Now in My Twenties

Friends and Family, as you may or may not know, I am now a high school teacher in Dallas. I teach 9th grade Professional Communications, which involves practical learning that applies to the real world, such as business writing, business etiquette, ACT prep, college and career readiness, and much more.  One of the first things I’d like to do for my scholars is connect them with people who work in the same industry they’d like to join. So far, my scholars have expressed an interest in dentistry, business, engineering, marine biology, nursing, medicine, acting, law, and journalism. They have also expressed interest in the following universities: UCLA, TCU, Florida State, MIT, Johns Hopkins, Harvard, Yale, and Berkeley. My scholars are very eager to learn more about these college and career paths and what it takes to succeed in them. I am reaching out to all my colleagues to assist my scholars in their networking. Please know that if I reach out to you, it is because you ar...

Looks like it is my unpopular belief that candy is one of the worst motivators in teaching. Let’s just think about this for a bit. Candy, literally pure SUGAR, is a common method teachers use to motivate students to work. Forget the fact that candy is a direct way to harm a child’s health; candy is no different than any other type of currency for children. You are paying them to be students. Teachers using the candy-motivation strategy are failing their students. They are sending the wrong message. If your goal is to help students motivate themselves, it won’t be accomplished by throwing candy their way. It is such a short-term effect that using it in the classroom won’t make any difference in student motivation. If, in fact, student motivation is your goal, then you need to create an atmosphere of positive learning. If you want students to care, if you want students to motivate themselves, the motivators you offer them as a teacher should not be extrinsic, but rather intrinsi...