How to Be a Good Teacher in the Alaska Bush
Teaching
I asked a bunch of my former students to tell me one thing that makes a good teacher in the Alaska Bush. They responded quickly and profoundly, and their thoughts ... Read more
An Open Letter to My Students
Teaching
Dear Students, I know I spend a lot of time talking about vocabulary and primary sources and things that happened a long time ago. I constantly remind you to plug ... Read more
5 Quotes About Teaching That Inspire Me
Teaching
Let me start off by saying that these quotes about teaching that inspire me are not vetted and verified. It's against my academic training in history to post something without ... Read more
Being An Alaska Bush Teacher Is…
Teaching
I've been reflecting about what it means to be an Alaska Bush Teacher. I've only been at it for thirteen years. And I've only worked in two villages in the ... Read more
8 Ways I Survive District Inservice Meetings That Require Sleeping on a Classroom Floor
Teaching
In a school district roughly the size of the state of Minnesota, you have to do some things, um, differently. Take, for example, the District Inservice Meeting. A standard part ... Read more
Getting a Masters Degree in the Alaska Bush
Teaching
It's been a little quiet in The Alaska Teacher Land lately. (Note to readers: the word quiet only applies to the blog. There's been plenty of noise in real life ... Read more
Book Reflections: An Ethic of Excellence by Ron Berger
Teaching
Ron Berger, An Ethic of Excellence: Building a Culture of Craftsmanship with Students (Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2003). Like my last book reflection, I was introduced to this fabulous little book by ... Read more
The Power of Positive Notes Home
Teaching
Yesterday Steve and I got a letter from the school. We opened it and found this: It's a note from our daughter's teacher. (You'll notice it's already hanging on the ... Read more
Book Reflections: Studio Thinking 2: The Real Benefits of Visual Arts Education
Teaching
Lois Hetland, Ellen Winner, Shirley Veenema, and Kimberly M. Sheridan, Studio Thinking 2: The Real Benefits of Visual Arts Education (New York: Teachers College Press, 2013). I was introduced to this ... Read more
Extended Families
Teaching
A couple of years ago Brevig Mission School lost eight teachers at the end of the school year. That's a turnover rate of over fifty percent! Each teacher had their ... Read more