The Teacher Diaries: Children, Chalk, and Challenges in Quarter
One
“Do’tlose it with him again,”Mrs.Linnell tells herself as Charlie jumps over the seat of his chair, trying to distract the class during her math lesson. She keeps teaching as she walks by Grace, who is talking, and gently lays her hand on her shoulder. Through the wall, she can hear Mrs. Newbie’sclass talking over their first-year teacher–ateacher Mrs. Linnell is mentoring. Everything going through her head has nothing to do with teaching. Lauren Linnell is far from being a first-year teacher, yet this class is taking her for a challenging ride. In addition to her high maintenance class and her struggling mentee, Pierson Falls Elementary has a new principal, Mrs. Clean Up. Linnell knows from her experience how to handle behaviors, but her new principal pressures her to use tickets and prizes to motivate students, making her question the very thing she loves most–teching. Lauren Linnell, an award-winning teacher, writes an