Most educated individuals can agree that science and science education is of the utmost importance to our children and our future. The state of Florida does not see things quite the same way as evident by a recent law that allows ANY individual to challenge what is being taught in science class. To make a […]
Current Events in Education
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Making STEM Matter in Schools
I just got back from a fascinating conference about the state of STEM in U.S. schools, sponsored by U.S. News and World Report. I was compelled by the idea of making STEM matter in schools; as a middle school teacher, I know this is the prime time to hook kids into STEM. This is the […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
The Golden Handcuffs: When is it too late to leave a District?
There could be hundreds of different reasons why a teacher may want to teach in a new district. Maybe they aren’t getting along with their current administration, they’ve recently moved, they are looking for better pay, shorter commute, etc. Whatever the reasons are, one fact remains- once you become established in a district, it becomes […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
It’s Not the Teacher’s Fault: Where Our Education System Has It Wrong
I’m not a teacher and thank goodness for that because it is the hardest job in the world. As a School Counselor for many years in numerous settings, I have seen teachers blamed, criticized, micro-managed, and treated poorly by the various stakeholders in education. Since the Bush Administration implemented No Child Left Behind in the […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
Initiative Overload: A Teacher’s Harsh Reality
“What do you do, as teachers, to take care of your students?” Hands went up throughout the room. My colleagues and I, at the school where I have been teaching for the past 15 years, were attending a CPI session on non-violent crisis prevention and intervention. After a brief discussion, the session coach then asked, […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
What “School Choice” Means for Students, Teachers, and Everyone In-Between
The words school choice have been heard a lot in 2017. Specifically, “school choice” is a phrase most often associated with controversial Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos. As an educator with experience in virtual education, higher education, and in brick-and-mortar secondary education, many friends and family members have been asking my thoughts on DeVos and on the Trump […]
Posted inHow to Fix Education
The STEM Revolution in Higher Education
I just got back from a fascinating conference about the state of STEM in U.S. schools, sponsored by U.S. News and World Report! I was compelled by the idea of a STEM revolution in higher education; as a middle school teacher, it really didn’t occur to me that colleges would be reacting in a similar […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Five Books That Will Make Your World Bigger
Someone once said that reading can make your world bigger. Someone also said that reading can be a mirror to your own true self. I projected both of these thoughts on the screen in my classroom recently as a way for my 8th grade ELA students to reflect on the books they read during the […]