High school teachers are talented, dynamic individuals who face interesting challenges every day. If you’re currently a teacher or want to become one, you may find that you need encouragement from your peers from time to time. Here are five great blogs about high school teaching that can uplift and inspire.
Living the Dream
This sometimes-controversial blog covers policy, pedagogy and other concerns of teachers at American high schools. Teacher Diana Laufenberg focuses on showing other teachers how to create inquiry-driven classrooms where students become powerful agents in the educational process.
Her blog offers workshop materials for teachers and administrators who are interested in bringing an inquiry-driven approach to their classrooms. Her TED talks and blogs about educational reforms are particularly popular among educators at all levels. I
n addition to hosting discussions about education policy and reform around the country, Laufenberg also provides practical resources including unit plans in history.
An Urban Teacher’s Education
Written by Seattle-based teacher James Boutin, this blog speaks to the unique challenges of teachers in urban environments. He talks about managing challenges in the classroom and within the school as a whole.
Boutin tends to take a progressive stance on an array of education issues from classroom discipline to policy to curriculum design. If you’re looking for updates and cutting-edge opinions about what’s happening in education today, this is a great place to get them.
Boutin also writes for several other sites, which are linked on this blog.
MathNotations
Dedicated to improving math and science instruction, this blog provides up-to-date information about curriculum standards and trends in education.
More than providing information for teachers, though, the blog also provides printable lessons and resources to extend math and science learning. It covers topics of special interest to high school teachers such as how common core standards affect the math and reasoning portions of college entry tests.
This blog is a great resource if you teach math or science and find your students either bored or confused by other materials you’ve tried in your classroom.
The Tempered Radical
Incorporating new technologies and knowledge in the classroom can be difficult. Blogger Bill Ferriter addresses these challenges and provides educators with the tools that they need to bolster science and tech learning. He also helps teachers better understand and work with what he calls the “iGeneration” of students who are constantly connected to smartphones, tablets and other technology.
While he teaches sixth grade, Bill is well-known in the educational community and shares resources and ideas that are as suitable for high schoolers as they are for younger students. This is a great place to start if incorporating technology into your classroom has proved difficult.
Crazy Teaching
This blog is designed for teachers at the secondary level who want to better engage with students in their classrooms.
Blogger Terie Engelbrecht is a curriculum director who shares a wealth of insights from her experience teaching high school science and social studies classes. Crazy Teaching includes frequent posts on hot educational topics and innovative classroom techniques. Engelbrecht shares presentations she’s created and provides a great list of resources for educators who are interested in taking a new approach to teaching. Terie’s fiery, upbeat style is perfect for teachers who are looking for inspiration on a rough day.
Teaching is an ever-evolving field. Learning from other teachers is a great way to keep up with the curve and learn new classroom skills. As you read through blogs, be sure to share posts that you love with other teachers and with students and their families too.
Related Reading: 5 Great Blogs About Elementary Education
