When I told my students that we would have a word wall in our class, they looked puzzled. “A word wall?” “I never heard of having a word wall in math class before.” “Huh?” I pointed their attention to the words we had already gone over and said that the wall would grow throughout the […]
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Posted inFeatured, High School, Instruction & Curriculum, Literacy
Why We Write from Day 1
On the first day of each new school year, after introductions and a syllabus review, I make a promise to each of my classes. “I can promise that other than the state tests over which I have no control, you will never take a test in my class.” (Queue nods of approval and general happy […]
Posted inFeatured, Opinion
Thoughts You Had While Grading…
“I just can’t wait to go home and grade papers!” Not. Grading isn’t my favorite thing to do when I get home, but I just cannot seem to get any grading done during my prep period, so sadly, it all comes home. I really do not grade for hours during the week, but on Sundays […]
Posted inFeatured, Instructional Strategies, Interviews
Supplemental Education and the New SAT: Part I
There are many pathways beyond the traditional classroom for educators to use their expertise to help students. In our modern education environment, students learn invaluable lessons from their classroom teachers, but they must also learn to navigate the world of standardized testing. Especially if high school students plan to pursue post-secondary education, the classroom is not […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured, Opinion, Uncategorized
The Breaking Point of Education
Benjamin Franklin is often attributed to saying “an investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” The dividends from the investment in American education are long-lasting and truly have changed humankind’s bottom line. From the far-flung 1776 idea that people could govern themselves in a republic to the 21st century one of tying us entirely together […]
Posted inFeatured, High School, Instruction & Curriculum, Literacy
Some Advice on Writing College Essays
The SAT and ACT are taken, scores received. The transcripts bundled with a plethora of application pages. The FAFSA and other financial information finally finished after hours of telephone calls, online services, old receipts and bank statements gathered. Yes, one of the most exciting and stressful elements of senior year is the college application […]
Posted inClassroom Management, Current Events in Education, Featured, Opinion
Leaving Your Babies to Have Your Baby: Maternity Leave Readiness
Maternity leave as a teacher is different from any other profession. Six weeks of lesson plans are needed and as you already know, just leaving a plan for one day is a struggle. Leaving your students in the hands of another person for six-week is daunting and overwhelming. As a teacher, we have a need […]
Posted inElementary School, Featured, Opinion
Letting Go of Perfectionism in the Classroom
Perfection [per-fek-shuh n] noun The highest degree of proficiency, skill, or excellence, as in some art Something that cannot be improved Perfection. A word that can be both a blessing and a curse. This single word can lead you to strive to be the very best in all that you do, setting high expectations and […]