The Write Way

In the Words of Ross Gellar: PIVOT!

July 26, 2021

PIVOT – the word for the 2020-2021 school year. There are also words and phrases like learning loss, zoombombing, unstable connection, and asynchronous. 

This past year has introduced a whole new level of challenges that we've never seen before. But challenges in the classroom are nothing new. These just have new names and virtual faces. Educators tend to be quite flexible and are generally ones who make the best out of difficult situations, which is why they – you – have been able to work through this year and come out on top of those challenges. 

While there's still a ways to go to

Our Current Favorite Classroom Inspirations

July 12, 2021

By: Melissa Young, guest writer

With the pandemic forcing everyone online, maintaining connections with students has become harder than ever. Although challenging, keeping students engaged is still extremely important when creating a great learning experience. A good step is becoming familiar with online resources, and we’re here to help with that! We have curated a must-follow list of educators, authors, and other influential people that are sure to keep your classes (and timeline) lively!

Vicki Davis is a teacher in Georgia whose social media is full of articles to help organize

A Whole New World of Teaching

June 23, 2021

By: Kay Walling, guest writer High school ELA, Texas

To say the 2020-2021 school year was different is like saying lava is hot. This year started with all students participating in online learning. While teachers and staff were in the school building, students were at home. Our district was lucky in that we began our one-to-one initiative four years ago. When the pandemic hit, our students already had their laptops. What students, parents, and teachers did not have was a firm grasp of the demands of online learning. 

Online learning demands self-discipline. Most high school students do

Parents and the Pandemic, Part 2

June 14, 2021

 

As we get closer to the end of the 2020-21 school year, we recognize so much resiliency in both teachers and students. This has, without a doubt, been one of the strangest and most challenging school years we've seen in living history! And yet, we just keep rolling with the punches. No one shows this more than parents of school-aged children. You all have had front row seats to the ups and downs of virtual school, made plans and rescheduled plans, and had to adjust many times to the decisions of school districts as recommendations have fluctuated according to the ebb and flow of

Teacher Appreciation Continues

May 17, 2021

We had so much fun with our Teacher Appreciation 10 Days of Giveaways! There were nearly 100 teachers' names in the hat! We ended up sending out SEVEN Amazon gift cards and donating to THREE different DonorsChoose projects! It has been an honor and privilege to be able to celebrate and support teachers in these tangible ways.  

We know that there are so many more teachers out there who have learned and grown so much through this adventure, and we'd love to be able to treat ALL teachers to a little gift, but that's just not realistic. We were able to celebrate and support ten teachers from

Teaching in the Pandemic, Part 2

May 4, 2021

As if we didn't already appreciate teachers before COVID-19 threw a giant wrench into what we knew as normal, everything they've done over the past 14 months has significantly deepened our gratitude. We love how they have faced new challenges with redoubled determination and dedication, and we thank them from the bottom of our hearts! Since we are celebrating teachers this month, we thought it was appropriate that we posted our second round of interviews with teachers about what school has been like during the pandemic. 

Meet Kathy, an EC teacher for a k-12 school, who loves all her kids