Front Porch Learning Cottage, LLC

Ah, the snow day: nature’s way of saying, “Hey, teachers, I got you.” While students may believe they are the true beneficiaries of these rare and glorious events, the reality is far different. If you listen closely on the night of a predicted winter storm, you won’t just hear the giggles of children flipping their pajamas inside out, placing cold spoons under their pillows, and flushing ice cubes; you’ll hear the whispered prayers of teachers and the hopeful sighs of administrators who secretly wish for just one day of reprieve....

The Two Best Words in Education: SNOW DAY! Ah, the snow day: nature’s way of saying, “Hey, teachers, I got you.” While students may believe they are the true beneficiaries of these rare and glorious events, the reality is far different. If …

It's essay submission day. That magical time when students proudly turn in their work, hoping for an A, or at the very least, for me not to notice that their original thoughts sound suspiciously like a college professor wrote them. Let me be clear: I love a well-written essay. I live for a strong thesis, clear reasoning, and textual evidence that actually supports the argument....

This Essay is Amazing It’s essay submission day. That magical time when students proudly turn in their work, hoping for an A, or at the very least, for me not to notice that their original thoughts sound suspiciou…

In today’s world, some people use social media to connect. Some use it to be someone else (catfish much?). And others use it to hide their terrible secrets, deny responsibility, or, in some cases, avoid accountability for creating life. Imagine if some of classic literature’s most ethically questionable characters had access to social media. What might that look like? Let’s check out the profiles of two (well, ok, three) men who should have spent less time experimenting, more time in therapy, and definitely don’t need access to Wi-Fi....

What If Classic Gothic Characters Had Social Media? In today’s world, some people use social media to connect. Some use it to be someone else (catfish much?). And others use it to hide their terrible secrets, deny responsibility, or, in some cases, …

In the hallowed halls of high school, where the struggle for survival is real(especially during that long break between first and second blocks), there exists a force more powerful than the principal, more efficient than the custodial staff, and more beloved than the football team after a last-second win. They are swift. They are strategic. They are everywhere. They are affectionately called......

Hot Cheetos and Hustle In the hallowed halls of high school, where the struggle for survival is real(especially during that long break between first and second blocks), there exists a force more powerful than the princip…

Every teacher has experienced it. A student politely raises their hand and earnestly asks, "Can I go to the restroom?" You can see the urgency in their eyes, so you agree, instructing them to leave their phone behind. (Little do you know, they have a backup phone precisely for such emergencies.) Five minutes go by. Then ten. At the fifteen-minute mark, you begin considering sending a search party....

The Bathroom Break Black Hole Every teacher has experienced it. A student politely raises their hand and earnestly asks, “Can I go to the restroom?” You can see the urgency in their eyes, so you agree, instructing t…

It began, as these things always do, with whispers. "I swear I left it right here.""I know I had it this morning..." “I must have left it on the kitchen counter.”"Maybe I left it in my last class." But we all knew the truth. There is something darker at work, something...cursed. Every year, students are issued laptops, complete with cases and chargers....

Powerless: Lost to the Void It began, as these things always do, with whispers. “I swear I left it right here.””I know I had it this morning…” “I must have left it on the kitchen counter.””…

Every school has them. Every school takes steps to stop them, but they always come back. You guessed it—The Hallway Dwellers. They are always out. Always walking and always existing in a space where no student should exist for that much of the day. You turn the corner, and there they are. You walk to the office and think, "Didn't I just see you in the hall?"...

The Hallway Dwellers: An Army of Clones? Every school has them. Every school takes steps to stop them, but they always come back. You guessed it—The Hallway Dwellers. They are always out. Always walking and always existing in a space wher…

This morning, while doing my hallway duty with a coffee in hand and clearing the cobwebs out of my brain, I overheard a conversation that, at first, made me chuckle, then shake my head in dismay. A student told someone, very sincerely, that he would not be in school tomorrow and would miss at least one day next week. Was he sick?...

Prime Delivery vs. Prime Education This morning, while doing my hallway duty with a coffee in hand and clearing the cobwebs out of my brain, I overheard a conversation that, at first, made me chuckle, then shake my head in dismay. A…

Every teacher knows that the copy room is a sacred place, a hallowed ground where lesson plans come to life. In this inner sanctum, in this refuge from the chaos, last-minute print jobs can disrupt harmony, and a single blinking error message can bring even the most seasoned teacher to their knees. It can also be, without question, the most passive-aggressive place in the entire building....

The 10 Commandments of the Copy Room Every teacher knows that the copy room is a sacred place, a hallowed ground where lesson plans come to life. In this inner sanctum, in this refuge from the chaos, last-minute print jobs can disrupt…

As a tenth-grade English teacher, one of the novels I enjoy teaching every year is Fahrenheit 451. The novel's protagonist, Guy Montag, lives in a society that attempts to eliminate all sources of complexity, contradiction, and confusion in an attempt to ensure uncomplicated happiness for all its citizens. Ray Bradbury's masterpiece is a dark prophecy about a society so consumed by technology that literature is deemed obsolete and critical thought is a relic of the past....

Teaching Fahrenheit 451 in 2025: Oh, the Irony! As a tenth-grade English teacher, one of the novels I enjoy teaching every year is Fahrenheit 451. The novel’s protagonist, Guy Montag, lives in a society that attempts to eliminate all sourc…

Front Porch Learning Cottage will be hosting a Homeschool Tutoring Program for girls in Levels 4 to 7 during the 22/23 school year. Email [email protected] for more information.