In light of the horrific tragedy that occurred in Newtown, Connecticut, it is only fitting to discuss gun control laws in our nation. Gun control laws were barely mentioned in this year’s presidential campaign. However, mass shootings have been occurring with more frequency in our country’s recent history.Columbine. Virginia Tech. Tucson. Aurora. Gun control laws […]
Posted inFeatured, From the Front Lines, Instruction & Curriculum, Middle School, Uncategorized
Raising Boys' Achievement Involves More Male Teachers
It’s no shock to any reader – teacher or parent – to learn that boys are not just falling behind, they’re sinking. In the middle school where I teach, of our nearly 1,100 students, roughly 80% of the special education students are male. More than 2/3 of the students failing classes are male. More than […]
Posted inFeatured, Instruction & Curriculum, Opinion, Principals' Corner, Uncategorized
Use Your Holiday Break to Get Political
This summer at my first PSEA Summer Leadership Conference (our union getaway in Gettysburg, PA), I heard what was probably the most interesting speech in years. The president of Student PSEA, a college senior about to begin her student-teaching that fall, talked about politics and education. She said that, while in high school leading up […]
Posted inFrom the Front Lines, Instruction & Curriculum, Stellar Educator of the Week, Uncategorized
Our Stellar Educator for the Holidays: YOU!
Name: You! Years Teaching: Plenty of Years! Specialty: Every specialty under the sun! Congratulations to YOU, our Stellar Educator for the Holidays! This has been a particularly challenging school year so far for teachers around the country. The year started with more murmurings and condemnations of teachers as educators in Chicago and other districts tried […]
Posted inFeatured, From the Front Lines, Opinion, Parents
Being the Change From the Inside Out
Respect. Responsibility. Perseverance. As teachers we are supposed to not only be good role models for value and character, but we are also supposed to help our students grow in these areas as well. Time and again we hear how society has developed a ‘lack of character’ over the course of several generations. I’ve read numerous articles […]
Posted inOpinion, Uncategorized
A Year Without School, Measured in… Fun!
Thanksgiving has just passed, and I’m thinking about my son’s school year so far. Around this time in traditional schools there are parent teacher conferences, 1st quarter report cards have gone out, and the choppy month before winter break begins (where it feels sometimes like there are more breaks than school days). But this year, […]
Posted inElementary School, How to Fix Education, Instruction & Curriculum, Kindergarten, New Teacher Bootcamp
Assessments—Using Incentives to Change the Image
Assessments…it’s almost become a dirty word in education. Those of us in the trenches know assessments are necessary and have a purpose. We understand there are different types of assessments that guide our instruction, help us focus students on their learning objectives, and show us where re-teaching and extension need to take place. Everyone has […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, High School, Opinion
School Shootings From The Eyes of a Student and as a Teacher
I was a sixth grader when a rash of school shootings began in the United States. Between January 1995 and March 2001, 21 multi-victim shootings occurred at schools around the country. I am part of a generation of Americans who learned to be wary of their peers and their schools, who looked for the way out of the school in […]