Lin-Manuel Miranda’s gift to high school social studies teachers is Hamilton, his Pulitzer and Tony award winning play. Using musical theatre, he rescued history from the mind-numbing facts listed in textbooks and gave students an alternative narrative, a hip-hop lens to view the tumult of America’s creation. His gift to English teachers came on Sunday, June 12, during the Tony […]
High School
Posted inHigh School, Literacy, Special Education
Dewey in 2016: Still Relevant?
When I was pursuing my master’s in education, I spent a great deal of time examining the philosophies of various critical theorists. Vygotsky, Piaget, Freire, Montessori, Gardner, Pestalozzi and a whole host of other big educational names became part of my courses of study. Knowing these philosophers and their perspectives even helped me pass Florida’s […]
Posted inHigh School
Don’t Forget Us: A Letter to Principals
I have taught under four principals in my short career, and unfortunately, none of them has inspired me to be a better educator. Tragically, all but one have contributed to my loss of faith in our current education system. When I pursued this career, I imagined my administrators to be like the Hall Directors at […]
Posted inHigh School, Interviews, Opinion, Principals' Corner, The Unemployed Teacher
Transition Time: Finding the Right School Fit Over Summer
Summer means leaving a school for greener pastures for many educators, but how is one to know if the new school is going to be better? Here’s a brief checklist I’ve used during interviews in years past to figure out whether a school is a possible home or a major flop: 1. Outlook and attitude […]
Posted inFeatured
Using Open Classes in OUR Classrooms
I love to learn. I would be the person in college for the rest of my life if I could fit it in with everything else I do. So when I came across Harvard’s open classes, I was in heaven. Several universities, many Ivy League, offer open classes that are free online and can be […]
Posted inHigh School
Graduations, Endorphins, and Persistence
It happens to me every year about this time the feel-good buzz of a school year’s end inevitably changes my outlook about the prior 35 weeks. Happy memories are expressed in end-of-school projects, field trips create great photo ops and lasting bonds, little gifts come from students, and the emotional high of graduation dominates any […]
Posted inHigh School
What I Have Learned: Farewell Letter to My Students
Over the past few weeks, my students have made certain that I leave feeling valued and loved; they have thrown parties, brought treats, serenaded me with songs, given speeches, written encouraging notes, and presented me with heartfelt gifts. Teachers have commented that they have never seen students express their gratitude in these ways. We have […]
Posted inTechnology
Google Classroom Part 3: First Year Reflections
I surveyed 42 of my juniors for this article. The questionnaire asked them to comment on benefits and frustrations with Google Classroom and Google Apps. Every student agreed that they felt more connected to students and curriculum by using Google Classroom. Most students said they preferred to virtually collaborate because of convenience, connection to teacher, […]