[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”] Educational reform is on the minds of many business leaders and several leaders have weighed in with their concerns: “We know we are facing a transition, and we must take this […]
Posted inCharter Schools, Featured, From the Front Lines, Parents
Charter School Diaries #5 – Parent Teacher Collaboration
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”] I remember as a kid, the one thing that I dreaded more than receiving my report card was parent-teacher conferences. It was bad enough that I got a few C’s or […]
Posted inFeatured, From the Front Lines, Opinion, Parents
The Significance of Creating Working Relationships
It was with a heavy heart that I had to dismiss a student from my school this week. Owning your own school comes with many rewards, but also with a handful of hurt. This was the third year that this child had been with us. The third year that we have had problems with this […]
Posted inFeatured, Instruction & Curriculum, Literacy
Shakespeare Doesn’t Have to be Scary! Six Tips to Help you Start Teaching Shakespeare and be Glad You Did!
In my first year of teaching, I wanted to teach a Shakespeare play, but was completely intimidated by where to start. I befriended the most veteran member of our English department, an actress, director and drama teacher, who gave me fantastic tips and assured me that I would love it and that students would, too. […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
The Conundrum of Extra Credit
Every classroom teacher has encountered the inevitable question from a student or parent, “Do you offer extra credit?” The reasons can be myriad: the student was out of school due to illness, and his/her grades suffered from it. The parents may want the student to gain additional mastery of the material. More often than not, […]
Posted inClassroom Management, Elementary School, Featured, From the Front Lines, Instruction & Curriculum, Kindergarten, Literacy, New Teacher Bootcamp, Opinion
Creating Confident Readers Out of Struggling and Reluctant Readers
So, it’s directed reading time. I have my readers grouped according to ability and the groups are reading different books, which I have geared toward the students in the particular groups. I have a group who collectively love animals, so we are reading Trouble According to Humphrey. I have another group who are mostly boys […]
Posted inFeatured
Twitter PLNs -Because Solutions in Education Must Include Teachers
I recently read a tweet by the National Education Association’s (NEA) president, Dennis Van Roekel, which brought me to this quote: “I’m so tired of OTHERS defining the solutions….without even asking those who do the work every day of their professional life.” Consider how solutions determined by others have determined the profound changes in education […]
Posted inFeatured, From the Front Lines, Middle School, New Teacher Bootcamp, Opinion, Technology
Classroom Technology: When you Can't Beat Them, Join Them
I am not a technically savvy person. At. All. I’d rather use a dry erase board than my smartboard. I’d rather hand write notes than type them. How a land line phone works fascinates me. My smart phone freaks me out. I have two iPads and several laptops available to my class to use on […]