There has been the great controversy for many years over the inclusion of special education students in the regular education classroom. Some parents are afraid that inclusion students will negatively impact their child’s education. Mainstream education teachers sometimes voice concerns over whether or not they can teach these students when they have no background in special […]
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Posted inClassroom Management, Current Events in Education, Featured, High School, Instructional Strategies, Middle School
Student Mentors
It seems like by the time everything gets settled, the school year ends. Then in August, new freshmen arrive and need to be “broken in” to the high school climate. While we have amazing freshmen teachers to help with the adjustment period, sometimes they are not enough. In Japanese culture, there is a “senpai,” an […]
Posted inElementary School, Featured, Fine Arts, Instruction & Curriculum, Instructional Strategies
Implementing Art Across the Curriculum
I started teaching back in the days when supplies were limited and you saved everything. I remember days when I taught kindergarten with only toilet paper rolls, markers and a package of rainbow construction paper, which was expected to last for the first nine weeks, with the possibility of getting wiggle eyes to add to […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured, High School
Hosting an LGBQTA Prom
Last month the rural Vermont high school in which I teach at hosted a well attended LGBTQA prom as a culminating festivity for the 9th Annual Queer Allied Youth Summit. It was a first of its kind for our county, our community and our school; its success lay in the hands of a few teachers, […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured, High School, How to Fix Education, Uncategorized
Charter Schools Have Lost Their Way
Charter schools were first conceived in 1988 by then American Federation of Teachers President Albert Shanker. Shanker hoped to open up schools that would be led by teachers who would use innovative methods to help children learn. The idea was to allow students to come to a charter school even if it was not in […]
Posted inFeatured, The Student Teacher Diaries
Student Teacher Diaries: My Wish For You
This semester flew by and it was an amazing gift to see my students through fresh eyes. Having a student intern gave me the chance to reflect and think about my own teaching, as well as help my students in ways only possible when you have more than one adult working together in a classroom. Having […]
Posted inFeatured, Professional Development
8 Social Media Must-Follows for English Language Arts Teachers
Since it’s the end of the school year, I am starting to look back over the year and evaluate what went well and what I would like to change or improve upon for next year. One of the first things I like to do each spring is to take inventory of my social media “follows.” […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Elementary School, Featured, High School, Instructional Strategies
Innovating at the End of the School Year
With only weeks of school left, it’s easy for students and teachers to check out. The weather is nice. The state exams are behind us and with them a certain sense of urgency. This time of year can drive a teacher crazy. In many schools including my own in New York City, students have been cooped […]