April 29, 2020 Dear Evan, Lauren and Zach: I woke up early this morning, way before my alarm went...
A Letter to My Children: a Decade of National Teacher of the Year
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Insight
Ask Sarah LIVE with Sharif El-Mekki: Teacher Appreciation
It won't even take one full minute to grasp the wisdom Sharif El-Mekki brings to any conversation...
Doubt Creeps In
https://www.youtube.com/embed/uKwnxTOSs3s Dear Sarah, I have all of this self-doubt about myself...
Ask Sarah LIVE with Orly Mondell: Social-Emotional Learning
It doesn't take long to realize you're in the presence of a passionate educator. That's exactly...
Triggers & Levers: What Physical Therapy Taught Me About Teaching
Recently, I found myself in an impassioned conversation with a teacher who kept asking, “How do we...
Ask Sarah LIVE with Darbie Valenti: Teacher Appreciation
You can't help but smile along with Darbie Valenti, my guest for this Ask Sarah. Her energy is...
Ask Sarah LIVE with LaVondia Menephee: Self Care and Second Semester
She's smart, articulate and full of years of experience to help make this conversation one that...
Ask Sarah LIVE with Josh Parker: School Culture in Frustrating Times
Ask Sarah, made the leap to Facebook Live and once again, you showed up with your questions, your...
Losing Faith
Dear Sarah, What if you keep trying to master something (management, goals, etc) but you...
Ask Sarah LIVE: Testing Season
Once again, Ask Sarah, made the leap to Facebook Live and once again, you showed up with your...
I’m Overwhelmed!
Dear Sarah, It’s hard to have time to do things well. Sincerely, I’m Overwhelmed ...
Ask Sarah LIVE: #LoveTeaching
Once again, Ask Sarah, made the leap to Facebook Live and once again, you showed up with your...
Overstepped from Above
Dear Sarah, How do you deal with situations where you’re overstepped and disrespected by those...
Reflections on More than Disciplinarians
I often tell my students they should somehow be changed by the books they read. I ask them to pay...
Black Male Teachers – More Than Disciplinarians
Sometimes I get questions that seem BIG...bigger than I can manage on my own. A few months ago, I...
Tense Staff Meetings
Dear Sarah, My question is concerning change... more specifically how to foster change within a...
Losing Love of Teaching
Dear Sarah, I don’t think I love teaching anymore. There are loads of initiatives being dumped on...
Remembering Great Ideas
Dear Sarah, How do I keep track of changes I want to make for next year? I find that I always have...
Balancing it All
Dear Sarah, How do you balance your teaching with everything else going on in your life...
A Year of Ask Sarah
52 weeks. Hundreds of questions. Thousands of words. Countless teachers making a difference....
Winter Break Slump
Dear Sarah, What should I be doing to wrap up things for the calendar year and make sure my...
Tough Conversations
https://www.youtube.com/embed/I7brB4ug-tQ Dear Sarah, How do you have conversations in class about...
Tough Parent Conferences
Dear Sarah, How do you handle a tough parent-teacher conference? And, then, how do you recover...
Channeling Patience
Dear Sarah, How long do I stay patient? It’s year nine of a second career. Not sure. Sincerely,...
Ask Sarah LIVE: PLNs, Vulnerability & Potential
Ask Sarah was Live on Facebook and once again, you showed up with your questions, comments and...
Advanced Degree or Not?
Dear Sarah, I have a question. Why should I pursue a master’s degree? I mean, it’s nice to have...
Bringing Out Student Ideas
Dear Sarah, Hey super lady! My co-worker and I are hoping to find new ways to bring out student...
Asking for Help
Dear Sarah, It is hard to have administration in my classroom. How do you ask for help without...
Feeling Judged
Dear Sarah, This is really random, but I just wanted your advice...I have started back to school...
I Can’t Grade It All
Dear Sarah, If I don’t grade an assignment, my students won’t do it. But that can be so...
Finding the Energy
Dear Sarah, You’ve been teaching for awhile. How do you find the energy to start another year?...
Fighting Resistance
Because you all are continuing to send me so many fabulous questions each week, this week, I'm...
Ideal Classroom
Dear Sarah, What does your ideal classroom look like? Sincerely, Ideal Classroom ...
Why Doesn’t It Work for Me?
Dear Sarah, I’ve watched many of your videos at the Teaching Channel and love them. But how come...
Ask Sarah LIVE: Passion, Empowerment and Forgiveness
This week, Ask Sarah, made the leap to Facebook Live and we couldn't be more excited about the...
Textbook Stuck
Dear Sarah, I have been watching some of your videos on the Teaching Channel and it always seems...
Saying Goodbye to Graduates
Dear Sarah, I am teaching seniors for the first time. Graduation is coming up and that means I’m...
Burnout Blues: a VIDEO message
Dear Sarah, How do I avoid burnout? Sincerely, Burnout Blues ...
Teaching “Elite” Students
Dear Sarah, Just yesterday I accepted a new position at a very prestigious school where they are...
End of School Year Inspiration
Dear Sarah, As the end of the school year approaches, I want my students to begin reflecting on...
Leaving the Classroom: a VIDEO message
Dear Sarah, I just took a position as a school improvement consultant. I can’t shake the feeling...
Managing Parental Involvement
Dear Sarah, I just finished parent/teacher conferences and they made me wonder if I’m meeting the...
#WhyITeach: A Letter to a Former Student
This week’s Ask Sarah column addresses a question Teacher2Teacher has been posing to a lot of...
Shy Teacher?
Dear Sarah, I'm a shy person, in many ways, a shy teacher. But I want to become a good leader....
Testing Season
Dear Sarah, It’s testing season and I’m worried about the pressure of high-stakes assessments, and...
Candidates and Classroom Ethics: a VIDEO message
Thanks to your feedback, we're going to make the video messages a little more regular. This week's...
Paper Guilt
Dear Sarah, I've had this stack of papers on my desk for nearly three months. Do I hand...
Saying “Yes” or “No?”
Dear Sarah, How do you know when to say, “yes?” When to say, “no?” Sincerely, Deciding yes...
Overcoming School Politics: VIDEO message
This week's Ask Sarah is a special video message. Enjoy! Dear Sarah, I am in the Navy and will get...
Feeling Demoralized and Unworthy
Dear Sarah, This is my 16th year as a high school teacher. I remember my first few years as being...