In 1991, I graduated at the top of my high school class. Â I could have majored in a myriad of topics. I chose the teaching profession. Â First in my nuclear family to graduate high school with a traditional diploma and one of the few in my extended family to pursue a college degree, I forged […]
The State of Education
It’s time to talk about the culture of fear around standardized testing
The temperatures are warming. The skies are bright. The birds are chirping. Spring fever is in full effect, and everyone is awaiting summertime! Unfortunately for educators and students, there is a huge hump to get over…standardized testing. End of the year assessments are looming over us. It seems like the entire school year comes down […]
It’s Time to Spill The Tea About Education…
“Spilling the tea” is teenage slang that this history teacher can appreciate. Like those 342 rebels that protested taxation without representation on December 16, 1773, in Boston harbor, it is time for educators (teachers and administrators) to become revolutionaries. Although the slang of the terms is typically about gossip, the “T” in tea is also […]
Respect in the Classroom: Earned, Not Expected
There was a sub for one of my paras a couple of weeks ago and she set up shop in my classroom. We went through the day as usual, with her thoroughly enjoying her role after being out of the classroom for the past few years. At the end of the day, as I was […]
Band-Aiding The Mental Health of Our Children
I deal with the most difficult of kids. In all of my years of teaching, I have been called The Pied Piper for Children’s Behavior and a Child Whisperer. But one thing that has never gotten easier is seeing seven, eight and nine-year-old children on medications that can eventually cause more harm than good. [bctt […]
Opinion: Age-Grading is Stupid
Age-grading is, in a word, stupid. It is built on a cultural conception of development that precludes the ability of individuals of different ages to have healthy, appropriate interactions and learn from one another. Unless, of course, a clear power dynamic defines the relationship: teacher-student, babysitter-child, employer-worker, coach-player etc., then the interaction is sanctioned. Instead […]
The Importance Of Early Intervention
I am a huge advocate for early intervention. Unfortunately, my district doesn’t always share the same philosophy. In my experience, students who are having difficulty in first and second grade (even some students in kindergarten) can be identified and remediated with the right supports. We are doing a huge disservice to children and families by […]
The Importance of Communication For IEP Students and Parents
I realize that I am a little on the eccentric side. I like it there, without the boundaries and regiment of the real world. And since I see things from a different perspective than most I also enjoy some things that many teachers find to be less enjoyable. One of those things is IEP meetings. […]