I guess you would call me a creativity junkie. I like to take science concepts and give them a little twist and tweak to fully engage my high school students. To start the process, I set the stage: Upon entering my classroom, students may walk into a simulated rainforest with vines and leaf canopies draped from the ceiling, or go into a human cell with 3D organelles hanging within the classroom’s cytoplasm. I also use a lot of props when teaching. For example, “DO NOT OPEN” envelopes are hung from the ceiling that are only opened when I request a student to do so. The envelope may contain a bell work question, quote that is relative to the topic at hand to stimulate classroom discussion, or a clue to use their cell phones to locate a QR code within the hallway or classroom that provides further instructions.

Each year, we plan a theme for our school. We use this theme throughout the year for many things around the building: bulletin boards, locker tags, the newsletter, and individual student displays in the classroom. Some teachers are “all in” with the theme and their classrooms are completely decked out, while other teachers don’t decorate as much.

Lives are busy and people are busy, so we have to make sure we plan in advance if we want parents and patrons to be engaged in our schools. Parent engagement can take on many different shapes and sizes—for all the different parents we encounter, we receive varying preferences for how they like to communicate.

In 1999, an influential leadership and management book called First Break All the Rules was published—if you are a leader of an organization in any capacity, I would recommend it. I see all of my teachers as teacher leaders, so if you are a teacher, you should take a look. The follow-up book, Now Discover Your Strengths, is just as profound.

August: It’s BAAAAAAACKKKKK! I always marvel at how fast the summer goes. It doesn’t matter whether you have been teaching for 20 years or if this is your first time at the rodeo, the first few weeks of school are the most crucial. You are setting the tone for the entire year, and it is imperative to have a great start. Good classroom management is one of the most important qualities of being an effective teacher. So, as you soak up the last few days of summer, here are some tips to ensure a successful year.

“Positive relationships with students.” “Making strong connections.” “Being relatable to your students.” No matter how I ask about it in an interview, it all essentially means the same thing. Can the teacher connect with students? I ask it every time, and it is one of the most important questions of the interview.

Here's why this is critical: Connecting with students not only relates back to the student’s sense of belonging in school, it's also heavily tied to motivation. If a student isn’t motivated in the classroom, the teacher’s first “go-to” should be to try to connect with them. This should come before any incentive program or consequence for lack of trying.

We’ve shared ideas with you covering how to transfer to a new job and get your new classroom set up, so what’s the next step? Now that the bulletin boards are complete and the nametags are on the desks, it’s time to think about building positive connections. I have witnessed more than one potentially great teacher fall victim to a lack of positive relationships within a school building. There is nothing more critical than connecting with others in a positive way.

Navigating the EdTech industry can often be an overwhelming task. As an educator, you have the responsibility to bring the right technologies into your classroom to help improve your students’ learning experiences. With all the available options, it can be hard to decide what the best approach is for your students. Here at Boxlight, we want to make it simple for educators to implement EdTech in their schools.

That’s why we have assembled this comprehensive list of educator guides that will help you bring educational technology into your school:

We’re here to help you get ready for a new school year! If your students are still in summer break mode, here are some engaging lessons and activities to help draw them back into the learning process:

The interviewing is over, the offer has been made, and the contract is signed. Everything is wrapped up in the former place of employment (or at the university), and you are ready to dive in and get started at your new position.