fatal five

In this spooktacular episode of the Hotline, we discuss the very scary topic of teacher evaluations. What could be more frightening than losing your job in a struggling economy? I can only think of one thing...a listener email from Transylvania, Romania (really!) that asks about the differences are between teaching adults and teaching kids.

The title of this week's episode is not only dramatic, it's an actual quote from a frazzled listener. What happens when a student is misbehaving, you've tried everything you can think of, and nothing works? Is there anything you can do (other than hope and pray that the student is absent)? Next on the agenda is the Return of the Fatal Five (just in time for Halloween). The topic: What are the five worst ways to respond to sudden and unexpected bad behavior in class?

This week features the premiere of a new segment called The Fatal Five! (Arooooooo!) We talk about five fatal mistakes a new teacher can make that can make the school year very unpleasant. Our listener email this week comes from Jamie, who wants an overview of lesson planning. She’s used to tutoring, where the lesson plan is “Do these questions and I’ll explain them to you,” but she figures there’s more to it than that with formal classroom instruction. BIG NEWS: The New Teacher Hotline has something new and exciting up its electronic sleeves! It all starts with our next show, the glorious 10th episode extravaganza. We’re taking an extra week to get it ready, and it will soar like an eagle right into your ear canal (ouch) on July 4, 2007.