I can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched the video clip of Ben Fields, Richland County (SC) school resource officer, where he picked up a young lady (who was black) and pulled her from her chair. I’ve done so because it astounds me that this situation occurred in our schools, but what also stuns […]
Current Events in Education
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured, From the Front Lines
Rebels with a Clue: How Teenagers Give Respect to those that Earn it
By now most of us have seen the video(s) of Officer Ben Fields aggressively removing a student from a classroom at Spring Valley High School. Most likely, if you are like me, you’ve read 100 articles on the incident and perhaps even voiced your opinion through various social media outlets. As I read people’s responses […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured, Social Justice
Empathy: The Missing Link in the Classroom
Empathy, for me, was always one of the best ways to handle classroom management and even more serious incidents. Empathy was what allowed me to never take anything a student did or said personally. Recently it seems that lack of empathy is causing actions by students that are either disruptive or perceived as disruptive to […]
Posted inCommon Core, Current Events in Education, Opinion, Uncategorized
What President Obama Didn’t Say About Standardized Testing
On Saturday, October 24th, President Obama came out with a wholehearted message about his concern about how much schools, teachers, and students were focusing on standardized testing. He began his speech with a pop quiz, asking parents what school options they would like to provide students who had more time to learn and what they could […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, From the Front Lines, Instruction & Curriculum, Opinion
When a Student Won’t Leave the Room
“Give me your phone now!” I demanded to the Lisette* as I attempted to quiet my noisy class after the first-period bell stopped ringing. Glaring at me over the rim of her glasses, Lisette* emphatically replied, “No”. Frustrated, I hit the buzzer to our discipline office. The other kids quieted down to witness the showdown- anything […]
Posted inCommon Core, Current Events in Education, Instruction & Curriculum, Middle School, Uncategorized
Why Data is Important
There were eight of us gathered together early Wednesday morning: 8th grade teachers of History, English, PE, Math, Science, Spanish, a para educator and a counselor. Our task? Analyzing data from last year’s SBAC scores. To three in the group, this was an impossible task. Immediately the environment became toxic. “Maybe you like data, Jennifer, […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Instructional Coach Files, Principals' Corner, Uncategorized
Instructional Coaching: Finding Your Purpose
You clear your throat. “Today we’re going to learn how to monitor data in our classrooms..” You look around the room and 20 pairs of eyes are looking at you waiting for you to finish your sentence. “..and how to increase student achievement at our school.” As you turn around to grab your handouts you […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, From the Front Lines, Opinion
The Myth of Teacher Salaries
I work in a fairly affluent district. The majority of my students come from parents with college degrees and are homeowners in our community. The town has passed school bonds based on property taxes to fund the ‘extras’ in our districts, such as art programs, sports and an additional period for kids to take electives. […]