Have you jumped into Socratic Seminars in your classroom yet? If not, I’ve got a few easy tips to help you get started – including a ‘real life’ demo video! If you’re already using Socratic Seminar, maybe I’ve got a way you can snazz yours up and take your students’ thinking a little bit deeper. […]
High School
Posted inHigh School
Let’s Talk About Race: Jodi Picoult’s ‘Small Great Things’
Racism is different. It’s fraught, and it’s hard to discuss, and so as a result we often don’t – Jodi Picoult. Every year that I have taught, To Kill a Mockingbird has been in the curriculum. As a lover of literature, I am excited to share this masterpiece with my students. And every year, most students […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
“Letters Prove G. Washington a Coward!”- Fake News, circa 1776
Click bait headlines, such as the one above, may not have been “liked” instantaneously around the 13 original American colonies, but fake news and misinformation was still a factor in the news cycle of 1776. A close look at American history reveals that fake news has been around since the country’s inception, and even the honorable George Washington had […]
Posted inOpinion
Tracking is a Dirty Word
To track or not to track? Is that a question? Have I already lost you? Tracking has been a dirty word for decades. Mostly for good reason. But. Leveled classes might have a place. We all know that “tracking” happens when we offer advanced courses and co-taught sections. The limitations of scheduling mean groups of […]
Posted inTeacher Leaders
What My Students Have Taught Me About Politics: Communication
Based on the definition of the word, one would probably say I am a liberal. Needless to say, I think I’m actually a bit of a centrist, agreeing with stances and policies on both ends of the political spectrum. On Election Night, much of our country was sitting on pins and needles; waiting to see who […]
Posted inParents
Being a Teacher (but first, just being “Dad”)
About four years ago my wife called me at school and told me that our oldest daughter had gotten off the school bus crying. Walking up our 100 feet of driveway between the road and our door, she had her report card in one hand and was clearly trying to gather herself before getting to […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Book Review: ‘Play Like A Pirate’
I recently met teacher and author Quinn Rollins at the National Council for the Social Studies Conference earlier this month, and the session he led was on incorporating graphic novels into the classroom (you can read more about it in the link above). I’d be interested in teaching with graphic novels since Jeff Kinney’s first Diary of […]
Posted inHow to Fix Education
[Election 2016] What Do We Tell Our Children?
Last night, in an upset many did not see coming, reality show star, Donald Trump was announced President-Elect of the United States. As I stared at the screen, I initially was too shocked to even react. In the polls leading up to the election, it was clear that he was “gaining ground” but to see […]