Let’s start talking about shared core values, not common standards, please. My colleagues, my students, their parents, my own children… none of them are “common” or “standard.” This sentiment isn’t new to anyone who is serious about education and has done it for any length of time, or to anyone who has children of their […]
Posted inFeatured, Instruction & Curriculum, Instructional Strategies, Opinion
There Are Kinder Ways: Engaging Hesitant Students
Every now and again we have class periods that make us happy. The fun ones, during which everyone is engaged in the lesson, the room is filled with an infectious energy, and at the end you are sure that everyone, or at least nearly everyone, got the point. I had one of these classes recently. […]
Posted inFeatured, How to Fix Education, Instruction & Curriculum, Instructional Strategies, Mathematics
What is Complex Math Instruction?
I teach 5th grade Math at an elementary school, and I have noticed that many elementary teachers and instructional support personnel have not yet made the shift to more complex math instruction. The school in which I work is still trying to push small group instruction, where the teacher teaches a small group and the other […]
Posted inElementary School, How to Fix Education, Instruction & Curriculum, Instructional Strategies, Mathematics
Teaching Fractions, Piece By Piece
Ugh. Fractions. I love to teach math, but fractions-blah. So like with any challenging unit, I like to bring in something tangible. Remember, kids were designed to manipulate items and are tactile learners, some on into ten and eleven years of age. This activity is great for all ages and will teach several different concepts […]
Posted inClassroom Management, Featured
The Conundrums of Teaching
Conundrum is defined as a puzzle, challenge, or enigma, and I cannot think of a better word for teaching. Teaching is a paradox, and every decision we make has an immediate impact and more often than not we wonder if we made the right decision. The Puzzle of Content. It is so unfortunate that teachers […]
Posted inUncategorized
A Teacher-Parent Perspective on Behavior Challenges
I am a teacher-parent and an autism mom. I know first hand that special education teachers have a tough job, but I also know that parents of children who exhibit difficult behaviors do too. When you add the complexity of teaching and parenting a child with autism, sometimes you feel a little lost. How much […]
Posted inAsk a Teacher, From the Front Lines, Middle School, Parents
Balancing Teaching and Mothering
I’ve always been a working mom. I guess I should qualify that – I’ve always been a work-outside-the-home mom. Since I was in my thirties before I had both children, I spent several years teaching before they rocked my world…and to be honest, it was a struggle to figure out how I could balance it […]
Posted inUncategorized
5 Things All Teacher Bloggers Should Do This Year to Get Millions of Page Views
Four years. The crazy thing is that I never meant to blog full-time, but blame it on my neurosis, I’ve managed to get over 5 million blog views since 2012. 5,000,000 page views when I wasn’t even trying. <screams> In addition to the page views, I’ve managed to find some of the best teachers/writers to […]