Most states have a guide for how educators should properly proctor a standardized test. Chief among the list of directions is teacher behavior while students are testing. Those of us proctoring tests are bound to come across the term “active monitoring” (AK-tiv * Mahn-it-ORR-ing) N. – educational jargon-ese for teachers doing nothing other than staring at their […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
Testing Season: Prepare to be Accountable
It’s testing season In New York, the state tests are here. Technically speaking the ELA tests have gone by already, other than make-ups that need to still happen. The math 3-8 exams are still to come, and in the tiny rural school system I teach in these tests are all taken seriously by the teachers. […]
Posted inOpinion
On Sickness: From a Teacher who Can’t Come to School Right Now
As teachers, we hold the fate of our students in our hands. When we’re sick, we often show up anyway because sometimes even a sick teacher outmatches a substitute who may or may not know the content being delivered. A couple weeks ago, I severely injured my leg. Let’s just say: once you’re over a […]
Posted inBack to School
New Beginnings: Learning to Swim Without Calling the Lifeguard
By Guest Writer Salvatore A. Barcia Jr. On a clear morning in late August, I entered the classroom for the first time . . . and it was time to sink or swim. I had been a sub on and off for a few years, grabbing a few days a month in-between an office […]
Posted inFeatured
20 April Fools’ Pranks for Educators
I love Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, but one of his greatest contributions is giving us our first written record of playing pranks on one another come April 1st. With Tax Day just 2 weeks later, standardized testing season right around the corner, and everybody itching for Spring Break, I have some pranks for you to […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
4 Ways to use the NCAA Tournament to Enhance your Math Classes
The big scream coming from administrators, curriculum coaches, and students alike is for relevancy in teaching. Sometimes, as math teachers, we have had a hard time picking up that relevancy piece. I find that the best time to bring students into the fold is during the NCAA tournament because so much math can be taught […]
Posted inSpecial Education
Sesame Street’s Julia: Changing the Way We See Autism
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” This quote from women’s rights advocate and cultural anthropologist Margaret Mead – could also be Sesame Street’s mission statement. Since its premiere on November 10, 1969, Sesame Street has brought the fundamentals […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, From the Front Lines, School Improvement, Teacher Leaders
Watch from the Balcony, Lead on the Floor
School administrators spend most of their time on the dance floor, making tactical decisions; putting out fires, dealing with discipline and making sure the buses are running on time. On occasion, administrators have the opportunity to engage in professional learning. This learning is often focused on the ‘balcony view’ of leadership; strategy, rather than tactics. […]