Teachers of New Jersey: Megan Meyer Kindergarten Teacher at Howell Township Public Schools I have been teaching for 31 years. My grandmother was a teacher. My mom is a teacher. My older sister is a teacher. We’re a family of teachers, so becoming a teacher came naturally to me. I didn’t want to do it at first, but I realized that if you do what you love, then you don’t work a day in your life, and I don’t feel like I go to work as a teacher. I get to hang out with children every day, which is very special to me and very important. And after 31 years, a lot of people think that you lose your p ..read more

It’s Astounding April: The Daily Celebration Calendar Contributed by: Jessica Kurtz, STEAM Biology and AP Research Teacher, Toms River High School East April showers bring Spring flowers… and every April day brings fun things to do and play! With the air of Spring wisping around us, and the end of the year in sight, this is a great time to celebrate every day with your students. Did you know that April comes from the Latin word “aperit” which means- to open? Let’s open Spring up and celebrate these selections of National Days- and if you don’t love it- do a little research- because most days ..read more

Teachers of New Jersey: Adriana Rivera, Kindergarten MLL Teacher at Manalapan- Englishtown Regional Schools What used to be called ESL is now MLL. The acronym has changed and MLL stands for “Multilingual Learners.” Most of my children are learning a second language or a third language. They come from countries like Ukraine. I have some Indian students, I have some Asian students, and most of my students are Russian. I teach them all English. I pull them together and we’re doing basic communication themes following the curriculum, getting them just to acquire language to be able to communicate ..read more

Set Sail on a Professional Development Opportunity this Summer! Contributed by: Jessica Kurtz, STEAM Biology and AP Research Teacher, Toms River High School East Are you an educator looking to attend a professional workshop that offers hands-on experiences and comprehensive resources? Look no further than this incredible Biofuels workshop I recently had the opportunity to participate in. During the workshop, attendees were given “gasometers” made of 2 bottles that were connected with plastic and glass tubing, and rubber stoppers, which emptied into a graduated cylinder. We were given different ..read more

13 Fun Pi Day Activities to Make This Year a Hit March 14th (of every year) is Pi Day, and if you are a math teacher, this is your holiday. Or at least it should be. You know, 3/14, or the calendar equivalent of three-point-one-four, the popular, rounded to two decimal places version of that beloved geometry constant, Pi.  No matter what the age and content you teach, this is a great day to bring some math and fun into your classroom. A famous mathematician once said, “Pi is not just a collection of random digits, Pi is a journey; an experience; unless you try to see the natural poetry t ..read more

Teachers of New Jersey: Teena O’Connell, Fine Arts Teacher at Manchester Township High School When you’re a teacher, you get really close to your kids. They’re with you more than they’re with their own parents. So, when you’re with them for so long, and as an art teacher, it’s so important to me to know who they are as a person. I really pay attention to them, and I’m very lucky I get close to my kids quickly. I always prided myself on these relationships, but then the longer I was in and the more time you spent, then you know, some heavy things would come up. I had this one specific ins ..read more

5 Easy Valentine’s Day Art Projects Your Students Will Love Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching. For many classrooms, that means a party where too much sugar is digested, and little paper cards get traded in abundance. Some brave educators also like to try to make crafts during the course of the day, and those items may even be turned into gifts for parents. While some V-Day projects may seem a little taxing to take on, there are plenty among the world of the internet that are easy enough to put together in the span of one February 14th work day. Here’s just a few that scrape the surface t ..read more

Lunch is quite possibly the hardest meal of the day for teachers. Chances are, you’re not sitting down for a leisurely 45-minute quiet time for yourself or heading out to a local deli for lunch with colleagues. Your downtime is at a premium, and that’s even if you get ANY downtime on a given day. So we here at the NJ Teachers’ Lounge thought it might be nice to think of some ways to make that little bit of time a little more exciting. Variety is the spice of life, and what you bring for lunch is something that teachers still get to decide. So take control and get some new lunches going with th ..read more

Teachers of New Jersey: Laurie Beeden, Indiana Avenue, School 18, Iselin,. Formerly 4th and 5th Grade Special Ed. Currently Gen Ed Second Grade.  What inspired me to become a teacher was my grandfather. He was raised in an orphanage, and he only had an education until 4th grade. When I was younger, I had a little bit of a learning disability myself. So, he would always say, ‘Laurie, teach me what you learned today. Be the teacher. Teach me what you learned.’ I was dyslexic. I started struggling in first grade, but more so in second grade, and then I was retained in second. But my grandfa ..read more

Daily Celebration Calendar for January 2024. Christmas bells will be replaced with alarm bells come January 2nd this year. From the most wonderful time of the year to what can feel like the slowest, bleakest time of the year.  After the excitement of Thanksgiving and the December holidays, we will soon have to open our eyes to a dark morning, shiver as we leave our warm beds, and trudge our way to school where we have a long…long January, February, and March awaiting us. Now, there is always hope for the sparkle of snowflakes blanketing our homes and schools offering a surprise snow day ..read more