Teachers have an untapped resource we have not been using. We have knowledge and experience and it is our responsibility to voice our concerns with leaders in our community, state and nation. What would happen if every teacher wrote to someone in power? What if you stopped what you were doing right now and wrote […]
Current Events in Education
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Elementary School
Letter From A Teacher On MLK Day
My Dear Fellow Colleagues, Critics, Politicians, and Aspiring Professionals: While I am happily undertaking the responsibilities of influencing the lives of young people, I have come across many comments, news articles, blog entries, and other choice pieces of that my choice of profession are “unwise and untimely.” While all of these pieces are of serious […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Instruction & Curriculum, Instructional Strategies, Literacy
Literature Circle Roles in New Wrappings
Educators regularly refurbish old ideas with new wrappings. Take for example, the literature circle. The literature circle has been in education since 1982 when, according to Wikipedia, fifth grade students in Karen Smith’s class, organized themselves loosely into groups, and started to discuss individual novels. Smith was surprised at the degree of their engagement with the books and the […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured, High School, Instruction & Curriculum, Literacy
Give Them Time and A Book of Their Choice in School
I have seen how the monthly Scholastic Publishing Company book flyer can set student readers’ hearts aflutter. Scholastic’s marketing through classroom book clubs gives them direct access to all levels of student readers, and when a school hosts a Scholastic book fair, students can browse books or products with book title tie-ins. Moreover, Scholastic offers resources to teachers including lesson plans, discussion guides, […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured, Uncategorized
The Math Wars: Are We Winning or Losing the Battle?
The math wars began in the 1990’s in California. At that time reforms were being made to mathematics curriculum for high school students which focused on moving from concrete instruction to abstract mathematical thinking. Many of the reform programs were being funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) in the hope that more students would […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured, Opinion
No Child Left Behind: 13 Unlucky, Yucky Years
On January 8th, 2002, President George W. Bush signed a revolutionary law into action – the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). It was a pretty easy bill to sign into law: it was introduced in the House by Committee on Education and Labor Chair (and current Speaker) John Boehner, a Republican, and Sen. Ted […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Uncategorized
5 Tips for Being a “YOLO TEACHER” in 2015
When I was a first-year teacher many years ago, I stumbled upon a trick that almost always seemed to work as long as it was done with the “right” group of students: learn and occasionally use (I stress the word occasionally) the expressions, euphemisms, and slang of popular culture. The students find it amusing and if […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
Social Justice in the Urban Classroom: The Day After the #EricGarner Decision
In my younger years I yearned for a life where I did not have to worry about how I would provide for my kids. I wanted a life where I could provide a safe, stable environment for my family and enjoy the life I saw on The Cosby Show. So I did what all kids from the […]