Here we are, smack dab in the middle of winter, where time moves at a snail’s pace and it seems like spring break will never get here. Typically, it is dark (or getting dark) on your way home and it’s cold—bitterly cold. So cold that you've probably needed to have several indoor recess days as well. I often wonder how early I can crawl into my pajamas without it being weird. I would never think of putting on pajamas at 5:00 p.m. during the summer, but it actually seems like a wonderful idea in the middle of winter.

So, how do we get through these bleak days of winter? Here are few ideas, both professionally and personally:

Congratulations—the holidays are finally here! Now it’s time to sit back and enjoy some much-needed time off. And who are some of the most deserving of a holiday break? Teachers! Now is the time to recharge your batteries so you can get back to your classroom after the holiday ready to help your students succeed. 

A lot has been written about brain research and education. It can sometimes be overwhelming to remember all the areas of the brain and their functions as well as the best ways to educate students with these functions in mind. Here is a crash course in brain development and some ways teachers can use this information to provide best practice teaching.

Co-teaching can be a very effective way to teach students. This concept can be defined as two teachers collaborating to design, implement, and assess instruction. There are various ways to co-teach: one teaches while one observes; one teaches while one assists; parallel teaching, where the class is split into two groups and presented the same information; station teaching, where two teachers are at different stations and students move to each station for instruction; alternative teaching, where one teacher pulls a small group of students for intense instruction while the other teaches the whole group; and team teaching, where two teachers teach the same content at the same time.

Professional learning communities (PLCs) are at the forefront in education today. This initiative was brought forth after much research was done on the highest-performing schools in the lowest socioeconomic areas. The big takeaway is when school leaders and teachers implement best practice teaching for each child, overall school achievement improves. By all appearances, PLCs look like a group of grade-level teachers (or department teachers) who plan, organize, and implement a curriculum. However, effective PLCs are quite different.         

Wasn’t it just yesterday we were putting away all of our school supplies so the janitorial staff could get into our classrooms to clean? And wasn’t it just yesterday we made a big summer to-do list? It sure seems like it. We teachers are lucky because we get to start fresh every year—a new school year in many ways is like a new calendar year!

When I first became a teacher, I had no idea what a perk my profession would turn out to be once I became a mom. I went into teaching because I love children and couldn’t wait to educate them, but once I had children of my own, I was able to be at home with them since we share all the same breaks. Coincidentally, I am married to a fellow educator, so we have all enjoyed special family time together over the years. We decided to make these moments even more special by creating a goal of taking our daughters to all 50 states—and that’s just what we did.

We made it—summer is finally here! Sometimes I feel like the Energizer Bunny throughout the year since I just keep going and going and going. While everyone is excited to have a break, it does seem like our summers keep getting shorter and shorter, so we need to make the most out of the time we have. And just like the Energizer Bunny, every battery needs a little recharging. Here are some tips to help you recharge this summer:

Congrats, graduate—you did it! All those long nights, hard work, and blood, sweat, and tears. This is the moment you have been waiting for: College life ending and your teaching career beginning. As you get ready to enter this next phase of life, here are some tips to help you with your first year of teaching.

Spring is finally here! And with all the new buds and blooming flowers comes state testing. Sigh.