The national spotlight came to Elwood, Indiana when Superintendent Casey Smitherman was charged with insurance fraud, identity deception, and official misconduct after using her son’s insurance to take a student to a clinic. She also filled a prescription using the insurance. Friday, February 1, Smitherman resigned. WTHR recently reported that “Smitherman told investigators that she…
Every teacher has a story. We all have a path. Only a select few of us have the hope. I want nothing more than to hear my students talk about their future career plans, and many of them say I want to be a teacher. I want to see teachers come to work every day…
When is the last time you read a book aloud to your child, or when was the last time a child read aloud to you? Today is World Read Aloud Day. Not only does World Read Aloud Day emphasize the importance of reading aloud, but the day, as mentioned on the website, brings attention to…
On January 29, during a joint press conference, Stand for Children and Teach Plus released a joint report highlighting ways to improve the state of education in Indiana. In the report titled, “Addressing Indiana’s Quiet Teaching Crisis: A Sensible Blueprint for Progress,” they highlighted three recommendations: increase teacher pay, provide funding for career ladders, and…
School discipline is a hot button issue these days. Many teachers and administrators struggle to find an effective form of discipline. Some schools are unable to find any form of discipline at all. In lieu of effective discipline, many schools have resorted to suspensions and expulsions. But according to a new study, there is another…
January is National Mentoring Month. I have benefited from mentors throughout childhood and in adulthood. You are never too old to have a mentor, and you don’t have to be perfect to mentor someone else. January is the perfect time for National Mentoring Month. When the new year rolls around, many people think of ways…
Being patient with children, listening to their problems, understanding of what they have going on, consistently making sure they can count on you, and showing them love are all great qualities of who? A parent? I would say yes. A teacher? I would also say yes? Good parents and good teachers do share similar qualities….
This past August, I started my 8th year as an educator, and this will be my third year as an administrator. With almost a decade in the profession, the importance has grown for me each year. I have probably impacted close to 1,000 students over my career. I have seen a lot. There are situations…
It almost seems like once a month there is a report of an educator or school-affiliated personnel that is caught in blackface. Before I go any further, blackface is wrong. There is no justification for an educator to support this action or to participate in the action. You are not an educated enough educator if…
I find myself, more often than not, thinking about education and what it truly means. I realize that I want something more to come from the education my students receive. I often feel there is a slight misconception on what the purpose of education is. Some believe education should provide children with the necessary skills…