Caution: You will not receive any apps, websites, virtual tours, or downloadable worksheets in the contents of this message. Enough is enough already. Parents have been inundated with websites, apps, worksheets, pictures of perfect schedules, and a variety of Pinterest mommy-perfect resources. They have been given a boatload of options, yet are told to keep … Continue reading Parent Overload
Author: Melanie Lane
Educator of 18 years K-8, specializing in children with disabilities. Currently serving as an instructional coach with a goal of promoting teacher resilience and mental health in educators.
I’m a Teacher not a “Homeschooler”
Confessions from a teacher who was never meant to homeschool her children… When schools across America shut down, non-educators were able to get a front row seat to the challenges involved with teaching kids. As a special educator who has taught kindergarten through 8th grade, I thought I would easily slip into my role as … Continue reading I’m a Teacher not a “Homeschooler”
To whom it may concern,
A week ago I was consumed with worry. I was worried about students getting their work completed on time. I was worried about teachers not having what they need to do their best. I was worried about numbers and spreadsheets. I was caught up with the illusive nature of time and how there was never … Continue reading To whom it may concern,
Growing “Goodness”
A Teacher's Playbook for Parents You notice. You feel the shift in today’s world. We are at a social precipice. Hatred, division, narcissism, and greed are the weeds within the soil we have forgotten to tend. These days there is a lot of attention about the food we feed our children. Organic options are becoming … Continue reading Growing “Goodness”
This is not what I signed up for…
Distraction: The Detriment to our Tomorrow Twenty years ago when I entered college as an aspiring educator, I had a host of things I knew to be true about the profession of teaching. I expected to work hard, which would require a grueling work ethic that summer would not absolve. I knew I would have … Continue reading This is not what I signed up for…
Fear
Heart pounding. Hands sweating. Mind racing. For many of us, this is what we conjure up when we think of fear. A freight train of emotion that warrants an immediate and obvious response. However, the toxic residue that lies behind fear is not always the crushing presence of adrenaline. In fact, most often it is … Continue reading Fear
Teacher Traps
I, no doubt, stupidly thought that teaching adorable children with special needs would be so gratifying that it would be easy! I will save you all the suspense, but after teaching students with disabilities for over 15 years, I quickly ended up catching a clue. Teaching was anything, but easy and the person making it … Continue reading Teacher Traps
Love and Limits
How to set limits while preserving loving relationships with students. Teaching is the kitchen of minds. It is where the finest ingredients are mixed together to hopefully raise knowledge and grow character. Sixteen years as an educator, specializing in working with students with behavioral needs has taught me that every recipe needs careful adjustments along … Continue reading Love and Limits
The Beauty of Enough
You are a miracle. In fact, the odds you were born at all are 1 in 400 Quadrillion to 10 to the 2,640,000th power. There is no one on the face of this Earth that is you. Yes, even if you have an identical twin sibling, you are still different walking phenomenons. So it is … Continue reading The Beauty of Enough
Summer is…
Summer is quickly coming to an end. Don’t tell me it is still July...It’s almost over folks and you know it. You know it when you feel your palms sweat at the sight of a back to school ad. You know it when you feel your chest tighten at the mere mention of that nasty … Continue reading Summer is…
