Every May, one week is designated as Teacher Appreciation Week. There will be the customary newspaper coverage of favorite teacher stories,  the hashtag #thankateacher will trend on Twitter, and celebrities will post videos thanking teachers as the most important influences in their lives. These are all wonderful and appropriate tributes to the profession that prepares our nation’s […]
From the Front Lines
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured, From the Front Lines, High School, How to Fix Education, Instruction & Curriculum, Opinion
What We Forgot From School
My improv troupe has been going through a time of transition. Â When I came back this summer after my school hiatus, there were a lot of new faces and a few old ones – and things had changed, not necessarily for the better. Every group goes through highs and lows. The first time I was […]
Posted inFrom the Front Lines, Instruction & Curriculum, Principals' Corner, Uncategorized
The Deafening Silence of Teachers
As Americans, we have always been taught that one of the greatest things about being an American Citizen is that we are protected by the First  Amendment to the United States Constitution. We pride ourselves on having the ability to speak without fear of retribution and to make sure if injustices are occurring, we have the ability […]
Posted inFeatured, From the Front Lines, Opinion
What Are We Doing?
I dropped the ball today. I had my lesson plans done and I started my day.  This afternoon, however, my class had the opportunity to attend a special presentation from the zoo ambassador program. I went about my classroom routine of Monday, end of the nine weeks, new reading groups and new MTSS groups and […]
Posted inFeatured, From the Front Lines, How to Fix Education, Instruction & Curriculum, Opinion
The Museum Trip – The Other Side
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”] As a museum educator, I work with all types of learners.  Multimodal teaching is a phrase I hear on a consistent basis – and as a kinesthetic learner myself, I’m thrilled to […]
Posted inFeatured, From the Front Lines, Uncategorized
Digital Learning and You: How Online Tools Prepare Students for Citizenship
Facing History and Ourselves is an international educational and professional development organization whose mission is to engage students of diverse backgrounds in an examination of racism, prejudice and anti-Semitism in order to promote the development of a more humane and informed citizenry. In the article below, Facing History’s Director of Online Community, Practice, and Research […]
Posted inCharter Schools, Current Events in Education, Featured, From the Front Lines, High School
Sorely Needed Planning Time (Charter School Diaries #9)
Week 3/4-3/8 The major happening this week at the school district was that our juniors (and some seniors) took the HSPA. The HSPA stands for High School Proficiency Assessment and it is the standardized testing tool used in the state of New Jersey; without passing, a student will not be recommended for graduation. In the […]
Posted inCommon Core, Featured, From the Front Lines, Instruction & Curriculum, Literacy, Uncategorized
On This State Standardized Test, the Story Is Not Literature
March in Connecticut brings two unpleasant realities: high winds and the state standardized tests. Specifically, the Connecticut Academic Performance Tests (CAPT) given to Grade 10th are in the subjects of math, social studies, sciences and English. There are two tests in the English section of the CAPT to demonstrate student proficiency in reading. In one, students are given […]