I can't believe I'm opening a blog again! My 16 year old self would be SO proud. I used to write out my feelings on a blog. Oversharing was my biggest personality trait (sometimes it still is.) I loved blogging and I'm not sure why I ever really let it go, other than one time in college a boy found my blog and said I was, "too emotional" for him. I don't think my blog lasted much longer than that. So.. I'm happy to come back to the blogging world over 10 years later and hopefully make it useful to YOU and whoever is reading this.
I want this blog to be a space where we can talk honestly about teaching teens and ways to love our job! I want to give tips and tricks and share what has worked for me in my classroom as well as be real about some of the fails I'm sure we've all experienced. Teaching teenagers is not always an easy task so it's good to have a place to come to learn, grow and on occasion.. vent. I'm happy you're here!!
Now, let me spill the basics. I'm Katie, the creator of LifeFluent. I've been a teacher since I was 8 years old. I’d dress up my dog, Lisa, and teach her geometry with PowerPoints from my dad’s clunky and VERY SLOW computer. I lived for learning and schooling. So much so, I was one of those nerdy kids who graduated at 16 and moved away to an out-of-state university.
BUT… it turns out, acing school didn't quite cover the life skills department. From cooking something beyond instant ramen to navigating professional etiquette, or understanding that three credit cards don't equate to free money – I had to pick up these lessons the hard way. Picture sunburns, the infamous freshman 15 (or 25), and a close friend named debt. That's exactly why LifeFluent came to life. As I started teaching, I packed all those tough lessons into something genuinely useful, the kind of stuff I wish I had known earlier.
LifeFluent is more than just health-focused worksheets. It's a holistic curriculum all about bringing real-life skills into the classroom in ways that are both fun and, well, cool! Picture simulations, escape rooms, games, and open discussions that don't just stay inside the classroom but extend beyond it.
So, big thanks for taking the time to read a bit about this Blog and cheers to filling it up with ways to make your teaching MORE FUN for you and your students!
Teach On!
Katie
