Saturday, March 14th, Cornelius Minor, a Staff Developer at The Reading & Writing Project gave the luncheon keynote address to over 300 educators at the 2nd Annual Conference for The Teaching Studio at The Learning Community, a public charter school in Central Falls, Rhode Island. While he began his address with humor and participation, Minor quickly got to […]
High School
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Elementary School, High School, Instruction & Curriculum, Mathematics, Parents
Tips for Parents: Change Your Math
I love math! In high school, however, I remember we were asked to show ALL work. There were things I was just doing in my mind that I had never been asked to break down or explain. This was a difficult task, but it made me push myself to understand the process. No longer was […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured, High School, Instructional Strategies, Parents
Tips for Parents: How to help your high school ELA student succeed in Common Core
There are major shifts in all curriculum with the new common core standards. Many parents are intimidated by the changes and all doing all they can to help their children succeed. As an ELA teacher, I have a simple and obvious solution to help your high school student read. Seriously. Don’t just hand them a […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, High School, Instructional Coach Files, Instructional Strategies, Middle School, Professional Development
The Problem in Urban Schools- Stop Teaching to the Test
“I mean even though I taught all of the standards last semester, but I don’t feel like my kids learned anything!” These were the words one of the teachers who I support as an Instructional Coach said to me as we sat in her classroom after school discussed all things teaching and learning. This wasn’t […]
Posted inEducational Apps, High School, Instructional Strategies, Technology
Outdated Practices With Google Docs
It is a relief to find a few digital tools that continuously serve learners despite the accelerated nature of change in technology. Google Docs allows me to meet the varied needs and writing levels of almost all students. It gives me wings, allowing me to reach past classroom walls and time constraints, to converse and edit […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured, From the Front Lines, High School, Instruction & Curriculum, Opinion
Breaking The Cycle of Disrespect in the Classroom
I am an Oklahoman, born and bred. And although Oklahoma might not have a beach, DisneyWorld or one of the nation’s historic landmarks, it has amazing people who time and time again have come together to help one another when the rubber meets the road. Having said that, many of us ‘Okies’ were heartbroken when […]
Posted inCommon Core, Current Events in Education, Elementary School, Featured, High School, Kindergarten, Opinion, Uncategorized
Assessing the Damage: What students should know about tests like Smarter Balanced
By Guest Writer Jessica Classen “But I’ve passed all my classes! I mean, I should be able to graduate. Will I have to go summer school? Will I not be able to walk? What happens?” The panic in his voice was clear. Adam, a bright, hard-working junior, was already terrified of the possibility of […]
Posted inFeatured, High School, Opinion
Dear 'Bad Students': Prove Us Wrong
As students were prepping for a group activity, I looked across the room and gave them a friendly reminder, “Please stay on-topic until you’ve completed the assignment. No goofing around.” Immediately a student piped up, “That wasn’t directed at me now was it, Mrs. Filler?” A smug grin was spread across his face. At least […]