My name is Ash Curmi and I am an eight year primary school teacher and former PE teacher from QLD, Australia. I currently teach Year 5/6 and have also taught Year 3 for a number of years. My classroom is known around the school as “the basketball classroom.” I’m cool with this. In my career, I always strive to place an emphasis on student growth not just academically, but socially and personally. Some might say encouraging growth on a social and personal level seems inevitabl

By Lindsey Johnson Recently I was asked what I believed to be the number one issue facing my students. Without hesitation, I responded with one word – trauma. Even before remote learning, social distancing, and pandemics, trauma was impacting many of our students daily. Adding the fear and uncertainty that was brought by 2020 only increased the level trauma many were already experiencing or introduced new trauma to others who may not have been previously affected. Like it or

The Tale Teller's Spotlight gets you inside the minds of the most influential thinkers in education. Here we will talk about the work they are doing and share with you the newest trends, important changes, and essential information you need to know about K-12 education. The recorded interviews are formatted as short yet insightful interviews that highlight the work of the best authors and researchers in education. This edition of Tale Teller's Spotlight features Naim Sanders,

In this four-part series, teacher Gene Deary reflects on what he has learned in his seven years as a teacher when it comes to connecting with students. Mr. Deary shares anecdotes and reflections on building rapport with students. By Gene Deary Don’t just teach in the classroom One of my favorite things to do at the end of the day is to walk down to the van line. The kids who take the van are typically the ones in the special education program that I am a teacher for. They are

By Kelley Zebrowski Kelly Zebrowski is a high school teacher in a public school and a member of the Tales from the First Year team featuring first-year teachers sharing their journeys to becoming seasoned professionals. In this flash post, Ms. Zebrowski examines the line between entertaining students and engaging them in order to get them to buy into what she is doing in the classroom. Entertainment or engagement? This is a question I have just now realized I have been strugg