About Me
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
If you’ve found your way to this page then I’m honored to know that you’d like to find out a little more about the person behind the resources. Hi! I’m Laney. I’m a middle school science teacher with 9 years experience in the classroom. I still wake up and go to work every day, grade tests on the weekends, and count down the days until spring break.
If you’ve found your way to this page then I’m honored to know that you’d like to find out a little more about the person behind the resources. Hi! I’m Laney. I’m a middle school science teacher with 9 years experience in the classroom. I still wake up and go to work every day, grade tests on the weekends, and count down the days until spring break.
I graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in Middle Grades Education and then taught for the first four years of my career in a public school in Tennessee. There, classroom management, teacher evaluations, standardized testing, lack of plan time, and dwindling respect for this profession eventually overwhelmed me and I made what felt like a bold move at the time, but now feels like fate. I took a job teaching at an American International School in the Middle East. In the 5 years since I’ve been working here I’ve been able to get my feet back under me and find ways to act on my calling to help teachers who feel the way I felt. I’ve also learned new ways to provide for students from diverse backgrounds and ability levels, especially when it comes to ELL.
I hope you’ll find this website helpful in planning your next lesson or even just feeling a little less isolated. Please feel free to reach out and contact me with any questions, comments, or concerns.
Sincerely,
Laney Lee
Middle School Science Teacher
MY MISSION AND PASSION
I’m a career teacher and by that I mean that I love my job and I am driven primarily by the desire to be the best that I can be every day for the students who come to my classroom (or Zoom call) every day. Believe me, though, I know how difficult that can be. I come from a family of teachers and most of my best friends are teachers too. I’ve seen people cry and I’ve seen people quit. Matter of fact, I quit once myself. Work life balance is probably one of the most difficult things to master in this profession, and one of the most important.
Since I can’t be there with you in your actual classroom, I’m focused on the two biggest areas that I see giving people grief:
• Lesson Planning
• Classroom management
LESSON PLANNING:
In the spirit of using what I’ve been given in the service of others, I’ve found that creating resources that take the load off a busy teacher for an afternoon or in the blur of a hectic morning is a place where my passion and people’s needs overlap. For that reason, I’m leaning in. I enjoy designing lessons, worksheets, and graphics to support students and teachers in understanding science concepts. I’m constantly trying to improve, and in my own practice I’m working on moving from a content-based approach to an inquiry-based approach. You’ll likely see that shift reflected in my resources.
Additionally, as teachers, we know it’s almost impossible to truly be prepared. As COVID-19 taught us in 2020, no amount of back-up plans will every protect you from the chaos of a changing classroom environment. Whether or not one of your students (or you) has a breakdown today, I hope to equip you with the materials you need to plan an engaging, rigorous lesson from home, school, or wherever you may be.
CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT:
Nothing will extinguish the flame of a happy-go-lucky, well-intentioned soul quicker than the realization that teaching is a lot more than what you saw in Freedom Writers and Dead Poets Society. I’ve seen the light drain from people’s eyes as their experiences in a classroom change their view on humanity one anxiety-filled day at a time. No amount of loopy fonts, color coordinated bins, or (I’m sorry to say it) kindness is going to save you from a classroom management nightmare. Maybe you’re solemnly nodding as you read this, because you’ve been there. Maybe your bottom lip is quivering a bit because you’re there right now.
If you think I haven’t seen kids like yours, I can assure you that I have. Lots of us have, but not many of us are talking about it. Most of us are too busy trying to get promoted to “better” classes or to even find a way out of the classroom. Once we make it out, we block it out and try to forget the things we’ve been through and seen.
For years, I woke up sick to my stomach every day in fear of what I would encounter that day in my classroom. Teaching was less teaching and more survival. I was so ashamed to be failing at the only thing I had ever seen myself as called to do. I had no backup plan, and a lot of debt trapping me in my situation. By the grace of God, though, still go I. I made some changes and got myself to where I needed to be. Without tooting my own horn too much, I’ll just leave it at this: I enjoy my job now.
I’m committed now to remembering and finding ways to help. Classroom management can be learned, because I did eventually learn it. It can’t be learned by avoidance, though, and it might get worse before it gets better. Regardless, we’re going to get through it together. The experiences I’ve had have made it impossible for me to ignore this aspect of teaching as a huge area of need.
SATISFACTION GUARANTEED:
My resources have found their way to the hands of no less than half a million students. This fact is both humbling and inspiring, and I’m proud to guarantee that the resources I’m providing have been tested, improved, and tested again. I design these lessons primarily for my own classroom, so if it isn’t working I’ll be the first to know.
Not convinced? Take a look at some of these reviews.
WHAT OTHERS HAVE SAID
• Engaged boys (not easy)
• Intellectual curiosity
• Focused reading goals
• Multiple modes of teaching kids the content
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