This is a cross-post from EdGator.com. In one of the articles linked today, Alexander Russo tells of a “former reformer” who is now, as a parent, on the receiving end of a harsh reform measure: the forced consolidation of his child’s school. I’m sympathetic. I’m also reminded that, despite the eager cruelty of some, all […]
Elementary School
An elementary school is a primary school for children between the ages of 5-11 and between the grades prekindergarten and secondary education.
Posted inCommon Core, Elementary School, Featured, From the Front Lines, Instruction & Curriculum, Kindergarten, Literacy, Uncategorized
English Teachers Should Have More than a Footnote
The English Language Arts Common Core State Standards (CCSS) wants students to read in every discipline from elementary school through grade 12. The standards demand an increase in the reading of informational texts, the genre formally known as non-fiction. So where is the passage that concludes that English/Language Arts teachers will continue to teach fiction and literary non-fiction […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Fulfilling The Interdisciplinary Dream
The education world is all about buzzwords. From early classes in all disciplines to graduate level courses in specialized topics, practitioners are constantly throwing around terms like “differentiation”, “STEM” (now STEAM), “flipped classrooms”, “high-stakes testing”, “collaborative learning”, and “MOOCs”. These catchphrases live in the hearts and minds of professionals from first-grade math and high school […]
Posted inClassroom Management, Elementary School, Featured, From the Front Lines, Instruction & Curriculum, Kindergarten, Literacy, New Teacher Bootcamp, Opinion
Creating Confident Readers Out of Struggling and Reluctant Readers
So, it’s directed reading time. I have my readers grouped according to ability and the groups are reading different books, which I have geared toward the students in the particular groups. I have a group who collectively love animals, so we are reading Trouble According to Humphrey. I have another group who are mostly boys […]
Posted inElementary School, Featured, Instruction & Curriculum, Kindergarten, Literacy, Uncategorized
ESL Students in the General Education Classroom
Help! I have a new student in the middle of February who doesn’t speak any English! What should I do? Sound familiar? This often happens at my school. English Language Learners (ELL), or English as a Second Language (ESL) students, are part of a very transient population. Sometimes students will even leave mid-year for a month […]
Posted inBook Review, Elementary School, Featured, Kindergarten, Uncategorized
What Really Matters for Students: A Review of "How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character"
The Educator’s Room Book Review: “How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character,” by Paul Tough Paul Tough has re-entered the education discussion with How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character as a fresh voice in the discussion about student achievement. For us teachers, this discussion can be […]
Posted inElementary School, Featured, Instruction & Curriculum, Kindergarten
Differentiating Instruction–Stretching All Learners
Classrooms are a mix of students. They come to us with different experiences, background knowledge, skills, talents, attitudes and understanding. There is no longer the proverbial “middle” to teach. Teachers strive to reteach and reach the lowest students while excelling and pushing the highest students. In between is a mixture of ability levels and good […]
Posted inElementary School, Instruction & Curriculum, Kindergarten, Opinion, Social Studies, Uncategorized
In Defense of Affirmative Action: The Difference Between Opportunity & Results
This year begins with a very significant anniversary in the United States. One hundred fifty years ago, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. It was probably one of the most significant documents ever entered into our Congressional Record based on the change it incited. As we return to school this new year after a […]