Nominate a colleague (or yourself!) to be a subject for this blog

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Let’s be honest. There are so many excellent teachers and coaches out there that, by myself, I cannot possibly find out about them all. How about some help? Do you know a remarkable teacher? Someone everyone looks up to: students, parents, and administrators alike? Someone who serves as a model for the profession? A true Chalkboard Champion? This teacher could be someone who is currently in the classroom, someone who is already retired, or even someone from history that you admire.

You can nominate that educator to be the subject of a blog post. Simply use the contact form on this site to send me the name and email information for the teacher you would like to nominate. I’ll do the rest!

Hope to hear from you soon!

Free online tutorials to use while teaching at a distance

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During the current Covid-19 pandemic, classroom teachers are seeking meaningful learning experiences they can share online with their students. This is especially true as educators prepare for another school year, and the prospect of teaching predominantly, if not completely, online.

It is my belief that, whether students are home-bound or not, online tutorials provide excellent learning experiences. Here are a few of my very favorite online educational tutorials. Some are for younger students, others are for high school students. Check them out, and use the comments section to recommend other tutorials to your colleagues. Have a wonderful year!

PhET. This website offers interactive simulations for physics, biology, chemistry, earth science, and mathematics. Sponsored by the University of Colorado, Boulder.

Hippocampus. Check out this website that offers over 7,000 free videos in mathematics, algebra, geometry, calculus, and statistics and probability.

Code.org. Code.org offers free tutorials and entertaining practice about computer science, including an Hour of Code. Your computer education students will love this website.

MusicTheory.net. This site includes interactive slide shows and music theory lessons for beginning through advanced students. Choose various tools including the ability to create custom drills and exercises.

FacingHistory.org. The Facing History website explores the topics of racism, prejudice, and antisemitism. The materials presented on this website are especially relevant given today’s current events.

Best Language. This website offers tutorials and assistance with basic phrases, vocabulary, and grammar in 15 different languages.

Khan Academy. Use this site to locate tutorials that coordinate with your specific lesson plans from among the many free offerings found on the website for Khan Academy. Tutorials are provided for math K-12, grammar, science, history, advanced placement, and SAT preparation.

College Readiness. Use this website to find practice tests and sample questions for the SAT test covering the areas of English, reading math, writing, history, science, and languages.

For online instruction, consider these virtual tours

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During the current coronavirus pandemic, I’m sure classroom teachers are seeking meaningful learning experiences they can share online with their students. This is especially true as educators prepare for another school year, and the prospect of teaching predominantly, if not completely, online.

I believe, whether students are home-bound or not, virtual tours provide excellent learning experiences. Here are a few of my very favorite online educational virtual tours. Use the comments section to recommend other virtual tours to your colleagues. Enjoy!

Ellis Island. Lead your students to this wonderful virtual tour of Ellis Island, and the story of immigration to the United States through this important and historic entry point. Created by Scholastic. Includes a Teacher Activity Guide.

United States Capitol. Share this exciting virtual tour of our nation’s Capitol building. Includes important paintings, sculptures, monuments, and architectural design elements throughout the Capitol complex. Created by the official Architect of the Capitol.

White House. Guide your students to this virtual tour of the interiors of the White House that would normally be open to the public for in-person tours, including the North Entrance, the Blue Room, the Green Room, the Red Room, and the State Dining Room. Enjoy 360 degree views and zoom in on objects of special interest. Created by Google.

NASA. This website offers a plethora of exciting virtual tours, including one of the International Space Station, Hubble Telescope Mission Operations Center, and an exploration of the stars. Prepared by NASA.

Athens Acropolis. This virtual tour includes such sites as the Parthenon, the Theatre of Dionysus, the Erechtheion, and the Temple of Athena Nike. Accompanied by in-depth videos that provide a fascinating and educational insight into ancient Greece. Created by the government of Greece.

Louvre Museum. Suggest your students explore a virtual tour of the Louvre Museum in Paris. They can view Egyptian antiquities, the Remains of the Louvre’s Moat, and the decorative arts of the Galerie d’Apollon. They can discover details about each room through detailed descriptions. Prepared by the museum.

San Diego Zoo Live Cams. This one is not a virtual tour, per se, but your students will love viewing live cams of various animals at the San Diego Zoo, including pandas, penguins, hippos, monkeys, tigers, elephants, polar bears, koalas, and condors. Created by the Zoo.

Principal Dr. Quentin Lee uses MC Hammer parody to teach covid-safe behaviors

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An educator who puts extra thought and creativity into their instruction is always very exciting. One educator who practices this is Dr. Quentin Lee, the principal of Childersburg High School, a public high school located in Childersburg, Talladega County, Alabama. He created a back-to-school video in the form of an MC Hammer parody that is causing an internet sensation.

Quentin wanted to find an innovative way to convey covid-safe expectations to students, who will be returning to school during the current coronavirus pandemic. The principal, a former band director, used his musical talents to write and record a parody of MC Hammer’s 1990 classic, “U Can’t Touch This.” The purpose of the parody is to remind students to engage in extra hygiene practices and safe distancing protocols. The video shows Quentin rapping, wielding a no-contact thermometer and bottles of hand sanitizer, and performing the “Running Man,” all while demonstrating the covid-safe behaviors expected of students when they return to school.

“Basically, I just really wanted to do something fun for back-to-school to kind of reinforce a lot of the new things we’re having to do,” explained Quentin. “I like making little silly videos for the kids, just to kind of get them excited about school. I wanted to do something to help promote the community,” he continued.

The innovative principal posted the video to YouTube early last week. The recording has become an instant internet success, and has even been featured on numerous television news broadcasts.

Quentin earned his Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University in 2005. He earned his Master’s degree from Sanford University in Educational Leadership and Administration in 2010. He earned his PhD in Educational Leadership and Administration in 2017. He taught music at Talladega County Central High School from 2006 to 2012. He is starting his fourth year as principal at Childersburg.