At the beginning of this year, I noticed a boy who is in one of the homerooms I work closely with. Stationed at the end of a hall to watch students as they come in, near his room, I would see him approach. Head down, eyes down, every day; a look on his face that […]
Dan McConnell
Husband, father, and teacher. Hoping to earn full redemption through the written word and shaping the dangerous young minds of tomorrow.
Posted inUncategorized
Tests aren’t Best
I don’t know kids but I like tests to know more about kids I think tests are best  (The anonymous corporate reformer who ate Dr. Seuss) Tests are preparing to descend upon us. The are being discussed in training, warnings, plannings… But once in a while you get to be with colleagues and plan […]
Posted inUncategorized
Tests aren't Best
I don’t know kids but I like tests to know more about kids I think tests are best  (The anonymous corporate reformer who ate Dr. Seuss) Tests are preparing to descend upon us. The are being discussed in training, warnings, plannings… But once in a while you get to be with colleagues and plan […]
Posted inFeatured, Teacher Burnout
I am a Tired Teacher
I am tired. I find myself yawning at work by 2PM almost daily. If I am able to stay asleep until 4AM these days-it is a surprise. One I am thankful for, to be sure. It seems that I just can’t quiet my mind and if I wake up just a little as I roll […]
Posted inFrom the Front Lines, Opinion, Teacher Burnout, Uncategorized
4 Challenges of Teaching
The challenge of time As a teacher, my first teaching challenge is getting enough time with my students. Wanting to be with my kids and in my school more than I already am doesn’t make me an exception-I would say it’s the rule with good teachers (which most of us are in one way or another). There […]
Posted inUncategorized
High Expectations Are Not New For Students
High expectations have become “the raised bar” There is nothing wrong with high expectations, or with “raising the bar”. Good teaching includes working towards students having a depth in skills, and the ability to maintain rigor in their studies. It has always been that way. What has been happening through current corporate-driven reforms, though, is […]
Posted inFeatured, Opinion
The Original Purpose of Charter Schools
For me, the core of the charter school issue lies in the difference between what charters were originally intended to be, and what they have become. The original model (and I can remember hearing about this when I was a teenager), was a student-centered, educator-designed and delivered, locally controlled endeavor. Â Consider the New York Times, […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum, Instructional Strategies, Uncategorized
Don’t Doubt Homework, Bend it to Your Will
Homework can be a waste of time, if you let it be. Homework has become the mistreated and misunderstood stepchild of the teaching profession. Once a staple, a cornerstone, one of the pillars of combined effective teaching and responsible studentry (a made up word that I will trademark, eventually), “homework” has become almost a curse-word. […]