Posted inCurrent Events in Education, English Language Learners, ESOL, Featured, From the Front Lines, Professional Development, School Improvement, Social Justice, Uncategorized

Hidden Stories of the Average American Classroom

I recently attended a professional development presentation on poverty, and one slide that struck me was the structure of the average American classroom. In fact, I cannot stop thinking about it. Doris Baboian (our presenter and Director of Student Services in my district) noted a 2007 joint study by the U.S. Department of Education and […]

Posted inFeatured

It’s Pi Day!

Pi Day comes once a year on March 14. It is a special day for a few reasons. The day itself can be written as the abbreviation for the number pi: 3.14. It also happens to be Albert Einstein’s birthday. I used to love pi day with my students because it gave me a day […]

Posted inClassroom Management, Current Events in Education, Featured, From the Front Lines, Opinion

Deskside Manner: What Teachers Can Learn From Doctors (Part I)

I recently missed a day and half of school for a bunch of medical appointments. As I sat in various waiting rooms, talked to a host of medical assistants, and shook hands with more than a few doctors, I realized something – we teachers have something to learn from the doctor-patient relationship. We need to […]