rite of passage all its own. Will you stick to the classics or branch out and try something new? Will you transform your classroom into a mini-theater and have students perform scenes? Will you have students read parts or will you show the pretty faithful film adaptation? It's not easy and where you're at in your career, how much you enjoy student performances, and quite frankly how large your classroom is, will all contribute to the decisions you make. In this episode, inspired by Kate's 5th grade son's newfound love of Shakespeare, we talk about the plays we enjoyed teaching (and one we felt a little meh about) and what we liked to focus on in our approach to them. Episode we mentioned: Novels We Love and Hate to Teach [https://pod.link/1621748273/episode/bca72fba8ece676c7080d56e4ee22195] Come find us [https://threeheads.works/] so we can chat some more!

Is English Class Still Relevant? ELA Skills Students Need

In this episode of the podcast, we're discussing whether traditional ELA instruction provides our students with the skills they most need outside of high school, or if we're long overdue for an update. We don't think we're out of step with most ELA teachers in saying English classes are in need of an update, while also recognizing there are ELA skills that are still completely relevant in today's society.  What changes are needed and who's responsible for making them? Well, there's a lot to discuss there.  Come find us [https://threeheads.works/] so we can chat some more!

Class Discussion Strategies to Get Everyone Participating

Ideally, we'd like to have all of our students participating in class discussion.  When too many students aren't participating, we start wondering if the discussion is a waste of time or if anyone is learning anything. In this episode, we're talking about class discussion strategies you can use to get everyone in class participating. We've got ideas for those who are shy or lacking in self-confidence, as well as suggestions for those who aren't participating because they didn't come to class prepared for discussion. Come find us [https://threeheads.works/] so we can chat some more!

What We've Learned from Our Most Challenging Students

The difficulties posed by challenging students and classes can really wear a teacher down. Our misery will often make us desperate and open us to all kinds of classroom management ideas and suggestions in the hope we will find the magical "cure" to our woes, but sometimes we don't want solutions; we just want to commiserate with those who also know the "challenging" student struggle so we feel a little less alone. Enter this week's dilemma. A teacher in the midst of a "the struggle is real" moment (probably more accurately, "year") wrote in with this dilemma: “I have an incredibly challenging class this year. There are so many behavior problems and so many student needs, and it is wearing me out. I know classroom management strategies, but I think I just want to know that I’m not alone. What did you learn from your most challenging classes?” We're sharing the lessons we learned from our most challenging classes and students. Give it a listen and see if our experiences resonate with your own. Related Content: Looking for some classroom management strategies to help you deal with your most challenging students? Check out this blog post [https://threeheads.works/2022/09/19/difficult-students/]. In this YouTube video [https://youtu.be/wXu89C4X0EA], we're sharing some classroom management strategies you can use at the secondary level for all your classes. Come find us [https://threeheads.works/] so we can chat some more!