Firefighters regularly press their uniform and cap, polish their trucks, and look their best to march in Memorial Day parades. It’s a way for the entire firehouse to forge together, in a common bond, for the good of their department and to showcase their best for their community. They don’t get paid for it, and […]
Posted inClassroom Management, Featured, Opinion
School is Almost Out!
“Four more days!” “Yea!” Teachers are counting down, too. Some teachers have had grades done a while ago; especially the benchmark grades when a student’s passing or failing “the test” determines if she goes to the next grade. The rest of us are scrambling to get everything into the computer. The rooms have to be […]
Posted inFeatured, How to Fix Education, Middle School, Opinion, Parents
Unschooling: When There is No End to the School Year
This time of year is filled with so many conflicting feelings for teachers. I remember my time in the classroom as I faced June: elation, anxiousness, constant review of what needed to get done, finalizing grades and projects, planning for next year, thinking about the summer… The end of the school year is a huge […]
Posted inOpinion, Parents
Beyond the Learning: An Elementary Reflection
My son, Sport, had his eighth grade promotion Monday. Although an antiquated practice, it followed my heart and mind with memories of his journey. I was filled with pride at the man he is becoming and hope for his future. School goes beyond academics. I remember dropping Sport off at preschool in the morning and […]
Posted inClassroom Management, Current Events in Education, Featured, High School, Instruction & Curriculum, Middle School, School Improvement
High School Recess: Should it be an Option?
Yesterday, our full faculty came together to discuss the pros and cons of our mandated advisory period held in the middle of the day. For 20 minutes, students check in with an advisor to discuss upcoming involvements in events, to conference about grade improvement plans, to engage in fun activities. I have a freshman advisory […]
Posted inElementary School, Instruction & Curriculum, Technology
Open Your Doors to Learning
The winter was long here in Kansas. When we finally got some spring air it was refreshing to open the windows and get outside. Students and teachers can both benefit from getting out of the classroom. It’s just a space, the classroom. Learning comes from the lessons, the questions, the educator, and the interactions among […]
Posted inClassroom Management, Featured, Instruction & Curriculum, Instructional Strategies, Mathematics, Special Education
Learning Disorders in the Math Classroom
The combination of Common Core standards, especially in math, and placing students with learning disorders in the least restrictive environment possible has become a conundrum for teachers and students alike. Neither common core nor least restrictive environment is going away any time soon so we need to find a way to actively engage all of […]
Posted inClassroom Management, Featured
Kindergarten Building Blocks
Last week, a friend told me about a principal in my large urban school district who took the blocks out of a kindergarten classroom. There are stories in this district of all play materials, including crayons, being removed from kindergartens. In New York, the story of a principal canceling the kindergarten show made national news. […]