Mrs. Slaviero's Blog

My Mom passed away last Thursday and I've understandably had many emotions and reflections since. I'm hoping this post will help me organize my thoughts since, at this time, my eulogy is not much more than a list of memories. This blog is about my experiences as an educator, I would be remiss if I didn't write about my first teacher.  One of my earliest lessons from my Mom was about how to treat others. I can remember the kind way she would speak to everyone she encountered, no matter their occupation or position in society--all were equal in her eyes. She listened to others, made a comment or joke that would put others at ease, and showed through eye contact and body language that people mattered to her. This example of respect is one I try to follow and pass along to my children and my students, through my actions and words.  My Mom taught me resiliency. When life got tough she would allow me to get upset but then walk me through my own problem-solving session. S...

A new school year is a fantastic opportunity to mindfully and consciously emphasize what matters to me as a teacher in my classroom community. The Student Historians (and Study Skills students) in my classes have: sat in tables, not rows, to help strengthen our learning community had the opportunity to either reacquaint themselves with their classmates or meet a new student discussed what they believe the ideal classroom, student, and teacher should look and sound like realized that I try to be flexible when it comes to locker and restroom passes (no coupons from me) know that it matters to me that they belong to a school club/sport/activity understood that teamwork is valued had practice with activities that are creative, open-ended, and challenging  realized that leadership matters, whether it's sitting with a new student at lunch or helping with classroom jobs I've been thinking a lot about the concept of "what I teach". As much as I love History an...