Teacher Life

Better Together!

Classroom Direct has joined the School Specialty family, making it easier than ever to shop, save, and find great inspiration. Enjoy and explore hundreds of blog posts with tips and ideas for every educator on the Schoolyard Blog.

Explore the Schoolyard Blog

Search Results for: relationship

Self-Compassion, Self-Talk, and Self-Care: A Letter to Parents and Students

Dear parents and students, Suddenly, changes are happening all around you and you may not know what to expect or to do. Parents, you now have to be responsible for your child’s complete learning, while also having to address the many other stressors that are coming forth as a result of this COVID-19 pandemic. […]

2018 School Specialty Honor Roll Winners

Teachers and their students work hard to grow and learn together every year. The School Specialty Honor Roll is an opportunity to recognize and reward some of the incredibly resilient, kind, and talented students and teachers in our communities. See the 2019 Honor Roll Winners 2018 School Specialty Honor Roll Entries This year’s nominated […]

Second Semester Classroom Management Goals

Managing a classroom full of students who have been out of school for a week or more can be overwhelming. The start of a new semester, whether it’s in the fall or after winter break, takes a bit of planning and commitment to make it go as smoothly as possible. Tips for Refreshing Classroom […]

Real Teacher Tips for Classroom Games Students Love

Playing games in the classroom is an excellent way to increase engagement and motivate students to retain information. Prizes aren’t always necessary, and games also help to build relationships between students, which is a win for everyone involved. Check out these real teacher tips for playing classroom games that students love. Classroom Game Suggestions […]

Real Teacher Tips for a Creating a Compassionate Classroom

Teaching students about the importance of compassion is a truly enormous task, and we’ve collected a few ideas from real teachers. Not sure how you want to bring compassion and the sharing of feelings and emotions into your classroom? Check out these real teacher tips for creating a compassionate classroom, inspired by comments on […]

Things I Learned After Teaching for 5 Years

The first year of teaching is the longest and shortest year of your life. It’s the best and the worst. It’s the most memorable, but also the one you may want to forget the most. I want to talk about what I learned during my first five years of teaching and how I have […]

First Day of School: Getting to Know Your Students

First impressions are lasting impressions, so you want to make sure that on the first day of school you make a good first impression on the students. Part of that is learning everything you can about the students where the student knows they aren’t just another student to you. 1. Before the Students Come […]

The Benefits of Becoming a Mentor for New Teachers

Many states and school districts are realizing that new teachers need help. It’s not enough to simply pass through a teacher training program and be thrown into a classroom (who ever thought this was a good idea?). Careful research has shown that formal mentorship programs help new teachers learn tricks of the trade and feel […]

10 New Year’s Resolutions for Every Teacher

It’s that time of year again when people everywhere are pondering potential New Year’s resolutions. As a teacher nearing the mid-point of the year, you may find yourself lacking motivation, energy and enthusiasm in the classroom. Without these three qualities, the rest of the year can feel very long for you and your students. […]

5 Art Teacher Tips for Connecting with Colleagues

We artists do enjoy our solo studio time, but a bit of adult company every now and then couldn’t hurt! Unfortunately, art rooms are usually separated from the traditional subject classrooms due to size requirements, kilns, paint smells, etc., leaving us feeling a bit lonely and left out. I am an Art Teacher…I am […]

Best Practices in Informing Parents of Changing Policies and Programs

Things change. School boards come up with new policies all the time. Once-popular programs fall by the wayside or need updating. Many of these changes are out of your control. Even though you might not have come up with the changes, it falls to you to notify parents who might be affected or the […]