Blogs
Things I Wish Administrators and Teachers Understood about Substitute Teaching: Guest Blogpost by Debbie Hattery
Debbie Hattery, a substitute teacher in MA, shares what she wishes administrators and teachers understood about substitute teaching.
How to Solve Educator Burnout: A Guest Blogpost by Dr. Jessica Werner
This guest blogpost about solving teacher burnout is a companion piece to my episode with Dr. Jessica Werner from 3/8/26.
No Prep/Low Prep Brain Breaks: A Blogpost by Amy McMahon
This guest blogpost by Amy McMahon accompanies the podcast episode where Amy chats with Melissa about the benefits of brain breaks. Amy shares some of her favorites.
Happiness Is Not the Absence of Negativity: A Guest Blogpost by Phil Januszewski
This guest blogpost by Phil Januszewski is a follow up to our podcast episode published on 1/25.
“Write Me a Blogpost about AI and Writing. Make it Really Good.” - Guest Blogpost by Tom Turner
Tom Turner is cohost of the Failing Writers Podcast, alongside Jon Rand. In this guest blogpost, that accompanies their Teacher As Podcast episode, Tom shares about the difficulty of writer’s block and the temptation to use AI. He discusses the difference between creating original work and using AI.
Time to Get Serious about Handwriting Instruction: Guest Blogpost by Holly Britton
This guest blogpost is written by Holly Britton who Melissa interviewed for the podcast. It focuses on the foundational skill of handwriting.
Humor, Dopamine & Rubber Chickens: The Brain-Based Magic of Music Class Management - Guest Blogpost by Mel Emerick
Mel Emerick took time out to write a guest blogpost as a companion to our conversation. The podcast episode is Zooming In on Humor as a Teaching Tool with Mel Emerick. Mel writes about how we need to engage students and make them feel safe before we can teach them anything (Maslow before Bloom).
MassCUE 10/15/25: Podcasting with Students - An Introduction: Deep Dive Resources
This blog was created as a companion resource for my presentations at the MassCUE Conference on 10/15/25 and 10/16/25. It is chock full of resources to start podcasting with students no matter what level you teach.
Major Choice - Empowering Career Exploration by Cofounder Brad Duquette
Brad Duquette shares about his company, Major Choice. Major Choice’s mission is to help young people, especially those on the autism spectrum, figure out their post-school paths.
Spring Into Calm: Guest Blogpost by Erika Bare and Tiffany Burns
Enjoy this guest blogpost by author educators Erika Bare and Tiffany Burns about connecting with students.
Easy Ways to Incorporate Drama into the Elementary Classroom
In this guest blogpost, Janea Dahl, the creator of Drama Notebook, shares ways to incorporate drama into the elementary classroom. Janea emphasizes the importance of creativity, cooperation, and confidence-building in drama education.
Math Student Vital Actions: Guest Blog by Jennifer Hawkins
In this guest blogpost, Jen Hawkins talks about student vital actions focusing primarily in the math classroom, although these vital actions can be applied to any classroom.
Teaching is an Artistic Skill: A Guest Blog Post by Aly Marie Moniz
Aly Marie Moniz, Pilates instructor extraordinaire, explains why teaching is an artistic skill. Make sure to check out podcast episode 87 The Teacher As Pilates Instructor with Aly as well.
Tips for Dynamic Read Alouds
You don't have to be a professional actor to read dynamically to your class. This blog post accompanies Episode 86 where I share tips to make your read alouds more entertaining for your students. Adjusting your pace and/or volume, for example, can make your reading more captivating.
The Teacher As Mover and Shaper: A Guest Blog Post by Jen Hawkins
Math consultant Jen Hawkins shares her thoughts on productive struggle and student independence in math class. Jen was my guest in Episode 85: Zooming In on Math Teacher Talk.
Meaningful Math Games
This blogpost is chock full of math games that were discussed in Episode 81: Meaningful Math Games with Ann Elise Record and Dr. Nicki Newton.
Psychology Based Strategies in the Classroom by Dr. Claire Honeycutt PhD
Dr. Claire Honeycutt, college professor and homeschooler, writes about psychology based strategies that apply to working with students in this guest blog post.
Hover-Free Teaching: Guest Blogpost by Miriam Plotinsky
In episode 76, Melissa chats with educator/author Miriam Plotinsky. In this guest blog post, Miriam shares some of her published work in her area of expertise.
Top Gun Maverick: Reluctant Teacher
Melissa breaks down Lt. Pete Mitchell as a teacher in Top Gun Maverick. Pete, known as Maverick, has his students doing and practicing and he limits his lecture time. He scaffolds skills and works on building a team. He also assesses them along the way. This reluctant teacher crushes it.