A veteran teacher once told me that the secret to a long and happy teaching career is to have a major change every seven years. That advice came to me just after I decided to leave the school I had
Stagnation Stinks, So Let’s Avoid It
Developing Patience…the Roundabout Way
“How are you so patient, Ms. Thorup?” is a question that I’ve gotten more than once. The funny thing is, I don’t think of myself as a patient person. I certainly don’t have a vast reserve of inner calm and
How Journaling Changed My Teaching
I am not new to journaling. When I was little, my mom gave us journals and made us write in them every so often. As a teenager and into my twenties I religiously wrote in my journal every day for
What to Do When Students Fail
One of the hardest parts of teaching for me is watching my students fail. I take it personally. If my students fail, then I feel I have failed as a teacher, even when logically I know that it’s not always
A Letter to My Students
To All My Students, You aren’t perfect. If I’m being honest, sometimes you got on my nerves. I probably got frustrated with you at least once or twice – for some of you it was quite a bit more than
Redefining Your Identity
I never intended to teach Spanish. I got a minor in Spanish just because I wanted to improve my language abilities, yet here I am ten years later still teaching Spanish. I’ve learned a lot from teaching both Spanish and
Beyond Surviving
I recently heard a story about people in London. Public transportation there is used by the majority of residents in the city. At some point there was some construction done and many of the normal routes were closed or changed.
Making Gratitude Work
Teaching has a tendency to become a negative profession. I’m sure you’ve heard it in the halls, the teachers’ lounge, or your own classroom. Teachers complaining about disrespectful students, uncaring admin, or ignorant legislators. Negativity spreads quickly and is frightfully
What True Self-Care Is For Me
Lately I have seen and heard a lot of people talking about self-care. Burnout is real and rampant, and many people are looking for a way to combat that. According to most of the people writing and talking about self-care,
There’s Always Too Much To Do – And That’s Great
Today is a snow day for me. It was a little strange because I woke up to a light dusting of snow on the grass, not nearly enough to cancel school. I got up and started going through my morning