Where Have all The Teacher Publications Gone?

Educators crave innovative ideas and inspiration

This morning I woke-up with a desire to channel my writing energy in a new direction. With the end of summer break days away, educators are dreaming of possibilities for a new school year, waking from nightmares of past failures, rummaging through old lesson plans, and surfing the net for new ideas.

It only seemed appropriate to write about teaching. Just because I am retired, doesn’t mean I am ready to be put out to pasture, abandoned to chew my cud. Nope, I am in the MOOd to share. So, for MOOchers looking for ideas (all teachers out of necessity become moochers), this battle worn bovine is ready to cut and distribute the pie (not cow pie) of knowledge— no MOOlah required.

Watch Illumination

After searching for a publication where I could submit educational articles for teachers, I discovered very few available in this niche.

• The EdTech World: EdTech stories, interviews and opinions most recent article is from July 3, 2019.
• The Teachers Guild last post was April 18, 2019
• 2015 is the last time a post was added to The Art of Teaching
• Teachers Going Gradeless hasn’t published since 2018 but it was too specific anyway
• InnoPower@JC: Fellowship for Teachers is written in Japanese
• Education.com’s Teacher Voice discontinued 2017
• A Teacher’s Hat has been inactive for 3 years
• A Teacher’s Life’s last 2 posts were from March

Thus, Illuminations, a publication dedicated to enlightenment, will be my home. Maybe Dr. Mehmet Yildiz will recognize the need for a publication dedicated to public education, and he will be start something for us, teachers who care.

I encourage teacher readers to follow me (Brenda Mahler) on Medium to read articles about education. They be published with these tags:

teachers, education, teaching, schools, learning

Lesson One:

Teachers Practice FLEXIBLE ORGANIZATION

Prior to the first day of school I organized everything to the point my morning list included a reminder to wear the same color socks; the lesson plans prompted me to take attendance, and the evening list included a direction to make the next day’s list.

Education is organization.

This constant message bombarded my brain. So with THE LIST prepared, the lesson plans written, and a hearty breakfast consumed to provide sustenance, I stood at the door awaiting the students on the first day of school.

A boy named Justin pleaded, “Can you help me open my locker?” Knowing that saying no wasn’t an option, I turned the lock to the right, then to the left, being sure to go past and then back to the second number, and then right. Like magic, the door swung open. The boy’s body relaxed.

To my horrific fear, upon returning to the classroom door, eleven bodies already filled eleven seats.

The plan to welcome and hand a syllabus to each student when they entered dissolved. After the bell sounded, students’ names were announced and notes recorded, the time increased from what the plans allotted so pronunciations could be practiced. When I asked if anybody’s name was not called, six hands shot up. Acknowledging this a problem that needed to be remedied, I examined each schedule. Four students exited with directions to a different class.

Since attendance took longer than planned, I shortened THE LIST.

The get acquainted game proved somewhat successful; however, I discovered the students already knew each other and the only new information acquired was that three Susies occupied three chairs in the second row. An obnoxious buzzer like a hornet’s nest intruding at a picnic interrupted the lesson and announced the end of the period. Why anyone referred to it as a bell remains a mystery.

In the lesson plan book, I drew an arrow showing that the last two items would be addressed the next day.

While monitoring the halls, I watched Justin open his locker successfully. An afternoon faculty meeting gathered the staff into the library. The adult faces showed fatigue, some confusion.

I reflected upon my accomplishments from THE LIST Most items were checked off; some were crossed off; several items had been added. When the meeting’s discussion ended, I took out a clean piece of paper and wrote the first item on tomorrow’s list:

Be flexible!

I looked down and for the first time realized my socks didn’t match.

Today’s lesson for teachers is to be flexible. Follow me for more teacher tips throughout the months of July and August.

Every occurrence in life is seen and felt differently depending on an individuals’ goals, emotions, morals, and expectations. The book Lockers Speak shares life's moments from the eyes of high school teens. Now available on Amazon.