Name: Kathy B. School: Baltimore County Public Schools (MD) Years Teaching: 9-10 years Specialty: English/ Language Arts Congratulations to Kathy B., our Stellar Educator of the Week! Kathy was nominated by one of her students, who could not seem to find enough wonderful things to say about her! We agree that Kathy is a […]
From the Front Lines
Posted inFeatured, From the Front Lines, Middle School, Opinion
In Education I Matter (And So Do You)
Second semester, I believe, is the worst semester for teachers. Second semester is the time when we reflect upon first semester and what we did and did not accomplish. We look at what we taught and have left to teach. Second semester is the time for high absenteeism due to illness and all high stakes […]
Posted inFrom the Front Lines, Literacy, Uncategorized
Whit's Tips on Mentoring to Provide Individual Learning Opportunities
How should schools provide individual learning opportunities and motivation to accelerate learning while following standardized curricula goals aligned with the Common Core? One on one mentoring might be an answer. Whether schools can put together teams of five or a hundred mentors, giving students a half hour of undivided attention makes all the difference in […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, From the Front Lines, High School, Social Studies
Our School Isn't ON with Service Learning on the Observance of Dr. King's Birthday
Inauguration Day falls on the legal public holiday for the birthday of Martin Luther King January 21, 2013. Whether this was coincidence or a conspiratorial plot,it is the second time that this holiday has coincided with a presidential inauguration.  Do you remember President Bill Clinton’s inauguration in 1997? The observance of Dr. King’s birthday has been […]
Posted inFrom the Front Lines, Instruction & Curriculum, Literacy, Technology
Assessments: Pen Pals Part Two
Read Part I “Assessments: Upgrading the Age Old Practice of Letter Writing” here. Â In this time when school securities are threatened by unmitigated attacks, technology in education serves to open campuses between distant communities. A recent pen pal project entered a second phase of practice with letter writing and Skype. It has served to distract […]
Posted inFeatured, From the Front Lines, Instruction & Curriculum, Middle School, Uncategorized
Raising Boys' Achievement Involves More Male Teachers
It’s no shock to any reader – teacher or parent – to learn that boys are not just falling behind, they’re sinking. In the middle school where I teach, of our nearly 1,100 students, roughly 80% of the special education students are male. More than 2/3 of the students failing classes are male. More than […]
Posted inFrom the Front Lines, Instruction & Curriculum, Stellar Educator of the Week, Uncategorized
Our Stellar Educator for the Holidays: YOU!
Name: You! Years Teaching: Plenty of Years! Specialty: Every specialty under the sun! Congratulations to YOU, our Stellar Educator for the Holidays! This has been a particularly challenging school year so far for teachers around the country. The year started with more murmurings and condemnations of teachers as educators in Chicago and other districts tried […]
Posted inFeatured, From the Front Lines, Opinion, Parents
Being the Change From the Inside Out
Respect. Responsibility. Perseverance. As teachers we are supposed to not only be good role models for value and character, but we are also supposed to help our students grow in these areas as well. Time and again we hear how society has developed a ‘lack of character’ over the course of several generations. I’ve read numerous articles […]