I was listening to my college-aged son awhile back talking with his friends during a study group. One of them brought up the idea of how funny it is to be in a ‘study’ group when none of them really knew how to study. They all had a good laugh and continued chit chatting about […]
Posted inFeatured, High School, Instruction & Curriculum, Instructional Strategies, Literacy, Series
Close and Critical Reading: What’s the Point?
This is the fourth post in a series about teaching Close and Critical Reading. The first post explaining what CCR is can be found here, the second on summary is here, and the third on writer’s craft is here. The third portion of Close and Critical Reading (CCR) asks the students: Why did the author write this? […]
Posted inClassroom Management, Featured, Instructional Strategies
Ask Three Before Me: Encouraging Student Voice and Independence
I’m lucky to be married to a brilliant early childhood educator. But I’m not just bragging. I share this, because her perspective on teaching really young students we have has given me a lot of insights to my own work with third graders. One thing that has stayed with me is the way my wife […]
Posted inElementary School, Featured
Don't Give Me More Work: Challenging Kids
Part of the thrill (and exhaustion) of education is having a community of different learners. Students in our classrooms have different needs. Most school communities have numerous resources, staff, time and energies spent on helping students who need extra help to reach grade level. Often, however, there are very limited resources for those students who […]
Posted inFeatured, Instruction & Curriculum, Mathematics
Word Walls In Math? But, Why?
When I told my students that we would have a word wall in our class, they looked puzzled. “A word wall?” “I never heard of having a word wall in math class before.” “Huh?” I pointed their attention to the words we had already gone over and said that the wall would grow throughout the […]
Posted inFeatured, High School, Instruction & Curriculum, Literacy
Why We Write from Day 1
On the first day of each new school year, after introductions and a syllabus review, I make a promise to each of my classes. “I can promise that other than the state tests over which I have no control, you will never take a test in my class.” (Queue nods of approval and general happy […]
Posted inFeatured, Opinion
Thoughts You Had While Grading…
“I just can’t wait to go home and grade papers!” Not. Grading isn’t my favorite thing to do when I get home, but I just cannot seem to get any grading done during my prep period, so sadly, it all comes home. I really do not grade for hours during the week, but on Sundays […]
Posted inHigh School, Opinion
Teaching is Such a Racket
As an educator in a close knit community, I am an easy target for disgruntled community members. I would love to believe that people flock to me the way they might flock to an adored film or rock star that first week of school. Occasionally parents will stop me to tell me about the success […]