Posted inElementary School

Exploring New Horizons: How open-ended play-based learning enhances high quality learning and teaching

“But I can express myself only through writing. I don’t know any other way,” said my 10-year-old student. “Now, how do I respond to this?” I wondered. Still figuring out within myself, I was in for a surprise when the teacher within me immediately agreed with the student. “Yes, I agree. I have seen you […]

Posted inInstruction & Curriculum

Building from Scratch: How we raised standards in a new International Baccalaureate School

Starting a new program is every educator’s dream and nightmare. You get to design everything from scratch—but you also carry the weight of every decision. In 2016, I embraced one of my greatest challenges yet: becoming the MYP Language Teacher and Head of the English Department at a new International Baccalaureate (IB) school in Amman, […]

Posted inInstruction & Curriculum

The Power of Stories as Bridges: From assumption to understanding 

I grew up in 1970s Las Vegas, during the era of school desegregation and redlining, a discriminatory housing practice where banks and the government literally drew red lines around minority neighborhoods, denying families access to fair home loans and shaping inequities in schools and educational opportunities. I didn’t know what redlining was back then. What […]

Posted inInstruction & Curriculum

Federal Judge: Education Department unlawfully used partisan messaging during shutdown

According to a federal judge, the Department of Education was unlawful in using partisan messaging on out-of-office automatic replies during the recent government shutdown. On Friday, November 8, Judge Christopher R. Cooper of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia found that the Department of Education “infringed upon its employees’ First Amendment rights” […]