Enter the spoiler alert. Because the number of ways people hear about stories is increasing, spoiler alerts for books and films are offered as a “heads-up,” a means to prevent plot details from becoming public. Knowing the end of a story might mean that the strategy of “predicting” a story has been compromised. However, there are genres […]
Current Events in Education
Posted inCharter Schools, Current Events in Education, Featured, Middle School
Modeling Respectful Behavior (Charter School Diaries #17)
Week 4/29 – 5/3 I am a loner at work… well, maybe it is better said that I don’t go out of my way to be seen. I really just keep to myself; chalk that up to the fact that I am an only child. I really don’t want to be bothered with people – […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, High School, Middle School, Uncategorized
A Day in the Life of a Teacher in An Urban School
Many times I’m asked what it’s like to work in an urban school in an urban area. Knowing they are genuinely interested, I usually just laugh and tell them to come visit my my classroom. Knowing the 99.9% of them won’t, I decided to give a real “no holds barred” look at what a day is like […]
Posted inCommon Core, Current Events in Education, From the Front Lines, Uncategorized
Product Marketing a Test that Markets to Students
The New York State Department of Education’s new standardized tests were administered last week. The tests for grades 3-8 were developed by the educational testing company Pearson and contained new “authentic” passages aligned to the new Common Core State Standards. State tests might have been routine news had not several teachers also noticed that the English Language […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Teachers, Being Loyal May Cost You Your Professional Career
Yesterday in my staff meeting, we found out that the founder of my school was leaving the school to pursue other career opportunities within the district. He was obviously torn between his decision to stay at the school he founded but eventually opted to do what was best for him professionally. As he broke the […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured, High School, Middle School, Opinion
We Need a New Progressive Era for our Schools
[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”] Recently, a blog post written by Dr. Kathleen Berchelmann called “18 Reasons Why Doctors and Lawyers Homeschool Their Children” hit the internet big time. In it, Dr. Berchelmann explains why it […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured, High School, Opinion, The Unemployed Teacher
The Unemployed Teacher: Life After High School
–an installment in the ongoing series The Unemployed Teacher— I enjoyed a two hour coffee get together with one of my former students the other day. I was so energized after that meeting – and as I reflected on how proud I was of the path my student had followed after graduating from high school, […]
Posted inCharter Schools, Current Events in Education, Featured, Middle School
Politics As Usual – Pt.1 (Charter School Diaries #12)
Week 3/25-3/29 [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”] In any job, there is always office politicking going on. In public education, district-wide politicking is the norm. The cycle is never ending. Policymakers are pressured by parents who […]