Author Archives: bengunty
I teach at a school with about 130 total kids in the 7th-12th grades. I’m in a unique position to get to know the kids deeply because, as a resident of an apartment on school property, I am totally embedded ...
Finding Joy In Your Vision
Sometime between February and March earlier this year, I began to lose the euphoria I started the year with. I was gripped with an unusual negativity and no longer felt driven by the inexplicable combination of giddiness and tenacious agitation ...
Two questions to ponder as you craft your vision
The most daunting part about writing my vision as a first year teacher was twofold: one, I didn’t know my students and, two, despite the grandiose qualitative descriptions I wrote of a classroom in its most ideal state, I was ...
The Five Non-Negotiables For Your First Week
Whether you’re a first, second, or thirteenth year teacher, there are so many things to juggle at the start of the year that your first encounter with new students can seem unmanageably daunting. I’ve talked to many new Teach For ...
10 Things to Do In Your First 10 Minutes with Students
It goes without saying that first impressions matter. Your approach to and execution of the first 10 minutes in your classroom are very important. The following list is intended to help you make it count. 1. Post your name, room number, ...
Preparing For Life Without Your CMA
I recently sat down with a group of teachers who just finished their Institute experience in the Delta. What caught my attention was how fondly they reflected on the relationships they had built with their CMA. The bags under their eyes ...
The Perfect Formula For Teacher Happiness
I’ve long nursed a love-hate obsession with Tim Ferriss, author of The 4-Hour Workweek and The 4-Hour Body. A self-proclaimed guru in “lifestyle design,” Ferriss writes on his blog about everything from staying in shape to making gobs (and gobs ...
