Simply Novel Blog - Teaching Tips and Ideas for Teachers

I primarily teach juniors and seniors this year, so I have three primary waves of recommendation writing: junior enrichment opportunities, senior c...

I read this article in The Atlantic recently that discussed a new finding that handwritten notes are more effective in student learning than are ty...

By the third quarter, the pencils are wearing down, the pens are running out of ink, the students are getting antsy for spring break, and the teach...

Four tips for wrapping up your school year! This list provides four ideas all teachers could do during the last few weeks of school. Each idea is manageable and meaningful; these tips will help you transition into the much needed summer break!

Emergency substitute plans may well just be a lifesaver. Whether your school administration requires you to submit them or not, it is always a great idea to have a set of emergency sub plans for at least one day (even up to a week's worth) for those times when you have to take time off unexpectedly.  Here are some tips for preparing emergency sub plans that will have you breathing a sigh of relief if/when the time comes.

So many of us have been bombarded with daily self-care strategies - things that include “sing a song,” “eat all the chocolate,” “make yourself smile,” or “have a glass of wine.”  All of these are great—when we are dealing with minor stresses such as a rude parent interaction, or too many papers to grade, the internet going out, or having to take on an extra duty all week.  But what happens when we are literally facing a crisis—like a global pandemic, widespread fear and depression, schools that have moved virtual, and an overall sense that life is never going to be what it once was ever again?  The key is to practice resilience.