Posted inCommon Core

Teaching Writing With Hyperdocs

If you’re looking for a new approach to teaching writing, you’ve got to try teaching with hyperdocs. What are hyperdocs? According to their creators, Lisa Highfill, Kelly Hilton and Sarah Landis, hyperdocs are “a transformative, interactive, personalized engaging too to help facilitate student creativity and collaboration” (The Hyperdoc Handbook). And I can testify that hyperdocs […]

Posted inInstruction & Curriculum

Budget Cuts? Don’t Take It Out On The Teachers – Or The Students

I spent the day today working with professional educators.  This group of experienced teachers gathered to learn more about mentoring those just entering our profession.  Technically, we’re there to participate in the California teacher credentialing program, which requires beginning teachers to partner with experienced support providers. But while I was sitting there, learning about learning-focused […]

Posted inCommon Core

Have You Been To A #GAFE Summit?

I’ve been teaching for 26 years – English, AVID, Yearbook, Reading, History and any sort of intervention class that gets thrown my way. I’ve been through whole language and back. I’ve survived NCLB. I’ve been trained in teaching the Gifted and Talented, the At-Risk and 21st-century students. And last weekend, I went to my first […]

Posted inAsk a Teacher, Back to School, How to Fix Education, New Teacher Bootcamp, Parents, Technology, The New Teacher Chronicles

8 Ways For Teachers To Communicate With Parents in the 21st Century

In the 21st century, there is a multitude of ways to communicate with parents. I know a large part of the education workforce is comprised of ‘digital immigrants’, but with a little time and motivation, all teachers can (and should) utilize technology to increase communication with parents and students. Here are my eight favorite ways […]

Posted inBack to School

First, We Must Educate The Heart

“Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all” – Aristotle Teachers, have you thought about this challenge? How will you educate the heart this year? Childhood – especially the middle school years – can seem like a crazy-making manic time for kids. One minute they’re sweet young and innocent, most interested […]