Tips for Educators
Unplug and Chill
By Elise Harris on October 8th, 2014
Have you unplugged today? I mean really unplugged and walked away?
It is no secret that chronic stress will make you physically ill. As teachers, we are natural givers and put other’s needs in front of our own. We must remember to take time for ourselves. All of the work will be there when we get back. And when we return after our “me-time,” we will be equipped to engage our students with sheer awesomeness!
If you’re looking for some respite, make a schedule for yourself and force a “me-time” break. It will help to find a friend or colleague to keep you honest. (I know it can be hard to walk away sometimes.) You can do it!
Rising to the Top of the Virtual Stack
By Guest Blogger on July 1st, 2014
Gone are the days of paper job applications. Gone are the days of dropping off your resume. Gone are the days of stopping by to meet the hiring manager. We now live in a digital age, in a virtual world. Job applications are now online and can be submitted at the push of a button.
How do you set yourself apart from the hundreds, if not thousands, of other job-seekers vying for the exact same position you want?
You wow them with an amazing resume that puts you right at the top of the virtual stack!
Losing Functionality: The Signs of Burnout
By Guest Blogger on June 10th, 2014
Over recent weeks my wife and I have been trying to sell our house. In an effort to have it sell faster, we purchased a dozen of these air-freshener warmer devices that you plug into your wall. If you haven’t used one, the way it works is that you plug it in and slide a glass jar of freshener into the warmer and set the dial to the level of scent that you want (from low to high). After two days of having the fresheners plugged in, I noticed that the smell wasn’t as tropical as it once was. I checked each one and all seemed to be okay. I left the fresheners plugged in for another week until I realized that there was no longer a divine smell of the tropics in the house. Upon inspection, I noticed that the glass bottles were completely empty and needed to be replaced. I had the fresheners on full blast, causing each one to deplete faster than I anticipated. Continue reading
Interview Tips: Knowing When to Stop Talking
By Guest Blogger on April 11th, 2014
Your palms are sweating. Your knees are shaking. You feel like you’re rambling. You probably are. STOP.
Job interviews can be incredibly intimidating. You sit across the table from high-level executives and try to prove your worth. In behavioral-based interviews, you are asked several specific, action-driven questions. Your interviewers want to know the details of specific instances when you applied your natural talents and learned skills to unite stakeholders, lead teammates, and solve challenges.
The first problem you face is you’re drawing a blank. Funny, I can’t think of a single time I ever spoke to a single customer or solved a single problem… Continue reading
Communication is Critical
By Guest Blogger on March 7th, 2014
The Importance of Effective Communication between Teachers and Parents
I have been teaching for almost nine years, most of that time being in the traditional classroom. When I came to FLVS last year, I was seriously impressed with the level of care and importance that is placed on effective parent communication.
Regular communication, however, does not necessarily equal effective communication. Whether meeting face-to-face, virtually, or by phone, misunderstandings can happen. I wanted to share with you some insights and tips I have found useful as a teacher to keep communication with parents effective: Continue reading
Everyone Needs a Coach
By Guest Blogger on February 6th, 2014
I’m a Georgia Bulldog fan…I’ll just go ahead and say that. I’m not a huge football fan where I am glued to the TV on the weekends, but I do enjoy a good game and I certainly enjoy watching my team play. I am always fascinated by the week-to-week changes in a team.
Some weeks I think my team will make it to the National Championship game, and other weeks I wonder if this is their first game. And if anything has made it clear that you can never know what to expect from a team, it was last Sunday’s Super Bowl game!
But regardless of how the team performs, there is ultimately one person who is held accountable for the outcome: the coach. Continue reading
Finding Work Life Balance
By Guest Blogger on January 23rd, 2014
Almost a year into my career at FLVS, I would consider myself a work-life balance guru. That has not always been the case.
When I first came to FLVS in early 2013, I had no idea how important work-life balance would become. Coming from a brick-and-mortar school, I was used to working hard for eight hours a day and then walking away from my work once I left to get my daughter from daycare. Imagine my shock when I transitioned to virtual education where the work followed me everywhere.
The phone rang often, even after hours. My gradebook was never empty. At times, my VSA data and student numbers felt overwhelming. Sometimes I felt like the work was overtaking me and that it was overtaking every aspect of my life. And worse, I felt like I was not able to put the students’ needs first since I was so overwhelmed. Continue reading
Know Before You Go: The Power of Formative Assessments
By Guest Blogger on January 14th, 2014
A few years ago, not long after I first learned to drive, a family friend allowed me the opportunity to borrow his car.
The rule of the road was “if it has two digits, it goes around the city in a circle and you can’t get lost, it’ll always bring you back.”
When I began driving with my friend, I noticed I was a bit lost, but was fortunate enough to see the I-95 sign. It had two digits, the 9 and 5, so that must have meant it would loop around and I’d be back in no time. An hour later, I pulled off at an exit to ask for directions, to find I was now an hour and a half away from home.
The Real Win is in Losing!
By Amy LaGrasta on November 19th, 2013
Losing is part of life. In fact, it is one of the most valuable lessons one can learn.
We don’t get everything we want all of the time. We can’t win every race. Tasting defeat only allows us to savor victory and try harder the next time. Learning how to lose teaches us how to win.
If a child knows they will automatically get a reward for showing up, what motivation is there to try? If our students’ walls are adorned with ribbons and trophies for participation, we have done them a disservice. We are teaching them that a promotion will be handed over on a silver platter, not earned. Grades will be given based on attendance, not effort. Continue reading
A Good, Firm Handshake in a Virtual World
By Guest Blogger on November 15th, 2013
We live in an ever-changing digital age where our interactions have become increasingly more “virtual” than face-to-face.
Today, most companies are turning to phone conference or webcam interviews to save time and money for incessantly busy Hiring Managers. Job candidates are expected to answer complicated behavior based interview questions, supplying well-thought-out responses, all while making it perfectly clear why he/she is the right person for the job, often in 30 minutes or less. So, how do you leave a lasting impression at the end of a phone interview? You develop a good, firm virtual handshake. Continue reading