In a dynamic change from the usual session at a conference, on the second day of ASCD 2013 in Chicago, one of the sessions was hosted not by a group of educators, but by students themselves. In “Why I Hate High School,” a five-student panel, moderated by Mickey Revenaugh, of Connections Education, shared how moving […]
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Posted inFeatured, Instruction & Curriculum, Literacy
6 Tips for Grading Writing
English teachers often look upon their math and science colleagues without a shred of envy while, ironically, they look upon us with pity. “At least, I don’t have to grade essays!” they say. If only, they knew… Along the way, I have picked up a few tips that make grading writing more efficient. I am […]
Posted inFeatured
Maya Angelou: The Magic of Storytelling
As teachers we constantly look for ways to engage our students in their own learning. It can get discouraging sometimes to look out into a sea of faces and know that for some – or many – the information they need just never connects. It can be the same for our own professional development – […]
Posted inCommon Core, Featured, Uncategorized
What Interdisciplinary Writing Assessments Can Learn from Saturday Night Live
This post completes a trilogy of reflections on the Connecticut Academic Performance Test (CAPT) which will be terminated once the new Smarter Balance Assessments tied to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are implemented. There will be at least one more year of the same CAPT assessments, specifically the Interdisciplinary Writing Prompt (IW) where 10th […]
Posted inElementary School, Featured, From the Front Lines, Kindergarten, Uncategorized
A New Generation of Educators Leads the Way
For the last several years, the ASCD has honored two educators with an Outstanding Young Educator Award. This year at the ASCD Annual Conference, we had a chance to talk with one of the recipients, Dr. Joshua Garcia. Garcia is the Deputy Superintendent of Tacoma Public Schools in Tacoma, Washington. He was a teacher, principal, […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured, Middle School, Parents
A Day in the Life of a Parent of A Virtual Charter School!
With two children currently attending a virtual charter school, the days can run together very easily. The basic schedule of the day tends to run something like this: Wake up Get Breakfast Start school work Get lunch Complete school work Rest of day’s activities (scouts, karate, etc) Generally, there is no set schedule unless the […]
Posted inCommon Core, Featured, Uncategorized
Good-bye to the Inauthentic "Make a Connection" Questions
As the Connecticut State Standardized tests fade into the sunset, teachers are learning to say “Good-bye” to all those questions that ask the reader to make a personal connection to a story. The incoming English Language Arts Common Core Standards (ELA- CCSS) are eradicating the writing of responses that begin with, “This story reminds me […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured, From the Front Lines, High School, How to Fix Education, Instruction & Curriculum, Opinion
What We Forgot From School
My improv troupe has been going through a time of transition. When I came back this summer after my school hiatus, there were a lot of new faces and a few old ones – and things had changed, not necessarily for the better. Every group goes through highs and lows. The first time I was […]