Teacher Life Archives - Page 3 of 5

Dec 19 2019

Finding Renewal on Your Winter Break

By John Spencer Podcast, Teacher Life 7 Comments

Originally written on December 18, 2015. Each year, I expand on this. I still remember my first winter break in my first year of teaching. I scratched out Christmas Eve and Christmas as true "days off," but then I worked the rest of the time.…

May 07 2019

Eight Ways to Appreciate Teachers

By John Spencer Podcast, Teacher Life One Comment

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3V_MX3PM90&t=13s Subscribe to YouTube Channel A few years ago, my daughter entered kindergarten. She came in knowing letters but that was about it. By the end of the year, she could put together entire words. She viewed language as a playground and reading as a…

Mar 06 2019

Dear New Teachers, You Don’t Need Be Superheroes

By John Spencer Teacher Life 3 Comments

I created the following video with my good friend Trevor Muir, who has partnered with me on the New Teacher Academy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y541aTuW5s8&t=6s Subscribe to YouTube Channel An Open Letter to New Teachers Dear new teachers, There’s a popular idea that to be a good teacher,…

Feb 04 2019

Six Strategies for Tackling Perfectionism

By John Spencer Creativity, Teacher Life One Comment

The following is a variation on a post I created for the New Teacher Academy. Each year, I ask my pre-service teachers to describe what teaching will be like when they move from surviving to thriving. Common themes emerge. "Every student will listen each time…

Nov 19 2018

A Thank You Letter to Teachers

By John Spencer Teacher Life 2 Comments

With Thanksgiving around the corner, I created a thank you video for teachers. Feel free to share it with friends, colleagues, or your own children's teachers. You can find it here on YouTube or on here on Facebook. Subscribe to YouTube Channel If you haven't…

Jun 26 2018

The Difference Between Being Busy and Being Productive

By John Spencer Creativity, Podcast, Teacher Life 12 Comments

I recently wrote about the power of rest to increase productivity and creative thinking. For that reason, I also want to share a phenomenal resource from my friend, Angela Watson, that empowers teachers to make this a reality. She also has a summer planning guide you might want to…

Nov 27 2017

Because of a Teacher

By John Spencer Teacher Life 2 Comments

Last Tuesday, I experienced that weird role reversal of parent-teacher conferences. Suddenly, I felt that same anxiety that I had seen with so many of the parents of my former students. Were my son and daughter doing okay? Were they making friends? Were they being…

Aug 04 2017

Because of Teachers (A Short Tribute Video)

By John Spencer Creativity, Teacher Life 4 Comments

I consider myself incredibly fortunate to work with pre-service teachers who will enter the classroom in the next few years. Teachers are awesome. So, with that in mind, the following is a video I created as a back-to-school video. You can check it out on…

May 04 2017

Was Yoda a Good Teacher? (Happy Star Wars Day)

By John Spencer Podcast, Teacher Life 4 Comments

Happy Star Wars Day! Here's a reflection about Yoda, teaching, and the deeply human element of being a teacher. Why Yoda Was a Bad Teacher A Fixed Mindset: Yoda took one look at Anakin Skywalker and determined that he had no future. He believed that…

Apr 24 2017

Be Wildly and Unabashedly Different (My Hope for My Cohort as They Graduate)

By John Spencer Podcast, Teacher Life 2 Comments

My cohort graduates today. I feel so honored to be a part of their journey. So, here is my hope for them. My Cohort Is Graduating Last Wednesday, I sat at a table surrounded by members of my cohort. I listened to them share stories…