I don’t know how your state is treating educators these days, but in my state, coming from my state legislature, education is constantly under attack. Education is the current hot button and there are bills discussed and passed daily to undermine all I do. Common Core, AP classes, character education, teacher tenure, and teacher due process are […]
From the Front Lines
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Elementary School, Featured, From the Front Lines, High School, Instruction & Curriculum, Middle School, Opinion, Parents, Uncategorized
It's Time Teachers Curb Homework
Yesterday, my wife came home with her laptop bag. Again. And it’s not her fault. After working another 9-hour day, that wasn’t enough. She had to put in a bit more time to finish off a few projects so that they were ready for the clients in the morning. My wife doesn’t regularly do this […]
Posted inFeatured, From the Front Lines
When Teachers Get Sick
I am not a very good sick person. I don’t like stuffing my pockets full of Kleenex, dosing up on Sudafed, and trying to make it through my day. But I don’t like the alternative, either. Hunkering down in the house with a stack of unread newspapers, that novel I’ve been meaning to finish since […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured, From the Front Lines, Uncategorized
Redefining Expertise in Education
One of the most humbling things about my seventh year teaching is realizing how much I have left to learn. I am lucky enough to work with several teachers with 10 to 20 years of experience under their belts. I am inspired by the breadth and depth of their knowledge. At the same time, I […]
Posted inFrom the Front Lines, Opinion, Uncategorized
There's More To a Student than Just A Number
I was so angry. How could anyone just give up on a child because of a number! Let me back up. Way back to this past summer. Bear with me. I tutor during the summer. I had a family contact me about tutoring their foster children, a soon-to-be first grader and a fifth grader. They […]
Posted inUncategorized
What Teachers Are Really Searching For Online
Wonder what teachers are really searching for online? I can tell you – it’s not just lesson plans or decoration ideas. It’s not just how to deal with the unruly child, or how to motivate a reluctant reader. Those searches would be understandable. What teachers are really searching for online is this: jobs for retired […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured, From the Front Lines, Opinion, Parents
"I'm Looking For…" On Mispronouncing Names, A Teacher's Guide
This week on Twitter, the hashtag #growingupwithmyname has release an outpouring catharsis from people all around the world whose name is a bit… different. Whether it’s a(n): -Spelling of a name – Justin Bieber jested that “he’d be a millionaire” if he had a $1 for every time someone spelled his name wrong. -Pronunciation of […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured, From the Front Lines, High School, Instruction & Curriculum, Literacy
Staying Student-Centered in a World Gone Mad over Technology
Guest Writer:By: Eliana Lipsky I am a teacher coach, professional developer, and school consultant for a few Jewish day schools in the Chicago area. I’m also a former classroom teacher who left to get my doctorate in education. I recently attended a one-day conference here with over three hundred fellow educators representing over five Chicagoland […]