As you may know, I have been attempting to volunteer my services at Mandarin Middle School. It’s been about a month now and I’ve made two separate trips to visit them, but no one from that school has ever contacted me. If you’d like to see that complete story, it begins here. If you know […]
My Return to Mandarin Middle School
April 10, 2012 by
In my previous post I wrote about my decision to volunteer my services at Mandarin Middle School, the closest school to my home here in Jacksonville. If you haven’t had a chance to read it, it’s located here. To reprise a little bit, after my first visit to the school I completed the online background […]
I’ve Decided to Become a Volunteer
April 3, 2012 by
I’m assuming that you are probably familiar with Daily Teaching Tools, my website devoted to free resources for teachers. And, if you are, you may also have noticed that I am very fond of advocating that administrators spend specific periods, on a regular basis, in the classroom teaching students. That also applies to anyone in […]
Corporate Sponsorship in Our Schools
February 28, 2012 by
This is a topic that I suspect is on the minds of many of us in the world of education, as it seems to be an up-and-coming trend. Here in Jacksonville, there has been discussion and controversy about allowing corporate sponsorship in our schools, cafeterias, and buses. The thinking, I suppose, is that if it […]
A Temporary Adjustment to Schedule
January 17, 2012 by
I have no way of knowing whether you found The TeacherBeacon via Daily Teaching Tools or through an Internet search. If you haven’t had a chance to see Daily Teaching Tools, I think if you visit, you’ll be pleasantly surprised with what you will find there. If you ARE a Daily Teaching Tools visitor, some […]
Well-Earned Respite to Enjoy the Season
December 20, 2011 by
Well, we’ve finally made it to the holiday season. Just like you, I am taking a brief respite to spend some time with family and friends. In your case, you earned it–all the time you spent working with your kids, appeasing administrators, attending all those endless meetings, and everything else that is demanded of you. […]
KIPP’s Teaching Demands are Stringent
December 9, 2011 by
This is the continuation of my previous post regarding a local KIPP school. If you haven’t had a chance to read that, it is located here. In this KIPP school, it’s hard work for the teachers too. They promise to follow through on returning phone calls and e-mails. All KIPP schools are designed to prepare […]
Is the KIPP School a Viable Alternative?
December 6, 2011 by
About three weeks ago, as you may recall, I wrote my first post in the new category of “Good News.” Unfortunately, at least for the time being, today’s post and Friday’s will be the last ones in that category for a little while. What follows is an unsigned editorial that appeared recently in the Florida […]
Thank You for Surviving Another Year
December 2, 2011 by
This is the conclusion of an editorial column written by Mark Woods for the Florida Times-Union. If you haven’t had a chance to read my previous post, you may want to consider doing so. That post is located here. Mark concludes, “Are there bad teachers? Of course there are. But they’re in the minority. And […]
I’d Appreciate Your Input Here on This
Have you left a comment here on The TeacherBeacon and then it never showed up? If so, I’d sure like to hear from you. Just take a moment to add a comment to this post. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a lengthy comment, a short one will do just fine. In most cases, your […]