Guest Post by: Jeremy Adams In many ways, the job of a high school teacher now encountering the first fully digitalized student generation has been tossed on its head. No longer are we teachers the depositories of information in civil society. No longer are we the keepers of important knowledge and insight. Students can access the […]
From the Front Lines
Posted inCommon Core, Current Events in Education, Featured, From the Front Lines, Uncategorized
The Tyranny of the Datum
Data is a big deal. A great deal of innovation is happening right now in the field of data collection, storage, and management in the field of education. There are some well-documented fears among parents and teachers regarding these trends. Who will control the data? How will the data be used? Will my child’s data […]
Posted inFrom the Front Lines, New Teacher Bootcamp, Opinion, Parents
Give Them A Hero- Advocating for Students
My family and I spent New Year’s Eve together, which may not sound like much, except that my three kids are 19, 17 and 14. I know they could have gone with friends, but they chose to stay home and ring in 2014 with mom, dad and grandma. I was so excited that they made […]
Posted inCommon Core, From the Front Lines, Uncategorized
Ed Reform's Atari Problem
My cousin, John Michael, had the first Atari I ever saw. Not long after, my cousin Philip got one. I went to their houses every chance I got, and while I was there I hogged their video game machines as much as I could. I still remember the spongy feel and new plastic smell of […]
Posted inFeatured, From the Front Lines, How to Fix Education, Instruction & Curriculum, Instructional Coach Files, Uncategorized
Adventures in Coaching: Sometimes You Just Have to Teach
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”] Last week I had the humbling experience of comforting a teacher after a bad evaluation from an administrator. As the teacher cried and “defended” their actions in class, it reminded me […]
Posted inClassroom Management, Featured, From the Front Lines, Instruction & Curriculum, Literacy
Where I'm From: New Year, New Understanding Using Poetry
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”] I remember watching “Gremlins” in the 80’s. When Randall is sold the Mogwai he is given three specific instructions: never expose it to bright light, never get it wet and never, ever […]
Posted inCommon Core, Current Events in Education, Featured, From the Front Lines, How to Fix Education, School Improvement, Uncategorized
The Wizards of Ed- The Conundrum of Education
There is a conundrum facing American K-12 education. It is the same conundrum that has always faced American K-12 education. How do we educate “those” kids? “Those” refers to the kids who are dealing with any (or all) of a host of disadvantages. They are from the “wrong” side of the tracks. They are from […]
Posted inFeatured
The Exhaustion of the American Teacher
With the American school year still in its infancy, it’s worthwhile to note that the people doing the actual educating are down in the dumps. Teachers feel more beaten down this year than last. Some are walking into their classrooms unsure if this is still the job for them. Their hearts ache with quiet anguish […]